DYE REMOVAL PERFORMANCE AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF IRON OXIDE NANOPARTICLES SYNTHESIZED FROM Cotoneaster sp. FRUIT EXTRACT

This work aimed to study the antioxidant, antibacterial, and dye adsorption capabilities of the aqueous extract of Cotoneaster sp. fruits (CFE) and iron oxide nanoparticles (CF-FeONP) green-synthesized from the CFE. CF-FeONPs were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. The antioxidant activity of CFE and CF-FeONPs was assessed through various tests, including ABTS radical scavenging activity, DPPH radical scavenging activity, iron-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total antioxidant content (TAC). The CF-FeONPs had superior antibacterial and antioxidant activity compared to the CFEs. Furthermore, CF-FeONPs suppressed the growth of Gram-negative bacteria such as Yersinia pseudotuberculosis ATCC 911, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Proteus vulgaris ATCC 13315, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 43288, as well as by Gram-positive bacteria like Streptococcus pyogenes ATCC 19615, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923. and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633. The microdilution medium technique was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CFE and CF-FeONPs against these bacteria strains. The adsorption rates of CF-FeONPs exhibited variability based on the quantity of adsorbent used and the specific dye type, whereas the lowest adsorption rate was 250 mg/L. CF-FeONPs demonstrated higher adsorption capacities for malachite green (MG) dye compared to methylene blue (MB) and phenol red (PR).