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Biogenic synthesis of gold nanoparticles from Terminalia arjuna bark extract: assessment of safety aspects and neuroprotective potential via antioxidant, anticholinesterase, and antiamyloidogenic effects

  • Plant-borne compounds and nanoparticles: challenges for medicine, parasitology and entomology
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Abstract

The development of neuroprotective drugs through eco-friendly production routes is a major challenge for current pharmacology. The present study was carried out to synthesize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) through biogenic route using ethanolic bark extract of Terminalia arjuna, a plant of high interest in Asian traditional medicine, and to evaluate its neuroprotective effects. The synthesized AuNPs were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, XRD, FESEM, EDX, HRTEM, DLS, and zeta potential analyses. UV-Vis spectroscopy showed a characteristics SPR absorption band at 536 nm specific for AuNPs. XRD, TEM, and FESEM analyses revealed the formation of face-centered cubic crystalline, spherical and triangular shaped AuNPs, with size ranging between 20 and 50 nm. DLS and ZP analysis illustrated that the average size of AuNPs was 30 nm, which was found to be stable at 45 mv. The neuroprotective potential of AuNPs was evaluated by assessing its antioxidant, cholinesterase inhibitory, and antiamyloidogenic activities. AuNPs showed dose-dependant inhibition of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase with IC50 value of 4.25 ± 0.02 and 5.05 ± 0.02 μg/ml, respectively. In vitro antioxidant assays illustrated that AuNPs exhibited the highest reducing power and DPPH radical scavenging activity. In addition, AuNPs also efficiently suppressed the fibrillation of Aβ and destabilized the preformed mature fibrils. Results of toxicity studies in PBMC and adult zebra fish illustrated that AuNPs are non-toxic and biocompatible. Overall, our results highlighted the AuNPs promising potential in terms of antioxidant, anticholinesterase, antiamyloidogenic effects, and non-lethality allowing us to propose these nanomaterials as a suitable candidate for the development of drugs helpful in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease.

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Acknowledgements

Dr. N.S and Dr. V.S.R thank University Grants Commission, New Delhi, India, for the financial support through Dr. D.S. Kothari Post Doctoral Fellowship Scheme [No. F.4-2/2006(BSR)/BL/13-14/0345 and F.4-2/2006(BSR)/BL/13-14/0312], Prof. GA acknowledges with thanks to University Grants Commission, New Delhi for the award of UGC-BSR Faculty Fellow. The authors are thankful to the authorities of Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, UGC-SAP-II and DST-PURSE for providing instrument facilities to carry out this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nanoscience and Technology, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India

    Natarajan Suganthy

  2. Centre for Pheromone Technology, Department of Animal Science, Bharadhidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India

    Natarajan Suganthy & Govindaraju Archunan

  3. Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India

    Vijayan Sri Ramkumar

  4. Green Processing, Bioremediation and Alternative Energies Research Group, Faculty of Environment and Labour Safety, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Arivalagan Pugazhendhi

  5. Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy

    Giovanni Benelli

  6. The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pisa, Pontedera, Italy

    Giovanni Benelli

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  1. Natarajan Suganthy
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  2. Vijayan Sri Ramkumar
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  3. Arivalagan Pugazhendhi
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  4. Giovanni Benelli
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  5. Govindaraju Archunan
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Suganthy, N., Sri Ramkumar, V., Pugazhendhi, A. et al. Biogenic synthesis of gold nanoparticles from Terminalia arjuna bark extract: assessment of safety aspects and neuroprotective potential via antioxidant, anticholinesterase, and antiamyloidogenic effects. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 10418–10433 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9789-4

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