Role of Trigonella foenum-graecum leaf extract in tailoring the synthesis and properties of bioactive glass nanoparticles

Bioactive glass nanoparticles (BGNPs) have been reported in various biomedical applications such as tissue engineering, dental and bone repair, drug and gene delivery, tumour therapy and skincare. The requirement of sustainable synthesis methods is pertinent for large-scale manufacture of such popular materials. Currently, green synthesis methods have gained popularity in various nanoparticle synthesis as it is considered environmentally benign with minimal waste generation. To our knowledge, we report synthesis of BGNPs for the first time using Trigonella foenum-graecum (TFG) leaf extract (TFGL_EX). The TFGL_EX can be used both as a template and precursor for synthesizing BGNPs. The influence of the leaf extract on the composition, particle size and porosity of BGNPs has been determined using characterization techniques like ICP-MS, HR-TEM and nitrogen sorption analysis. Further, bioactivity and biocompatibility of the synthesized BGNPs could be successfully demonstrated through in-vitro studies in Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) and on model bone cell line, respectively. Native BGNPs as well as model antibacterial drug loaded counterparts demonstrates significant antibacterial properties and sustained drug release profiles. Overall, the study reports a sustainable property-dependent synthesis methodology for BGNPs by utilizing organic and inorganic constitutes of TFGL_EX.