Phyto-mediated synthesis of Ag, ZnO, and Ag/ZnO nanoparticles from leave extract of Solanum macrocarpon: Evaluation of their antioxidant and anticancer activities

• Silver, zinc oxide, and silver/zinc oxide nanoparticles were prepared by the green route. • Face-centered cubic (FCC) Ag, and hexagonal ZnO crystal structures were obtained. • The role of the plant extract in the synthesis process was established. • The free radical scavenging activities of the nanoparticles were studied. • The anticancer potency on normal HEK and cancerous HELA cells was examined. • Remarkable IC 50 values were better than the control drugs. Silver, zinc oxide, and silver/zinc oxide nanocomposites were prepared from the facile green process using Solanum macrocarpon leave extract. Ag and ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were composited with the aim of enhancing the synergy for improved antioxidant and anticancer activities. In the synthesis process, the formation of Ag NPs was initially observed by a colour change and was confirmed by the appearance of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) bands. Based on the crystallographic analysis of the diffraction patterns, the phyto-capped silver NPs possessed a crystalline character, featuring a lattice structure of face-centered cubic (FCC) and an estimated crystallite size of around 7.2 nm. The formation of a hexagonal crystal structure of spherical morphology was confirmed for the ZnO, while the Ag/ZnO composite showed additional planes due to the silver nanoparticles in the cubic phase. The scavenging activities of 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals and their anticancer potency on normal HEK and cancerous HELA cells were examined in comparison to standard drugs. They demonstrated remarkable IC 50 values that were better than the control drugs. This study provides helpful insight into the synergy between Ag and ZnO nanoparticles for the possible development of new anticancer and antioxidant agents.