Investigation of Bio-Functional Properties of ZrO₂ Nanoparticles Synthesized Via Different Approaches

Breast cancer has emerged as a significant health concern in recent years, with a higher incidence rate but a persisting lack of effective therapeutic agents. This study focuses on the formulation of ZrO₂ nanoparticles using both an effective hydrothermal method (CS-ZrO₂) and an eco-friendly green synthesis method using Dioscorea alata leaf extract (GS-ZrO₂). The synthesised ZrO₂ nanoparticles were characterised using XRD, which confirmed their cubic crystal structure. Further, the average crystalline size (D) was 12.08 nm and 26.69 nm for hydrothermally synthesized and green synthesized ZrO₂ nanoparticles. The determined band gap values were 2.78 eV and 3.09 eV for CS-ZrO₂ and GS-ZrO₂ nanoparticles. The reduced band gap value of CS-ZrO₂ nanoparticles corresponds to their decreased crystalline size, which results in increased ROS generation. Subsequently, the synthesized ZrO₂ nanoparticles were evaluated for their anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxicity properties through the α-amylase inhibition technique, Bovine albumin serum (BSA) denaturation technique, and MTT assay. Anti-diabetic and Anti-inflammatory activities of ZrO₂ nanoparticles exhibited an increased percentage of inhibitions, 82.36%, and 90.11% respectively for CS-ZrO₂ nanoparticles. The cytotoxicity potential against the MDA-MB-231, MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines and HEK 293 normal cell line was studied, showed a dose-dependent nature and decreased cell viability. The reduced viability attributed to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is associated with the reduced band gap and the decreased size of the ZrO₂. Thus, the synthesized ZrO₂ nanoparticles show potential as an efficient therapeutic agent and can be considered for various biomedical applications as a proficient material.