ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Green synthesis of CuFe₂O₄ spinel ferrite nanoparticles using Allium scorodoprasum leaf extract: structural characterization and anticancer activity

Kağan Ünal, Osman Çaylak, and Serap Çetinkaya

Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey

E-mail: osmancaylak@cumhuriyet.edu.tr

Received: 2 April 2026  Accepted: 1 May 2026

Abstract:

Copper ferrite (CuFe₂O₄) nanoparticles were synthesized by using an Allium scorodoprasum leaf extract to evaluate their structural properties and in vitro anticancer potential. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by PXRD, SEM-EDX, and FT-IR analyses. Their cytotoxic and apoptotic actions, and their modulatory capacity on the gene expression profiles were investigated by MTT assay and using MCF-7, A549, and L929 cell lines. PXRD confirmed a cubic spinel crystal structure with an average crystallite size of 25.38 nm, while SEM analysis revealed heterogeneous particles with an average diameter of 75.26 nm. The nanoparticles exhibited the strongest cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, RT-PCR results indicated significant alterations in the levels of pro-inflammatory gene expression. Flow cytometry confirmed that apoptosis was induced, while IL-1β and TNF-α expression levels were significantly upregulated. These findings together demonstrated that green-synthesized CuFe₂O₄ nanoparticles possessed promising anticancer activities and deserved future in vivo studies.

Keywords: Anticancer; Apoptosis; Allium scorodoprasum; Copper ferrite; Cytotoxicity; Nanoparticles

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-026-04998-w

Chemical Papers 80 (9) 10177–10192 (2026)