Green synthesis of gold nanoparticles from Dragon’s blood (Croton draco) aqueous extracts for biomedical applications

There is an increasing interest in gold nanoparticles due to their excellent properties, and high surface-to-volume ratio. There are several physicochemical methods to synthesize them, however, green synthesis has gained particular interest when nanoparticles are used for biomedicine or environmental applications, given that this method is simple, efficient, safe, low-cost, non-toxic, and eco-friendly. Plant extracts with high antioxidant capacity can reduce metal ions and stabilize nanoparticles. In this study, branches of Croton Draco were used to produce aqueous extracts through different extraction methods. The extracts were standardized (yield and antioxidant capacity) and then used to synthesize gold nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were characterized by different techniques obtaining crystalline gold spheres with a 10–50 nm diameter and an intrinsic organic coating. In addition, excellent antibacterial (100%) and anti-inflammatory activity (97%) were obtained, suggesting that these nanoparticles have potential applications in biomedical fields.