GREEN SYNTHESIS OF IRON NANOPARTICLES MEDIATED BY A HYDROETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF Turnera ulmifolia L.: CHARACTERIZATION AND DETERMINATION OF ANTIGLYCATION POTENTIAL

The green synthesis of metal nanoparticles uses natural extracts as reducing and stabilizer agents, avoiding toxic substances and aligning with green chemistry principles. In this context, Turnera ulmifolia, known as chanana and widely used in folk medicine for its anti-inflammatory properties, stands out as a promising source of bioactive compounds. Non-enzymatic glycation of biomolecules promotes the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), highlighting the importance of investigating approaches that can reduce their formation. Therefore, this study aimed to synthesize iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) and evaluate their anti-glycation potential. FeNPs were obtained via green synthesis and characterized using UV-Vis spectrophotometry under different experimental conditions; varying concentrations of hydroethanolic extract from aerial parts of T. ulmifolia (EHTu); concentrations of ferrous sulfate (FeSO₄); pH values; and time and temperature. Antiglycation activity was determined by relative electrophoretic mobility (REM), using bovine serum albumin (BSA) and ribose as glycation models and aminoguanidine (AMG) as a positive control. Besides, free amino groups were measured using OPA method. The optimal synthesis conditions were defined as: 50% EHTu, 0.01 mol/L FeSO₄, pH 8, 30 minutes at 50°C, resulting in a dark brown solution and an extinction spectrum with peaks between 210 and 284 nm, which is characteristic for FeNPs formation. In antiglycation assays, glycation induced by ribose increased BSA drag, while EHTu and FeNPs inhibited this drag, exhibiting antiglycation capacity comparable to AMG. In the determination of free amino groups, FeNPs (74.97±2.64%) showed a value statistically similar to that of AMG (58.21±6.3%). On the other hand, 50% EHTu (102.15±7%) showed statistically higher values than those obtained for AMG. The data suggest that the antiglycation activity exhibited by EHTu at 50% was preserved after FeNPs synthesis. This effect may be associated with the interaction of bioactive compounds present in EHTu with the nanoparticles surface, contributing to the formation of a capping layer. Thus, results show the applicability of T. ulmifolia as a bioreducing agent for the green synthesis of FeNPs and indicate that both EHTu and FeNPs exhibit antiglycation activity, highlighting their potential for future biotechnological applications.

Acknowledgments: This study was supported by the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES), Grant No. n° 88887.939976/2024-00.