CYTOTOXICITY AND ANTIBACTERIAL EFFECTS OF ESSENTIAL OILS SYNTHESIZED COPPER OXIDE NANOPARTICLES
This study explored the biosynthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) using essential oils from Cymbopogon citratus (Lemon Grass Essential Oil) or Schinus terebinthifolia (Pink Pepper Essential Oil) plants with diverse pharmacological properties. CuONPs-LG (Lemongrass – LG) and CuONPs-PP (Pink Pepper – PP) exhibited hydrodynamic sizes of 209.45 ± 28.65 nm and 242.73 ± 45.77 nm, and the polydispersity index (PDI) values of 0.260 ± 0.091 and 0.287 ± 0.058, respectively. Both nanoparticles demonstrated concentration-dependent cytotoxicity against malignant melanocyte cell lines (VMM39) and non-cancerous fibroblast cells (FN1). Notably, CuONPs-LG and CuONPs-PP displayed higher toxicity towards melanoma cells than fibroblasts, suggesting a potential safe therapeutic window. CuONPs-PP exhibited greater toxicity than CuONPs-LG, indicating the essential oil's chemical nature influenced additional biological effects. Antibacterial assays revealed that both nanoparticles effectively targeted multidrug-resistant bacteria, Acinetobacter spp. (MDR-A) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC). CuONPs-LG demonstrated antibacterial effects from 32 µg/mL against KPC, while CuONPs-PP displayed effectiveness from 16 µg/mL against both MDR-A and KPC. This study underscores the potential of essential oil-based CuO NPs for their significant toxicity against cancer cells and drug-resistant bacteria.