Preparation and Characterization of Pomadasys maculatus Otolith Stone and Termite Mound Soil-Mediated Nanopowder and Evaluation of Its Biomedical Applications

Otoliths are very solid stone-like formations that are found within the appropriate fossa in the cranial cavity, right below the brain of some fishes including Pomadasys maculatus. The termite mound soil is reported to have varied physicochemical properties with richer nutritional components than the surrounding soil. So, the present study has been planned to synthesize nanopowder from the Pomadasys maculatus otolith stone doped with termite mound soil (PMOS:TMS NPs). The characteristics of the termite mound soil-mediated nanopowder are analyzed, and they are subjected to several characterization methods, including powder XRD, EDAX, SEM, FTIR, and FT-Raman spectroscopy. The different functional groups present in the PMOS:TMS NPS were examined using the FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra and different constituents found in PMOS:TMS NPs are shown in the EDAX study. The PMOS:TMS NPs showed notable antioxidant activity in the DPPH (IC₅₀ of 148.32 ± 0.46 µg/mL) and superoxide (IC₅₀ of 151.55 ± 0.75 µg/mL) free radical scavenging assays. In the bovine serum albumin assay, the PMOS:TMS NPs showed significant anti-inflammatory activity with an IC₅₀ of 132.6 ± 0.4 µg/mL. Likewise, the synthesized nanopowder exhibited good antidiabetic activity against the α-amylase enzyme inhibition assay with an IC₅₀ of 140.83 ± 1.35 µg/mL. The otolith stone’s ability to heal wounds was confirmed by the wound scratch test. The obtained results of the research suggest that the nanopowder synthesized using the Pomadasys maculatus otolith stone doped with termite mound soil may be a useful therapeutic agent.