Echinacea purpurea Mediated Hematite Nanoparticles (α-HNPs) Biofabrication, Characterization, Physicochemical Properties, and its In-vitro Biocompatibility Evaluation

Ferric oxide “Alpha Hematite” nanoparticles (α-HNPs) were phyto-fabricated using ferrous sulfate heptahydrate solution and Echinacea purpurea liquid extract that acts as a reducing, capping, and stabilizing agent in a ratio (1:2) at temperature 70°C, 1500 rpm for 5 hours. E. purpurea is a rich source of polyphenolic, flavonoid compounds that have a high anti-oxidant ability. The reaction conditions of the synthesis of nanoparticles were optimized. Physicochemical; optical, electrical, magnetic, and morphological properties of the as-biofabricated α-HNPs were characterized using a diversity of analytical techniques. Results confirmed that E. purpurea extract mediated the α-HNPs are at high, pure crystalline nature, spherical with a rhombohedral crystallographic system at the nanoscale with mean crystallite size 25.1 nm using XRD, and average particle size 26.4 nm by TEM. A large surface area of 28.01 g/m² and less aggregation monodispersed phase with crystallinity index 1.1 was be achieved. Moderate anti-inflammatory activity “IC₅₀ 466.1 μg/mL” was achieved via α-HNPs against diclofenac potassium as a model for the NSAIDs. The E. purpurea mediated α-HNPs hold cogent anti-bacterial activity against different species of Gram-positive & Gram-negative bacteria. Cytotoxicity of the E. purpurea liquid extract and α-HNPs against MCF7, HepG2, and HCT116 cell lines were being studied. The α-HNPs demonstrated a better cytotoxic impact than the E. purpurea; where IC₅₀ for E. purpurea were found to be 633.7, 620.2, and 879.8 µg/mL for MCF7, HepG2, and HCT116 cell lines respectively; while in the case of α-HNPs treatment IC₅₀ were reduced into 132.0, 189.0, and 377.0 µg/mL for the same cell lines respectively.