Biogenic synthesis of Cerium oxide nanoparticles and their antioxidant activity

The present study aimed to bio-synthesize cerium oxide nanoparticles from the root extract of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) and to evaluate their antioxidant potential. In Indian Ayurvedic medicine, Withania somnifera has been used as a memory booster and to treat cancer and neurological disorders. Several characterization techniques such as XRD, FTIR, UV-Vis, Raman spectroscopy, SEM-EDX and HR-TEM, were used to confirm the formation of CeO2NPs. The characterization results indicate that synthesized NPs were spherical with crystalline nature and size <10nm. An OH radical scavenging assay was done to monitor the antioxidant property of synthesized CeO2NPs. The maximum absorbance at 532 nm was measured by discoloration from light pinkish to reddish-orange. CeO2NPs exhibited significant OH radical scavenging activity than vitamin C. Therefore, our results suggest that biogenic CeO2NPs have shown good antioxidant potential and may be used to treat oxidative stress-related diseases.