Broccoli triggers the hemocompatibility of green nanoparticles

Green synthesis provides an eco-friendly strategy for producing metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) with improved biological performance. Among their biomedical applications, hemocompatibility is particularly critical for drug delivery, anticoagulant therapies, and blood-contacting medical devices. In this work, the hemocompatibility of four types of metal oxides; Calcium oxide (CaO), magnesium oxide (MgO), zinc oxide (ZnO), and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles were evaluated. The selected nanoparticles were greenly synthesized using Brassica oleracea (broccoli) extract and compared with chemically precipitated counterparts. XRD confirmed phase-pure structures (hexagonal ZnO, anatase TiO₂, and cubic MgO and CaO) with lattice modifications induced by biomolecules, including expansion in GZnO (unit cell volume 48.239 ų vs. 47.532 ų for ZnO) and compressive strain in GTiO₂ (135.214 ų vs. 135.989 ų for TiO₂). TEM revealed particle size reduction in GZnO (18.42 ± 3.46 nm vs. 21.12 ± 4.93 nm) and GTiO (19.14 ± 4.0 nm vs. 19.6 ± 3.62 nm), while GCaO and GMgO exhibited modest increases. Optical studies showed slight red-shifts in absorption peaks with narrowed band gaps for GZnO (2.967 eV vs. 3.042 eV) and GTiO₂ (3.037 eV vs. ₂3.068 eV), whereas GCaO displayed a marginal increase (4.07 eV vs. 4.056 eV). Colloidal stability in PBS was markedly improved, with green MONPs retaining 80-90% absorbance after 720 min compared to 15-65% for chemical MONPs. FTIR confirmed the involvement of phenolics, flavonoids, and proteins in capping and stabilization. Hemocompatibility assays demonstrated minimal hemolysis (< 5%) and preserved red blood cell morphology for green-synthesized MONPs. Our findings suggest that broccoli can be used to synthesize biocompatible metal oxide NPs with heightened hemocompatibility sustainably and efficiently, opening the door for their application in anticoagulant treatments, medication transport, and other biological domains.