Phytochemical engineering of vanadium pentoxide nanoparticles via neem extract: a sustainable platform for dual in...

This study reports a sustainable green synthesis of vanadium pentoxide nanoparticles (V₂O₅ NPs) using Azadirachta indica (neem) leaf extract as a natural reducing and stabilizing agent. The formation of V₂O₅ nanoparticles was confirmed through UV-Vis, FTIR, XRD, SEM, TEM, and zeta potential analyses. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibited an orthorhombic crystalline phase, quasi-spherical morphology with particle sizes ranging from 20 to 80 nm, and good colloidal stability (-28.6 mV). Phytochemicals such as flavonoids and polyphenols present in the neem extract played a key role in nanoparticle formation and surface stabilization. In vitro biological evaluation revealed notable α-amylase inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 68 µg/mL), indicating potential antidiabetic relevance, along with dose-dependent cytotoxic effects against HeLa and MCF-7 cancer cell lines, where cell viability decreased to below 40% at 100 µg/mL. The observed biological responses are discussed in relation to nanoparticle surface chemistry and redox-active vanadium species; however, mechanistic pathways such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) involvement are inferred based on existing literature rather than directly measured. Overall, the findings highlight the potential of neem-mediated V₂O₅ nanoparticles as a promising material for future in vitro biomedical investigations.