Green Synthesized Silver and Zinc Nanoparticles from Sechium edule: Evaluation of Antioxidant and Antidiabetic efficacy

Plants are rich reservoirs of bioactive compounds widely utilized in pharmaceutical and medicinal applications. Sechium edule (chayote) contains several important phytochemicals such as peroxidases, alkaloids, saponins, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. These bioactive compounds are associated with various pharmacological properties, including antioxidant and antidiabetic activities, making chayote a promising source for the development of plant-based therapeutic agents. In the present study, silver and zinc nanoparticles were synthesized from aqueous and ethanolic extracts of chayote peel powder through a green synthesis approach. The biological activities of the synthesized nanoparticles were evaluated for their antioxidant potential. Antioxidant activity was determined using the DPPH radical scavenging assay through UV–Visible spectrophotometric analysis. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibited 18% radical scavenging activity. Antidiabetic activity was evaluated separately using the ethanolic extract of Sechium edule peel through the yeast glucose uptake assay by colorimetric analysis. The preliminary antidiabetic test showed approximately 60% glucose uptake activity, indicating good glucose uptake potential compared to the control. Overall, the findings suggest that Sechium edule peel extract possesses bioactive phytochemicals capable of reducing and stabilizing metal ions during the green synthesis of nanoparticles. The results also indicate that the synthesized nanoparticles exhibit antioxidant potential, while the ethanolic plant extract demonstrates good antidiabetic activity in the preliminary screening. These observations highlight the potential of Sechium edule as a natural source of bioactive compounds and support the use of plant-mediated nanoparticle synthesis as an eco-friendly strategy for developing bioactive nanomaterials.