Biosynthesis and In Vitro Cytotoxic Performance of Bimetallic ZnO/CeO₂ Nanoparticles

Our research explored an environmentally friendly approach for the synthesis of bimetallic zinc oxide-cerium oxide nanoparticles (ZC NP) through the utilization of Salvadora persica extract. We characterized the physicochemical properties of the synthesized nanoparticles using PXRD, Raman spectroscopy, FESEM, and EDX analyses. As a result, both main peaks of zinc oxide and cerium oxide NP appeared in the PXRD graph, which indicated the formation of bimetallic NP. Spherical morphology showed in the FESEM image which particles have a size of about 30–40 nm. The analysis of hemocompatibility indicated that the NP does not appreciably affect the integrity of erythrocytes at concentrations nearing 2000 µg mL⁻¹. The toxicity function of synthesized sample on human colon cancer (HT-29) and fibroblast (NIH/3T3) cells was considered through the results of MTT trial. The outcomes of synthesized NP displayed significant cytotoxic effects against HT-29 cells at 20.73 μg mL⁻¹ concentration as its IC50, while it was non-toxic on NIH-3T3 cells. Therefore, we suggest the applicability of our product in therapeutic applications such as drug delivery as well as industrial implementations.