Utilization of Two Biomasses from Bauhinia variegata and Lawsonia inermis for Biogenic Synthesis of MgO Nanoparticles: A Comparative Study on Structural Attributes and Pharmaceutical Applications

The green synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) using plant-derived biomasses has gained significant attention due to its cost-effectiveness, environmentally safe with less hazardous by-product formation, and broad applicability. In the present study, Magnesium oxide (MgO) NPs were synthesized using leaf extracts, serving as biogenic reducing and stabilizing agents from two distinct biomasses: Lawsonia inermis (LI) and Bauhinia variegata (BV). The resultant NPs were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Dynamic light scattering (DLS). These techniques confirm their optoelectronic, physiochemical, and phytochemical functionality with their surface stability. The comparative analysis of LI & BV MgO NPs confirmed lambda max (λmax) at 295 and 267 nm along 4.0 and 4.93 eV band gaps respectively. The observed crystalline size for the LI & BV MgO NPs is 41 nm and 15 nm. The synthesized LI & BV MgO NPs were used to check their in vitro antioxidant and anti-diabetic potential. The BV and LI MgO NPs showed maximum % scavenging activity at 74.39 ± 0.529 & 64.75 ± 1.00 with IC₅₀ 48.607 & 69.154 µg/mL respectively. The antidiabetic activity, assessed through α-amylase inhibition, showed that BV and LI MgO NPs exhibited 72.19 ± 0.78 and 63.56 ± 1.04 having IC₅₀ 64.88 and 81.03 µg/mL. These findings indicate that the phytochemical diversity in different biomasses significantly affects the structural and biological properties of green-synthesized MgO NPs, making them promising candidates for future antioxidant and antidiabetic applications.