Biological Properties of Hydrastis Canadensis Using Copper Nanoparticles

Abstract

The perennial plant Hydrastis canadensis, more often known as goldenseal, has a long history of usage in herbal medicine due to its many beneficial characteristics, such as its ability to enhance the immune system, reduce inflammation, and fight against microbes. Berberine, hydrastine, and canadine are three of the bioactive components of Hydrastis canadensis that have shown promising results in treating a range of medical issues, including inflammation, bacterial infections, and gastrointestinal problems. Natural plant extracts have the potential to be medicinal, but they often encounter obstacles in terms of bioavailability, stability, and site delivery. Despite these obstacles, a new strategy for improving medicinal plants\' biological activity—the use of nanotechnology, and more especially nanoparticles derived from metals—has arisen. Copper nanoparticles mediated by Hydrastis canadensis were extensively studied for their biological characteristics. Use of disc diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) tests allowed for the evaluation of antimicrobial efficacy against a wide range of bacterial and fungal pathogens, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. The DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging tests were used to assess the antioxidant potential of the produced nanoparticles. The results showed that the nanoparticles had better free radical scavenging activity than either the plant extract or the copper nanoparticles alone. Biofunctionalized CuNPs also showed encouraging anticancer activity by inhibiting cancer cell growth and inducing apoptosis when evaluated on different cancer cell lines using MTT tests. This research found that adding copper nanoparticles to Hydrastis canadensis significantly increased its biological activity. The enhanced bioavailability, surface reactivity, and stability of the nanoparticles are responsible for the observed synergistic impact. This unique nanocomposite shows promise as a therapeutic agent candidate due to its enhanced antibacterial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic capabilities relative to its constituent parts, according to the results. Finally, this study lays the groundwork for a unique strategy in nanomedicine and pharmaceutical sciences: the investigation of copper nanoparticles mediated by Hydrastis canadensis. The green synthesis process improves medicinal plants\' pharmacological potential while also providing an economical and environmentally friendly alternative to nanoparticle manufacturing. For a complete understanding of how these biofunctionalized nanoparticles work and to confirm their therapeutic potential in treating cancer, oxidative stress diseases, and drug-resistant infections, more in vivo investigations and clinical trials are needed.

Introduction

Hydrastis canadensis (Goldenseal) is a perennial plant native to North American forests, historically used by Indigenous peoples for its medicinal properties. Its therapeutic effects are attributed to bioactive alkaloids like berberine, hydrastine, and canadine, which exhibit antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer activities. While traditional medicine has long used goldenseal for gastrointestinal, respiratory, and skin conditions, modern science has only recently begun to explore its full pharmacological potential.

Nanotechnology, particularly copper nanoparticles (CuNPs), offers a novel way to enhance the delivery and efficacy of such plant-based compounds. CuNPs are attractive due to their low cost, high surface area, electrical conductivity, and biological activities (e.g., antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer). However, CuNPs may also pose toxicity risks, especially at high doses, affecting organs like the liver, kidney, spleen, and reproductive system.

The integration of Hydrastis canadensis with CuNPs via green synthesis methods (using plant extracts instead of toxic chemicals) is a sustainable approach that aligns with environmental and health safety standards. These bio-nanocomposites may exhibit synergistic effects—enhancing antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities while reducing environmental impact and improving bioavailability.

Key Points of the Study

1. Research Objective:
   To synthesize copper nanoparticles using Hydrastis canadensis extract and evaluate the resulting nanocomposites for their biological activities (antioxidant, cytotoxic, antimicrobial).

2. Green Synthesis Approach:
   This eco-friendly method uses plant phytochemicals (flavonoids, phenols, alkaloids, etc.) as reducing and stabilizing agents to create CuNPs. This reduces harmful byproducts compared to traditional synthesis methods.

3. Biological Evaluation:

   • Antioxidant activity: Tested through free radical scavenging assays.

   • Cytotoxicity: Evaluated on various cancer cell lines.

   • Antimicrobial effects: Assessed against bacterial and fungal pathogens.

   • Mechanism of Action: Likely due to enhanced ROS generation, disruption of microbial membranes, and improved intracellular delivery of bioactive compounds.

4. Phytochemical Contribution:
   Components like berberine not only provide medicinal benefits but also aid in nanoparticle stabilization and activity enhancement. The synergy with CuNPs can increase potency against drug-resistant microbes and oxidative stress-related diseases.

5. Scientific Context:
   CuNPs disrupt microbial metabolism and induce cancer cell apoptosis. Hydrastis compounds modulate immune responses and block inflammatory enzymes. Together, they form a potent anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer agent.

6. Challenges and Considerations:

   • Toxicity: Must optimize nanoparticle size, concentration, and synthesis methods to avoid cytotoxic effects.

   • Knowledge Gaps: Need further investigation into molecular mechanisms, safe dosage, and long-term effects.

   • Characterization: Important to analyze particle size, shape, and surface chemistry for consistent biological activity.

Conclusion

Hydrastis canadensis (goldenseal) is a medicinal herb, and this study set out to discover what happens to its biological qualities when it\'s combined with copper nanoparticles (CuNPs). The stability and bio-compatibility of the CuNPs synthesized utilizing environmentally friendly procedures were crucial for the following biological studies. These nanoparticles showed promise when conjugated with H. canadensis extracts, greatly amplifying the plant\'s inherent bioactivities. The experimental results demonstrated that CuNPs were critical in enhancing H. canadensis\'s antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory characteristics. The formulations with CuNPs showed a greater inhibitory impact against several bacterial and fungal strains than the plant extract alone, suggesting that they had considerable antibacterial potential. A rising worry in contemporary medicine is the development of alternative therapies against drug-resistant infections. This might have substantial ramifications in this regard. The addition of CuNPs improved free radical scavenging ability, as demonstrated by the antioxidant tests. This indicates that these formulations might be very efficient in fighting disorders associated to oxidative stress. The therapeutic potential of H. canadensis may be further enhanced if its anti-inflammatory effects were used to develop remedies for chronic inflammatory diseases. Because of their high surface area-to-volume ratio and their capacity to promote effective distribution of bioactive chemicals, CuNPs have unique physicochemical features that likely explain the underlying processes behind these improved biological effects. Copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) and active phytochemicals in Hibiscus canadensis enhanced bioavailability, cellular absorption, and therapeutic efficacy as a whole. Because of this, the use of traditional herbal remedies in contemporary medicine may be drastically altered by delivery methods based on nanoparticles. Although the study\'s findings are promising, its limitations must be acknowledged. The results are mostly from in vitro studies, which are useful but fail to account for all the intricacies of biological systems in real creatures. To confirm the safety, effectiveness, and possible toxicity of these CuNP-based formulations, future research should focus on doing clinical trials and in vivo investigations. To ensure the safe use of copper nanoparticles in therapeutic applications, long-term studies are also needed to evaluate their biocompatibility and potential accumulation in biological systems. Finally, this research confirms that combining nanotechnology with herbal therapy is a promising new direction. New avenues for the creation of novel therapeutics with improved biological effectiveness are opened up by the combination of Hydrastis canadensis with copper nanoparticles. Contributing to the dynamic area of nanomedicine and providing a solid groundwork for future pharmacological advancements, this study bridges the gap between conventional wisdom and cutting-edge scientific understanding. More research into formulations of H. canadensis with CuNPs added could result in safer, more effective, and more precisely targeted treatments to solve some of the world\'s most critical health problems.

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Druva Chowdary Nagandla , Sreemoy Kanti Das, K. Suresh Babu. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.