Ephedra alata aqueous extract mediated green synthesis of CuO nanoparticles and their antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antibacterial properties

The rising prevalence of oxidative stress–related disorders, diabetes, and bacterial infections has driven the search for sustainable biomedical solutions. Developments in green technology have prompted researchers to explore low-cost, eco-friendly approaches for nanoparticle synthesis. This research presents a green strategy for synthesizing copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) using aqueous extracts of desert Ephedra alata and investigates their antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antibacterial properties. CuO NPs prepared from Ephedra alata extract were studied by UV–Vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) procedures, identifying an absorption peak at 340 nm, an average size of 28.81 nm, and a semi-spherical to irregular morphology. The DPPH and ABTS examinations assessed the antioxidant activity of copper oxide nanoparticles, revealing inhibition rates of 76.89 ± 0.11% and 92.04 ± 0.47%, respectively. The α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition rates for antidiabetic effectiveness were 67.17 ± 3.79% and 61.55 ± 0.26%, respectively. The investigation of the antibacterial efficacy of the biosynthesized CuO NPs revealed the most significant inhibitory effect against S.aureus (17 ± 0.06 mm), then against B.subtilis (16 ± 0.25 mm), K.pneumoniae (15 ± 0.05 mm), E.coli (14 ± 0.18 mm), and P.aeruginosa (8 ± 0.02 mm). This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of these activities of CuO NPs derived from Ephedra alata , highlighting their potential in the field of nanotechnology for medicine.