Green-synthesized silver nanoparticles from Zingiber officinale extract: antioxidant potential, biocompatibility, anti-LOX properties, and in silico analysis

We employed established protocols to evaluate in vitro aspects such as antioxidant capacity, anti-inflammatory potential, and biocompatibility of GE-AgNPs. Additionally, molecular docking was employed to assess their anti-lipoxygenase (anti-LOX) activity.

Our findings highlight that the extraction of ginger extract at a pH of 6, utilizing a cosolvent blend of ethanol and ethyl acetate in a 1:1 ratio, yields heightened antioxidant capacity attributed to its rich phenolic and flavonoid content. In the context of silver nanoparticle synthesis, pH 6 extraction yields the highest quantity of nanoparticles, characterized by an average size of 32.64 ± 1.65 nm. Of particular significance, GE-AgNPs (at pH 6) demonstrated remarkable efficacy in scavenging free radicals, as evidenced by an IC₅₀ value of 6.83 ± 0.47 µg/mL. The results from the anti-LOX experiment indicate that GE-AgNPs, at a concentration of 10 µg/mL, can inhibit LOX activity by 25%, outperforming ginger extract which inhibits LOX by 17–18%. Notably, clionasterol exhibited higher binding energy and enhanced stability (-8.9 kcal/mol) compared to nordihydroguaiaretic acid. Furthermore, a cell viability study confirmed the safety of GE-AgNPs at a concentration of 17.52 ± 7.00 µg/mL against the L929 cell line.

These comprehensive findings underscore the significant biomedical advantages of GE-AgNPs and emphasize their potential incorporation into cosmetic products at a maximum concentration of 10 µg/mL.