Synthesis, Characterization, and Multifunctional Bioactivity of ZnO/CuO@Amoxicillin Nanocomposites: A Synergistic...

A ZnO/CuO@amoxicillin nanocomposite was synthesized via a sol-gel route and characterized as a biphasic wurtzite ZnO-monoclinic CuO system with crystallite sizes of about 10-12 nm and an optical band gap of 3.30-3.36 eV, indicating defect-rich interfaces favorable for redox activity. In antidiabetic assays, the nanocomposite showed strong inhibitory effects on alpha-amylase (IC₅₀ = 21.57 ± 1.68 mg/mL) and alpha-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 13.95 ± 0.76 mg/mL), with activities comparable to acarbose, while anti-inflammatory tests yielded low IC₅₀ values of 0.22 ± 0.03 mg/mL for egg albumin denaturation and 0.34 ± 0.07 mg/mL for human serum albumin, approaching the performance of diclofenac. Antioxidant performance was outstanding, with total antioxidant capacity of 298.27 ± 4.70 mg ascorbic acid equivalents per gram and ferric reducing antioxidant power of 311.67 ± 2.53 mM Fe^{2 +}/g, both higher than ascorbic acid, alongside efficient hydrogen peroxide scavenging (IC₅₀ = 0.16 ± 0.04 mg/mL) and protection against H₂O₂/FeCl₃-induced hemolysis at an IC₅₀ of 0.007 ± 0.00 mg/mL; together with moderate but significant acetylcholinesterase inhibition (IC₅₀ = 33.16 ± 3.02 mg/mL vs. 21.80 ± 2.74 mg/mL for donepezil), these results support ZnO/CuO@amoxicillin as a multifunctional nano-platform for managing oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic disorders.