Green Synthesis and Characterization of Xanthium strumarium-Mediated Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles

Background Green synthesis of nanoparticles is a growing trend. The annual plant Xanthium strumarium L. (X. strumarium) belongs to the Asteraceae family. The herb has traditionally been used to treat a variety of ailments, including leucoderma, dangerous insect bites, epilepsy, salivation, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, etc. Inorganic, biocompatible, and non-toxic titanium is a substance employed in the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries as well as in fields like bone tissue engineering. The aim of the study is to characterize titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂NPs), which were synthesized from X.strumarium. Also, this study aims to assess the cytotoxic properties of the synthesized leaf extract and the TiO₂NPs. Materials and methods In this study, the biosynthesis of TiO₂NPs was made from X. strumarium leaf extract. The characterization of the green-synthesized TiO₂NPs was done using the spectral analysis of an ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectrophotometer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The advantage of using TiO₂NPs is that they possess antimicrobial, antibacterial, chemical stability, and catalytic properties. The leaf extract and the biosynthesized nanoparticles were tested against human fibroblast cell lines for biocompatibility using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.  Results SEM investigation showed that TiO₂NPs were crystalline in nature. FTIR confirms the presence of alkyne and amine functional groups, and the pointed vertices in the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern show the crystalline nature of TiO2NPs. The study found that the cell viability of TiO₂NPs was 110%. Conclusion TiO₂NPs were synthesized from X. strumarium leaf extract and characterized using SEM, FTIR, and XRD. The TiO₂NPs were found to be crystalline in nature with various functional groups. MTT assay shows that the synthesized nanoparticles are promising biocompatible agents that can be used in future research in the medical field.