Phytochemical evaluation and biosynthesis of Ocimum tenuiflorum based iron nanoclusters: An integrated experimental and DFT approach

Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum), revered as ‘Holy Basil’ in Indian culture, is a medicinal plant traditionally used to treat various ailments, including respiratory issues and insect bites. This study investigates the phytochemical properties of aqueous and ethanolic extracts from Tulsi leaves and their...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Anshul Sharma, Hira Karim, Manjeet Kaur, Jitender Rathee, Khushwant Nandal, Priyanka Dahiya, Abdul Rajjak Shaikh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Results in Surfaces and Interfaces
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666845925000819
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849338300748267520
author Anshul Sharma
Hira Karim
Manjeet Kaur
Jitender Rathee
Khushwant Nandal
Priyanka Dahiya
Abdul Rajjak Shaikh
author_facet Anshul Sharma
Hira Karim
Manjeet Kaur
Jitender Rathee
Khushwant Nandal
Priyanka Dahiya
Abdul Rajjak Shaikh
author_sort Anshul Sharma
collection DOAJ
description Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum), revered as ‘Holy Basil’ in Indian culture, is a medicinal plant traditionally used to treat various ailments, including respiratory issues and insect bites. This study investigates the phytochemical properties of aqueous and ethanolic extracts from Tulsi leaves and their application in synthesizing iron nanoclusters. The leaf extracts were prepared using distilled water and 20 % ethanol, with qualitative tests revealing the presence of carbohydrates, proteins, steroids, flavonoids, and phenols. Quantitative analysis indicated that the ethanolic extract contained a higher concentration of phytochemicals than the aqueous extract; further active phytochemicals were confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Green synthesis of black colored iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) using O. tenuiflorum extract was done and confirmed formation of spherical shaped nanoparticles of 20–30 nm size and crystalline nature using TEM and XRD analysis respectively. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations examined the interactions between active phytochemicals from Tulsi extracts and Fe2+ ions. Notably, 1,16-cyclocoryan-17-oic acid-19,20-didehydro-methyl ester formed a stable nanocluster with Fe2+ (Complex I), exhibiting an adsorption energy of −27.60 eV, while methyl eugenol (Complex II) showed an adsorption energy of −26.40 eV. Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules (QTAIM) analysis revealed closed-shell interactions in both complexes. The 3D Interaction Region Isosurface (IRI) confirmed chemical bond formation in Complex I, whereas Complex II displayed a mix of covalent interactions and van der Waals forces. Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis indicated that Complex I is more stable than Complex II due to favorable interaction energies. These findings suggest that Complex I could have significant applications in various fields.
format Article
id doaj-art-96f8a64e299d4ab89826599037cd0a66
institution Kabale University
issn 2666-8459
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Results in Surfaces and Interfaces
spelling doaj-art-96f8a64e299d4ab89826599037cd0a662025-08-20T03:44:27ZengElsevierResults in Surfaces and Interfaces2666-84592025-05-011910049410.1016/j.rsurfi.2025.100494Phytochemical evaluation and biosynthesis of Ocimum tenuiflorum based iron nanoclusters: An integrated experimental and DFT approachAnshul Sharma0Hira Karim1Manjeet Kaur2Jitender Rathee3Khushwant Nandal4Priyanka Dahiya5Abdul Rajjak Shaikh6Department of Biotechnology, University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, 124001, Haryana, IndiaDepartment of Chemistry, School of Natural Sciences (SNS), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), H-12 Islamabad, 44000, PakistanDepartment of Biotechnology, University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, 124001, Haryana, India; Corresponding author.Department of Biotechnology, University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, 124001, Haryana, IndiaDepartment of Biotechnology, University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, 124001, Haryana, IndiaDepartment of Biotechnology, University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, 124001, Haryana, IndiaDepartment of Research and Innovation, STEMskills Research and Education Lab Private Limited, Faridabad, 121002, Haryana, India; Corresponding author.Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum), revered as ‘Holy Basil’ in Indian culture, is a medicinal plant traditionally used to treat various ailments, including respiratory issues and insect bites. This study investigates the phytochemical properties of aqueous and ethanolic extracts from Tulsi leaves and their application in synthesizing iron nanoclusters. The leaf extracts were prepared using distilled water and 20 % ethanol, with qualitative tests revealing the presence of carbohydrates, proteins, steroids, flavonoids, and phenols. Quantitative analysis indicated that the ethanolic extract contained a higher concentration of phytochemicals than the aqueous extract; further active phytochemicals were confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Green synthesis of black colored iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) using O. tenuiflorum extract was done and confirmed formation of spherical shaped nanoparticles of 20–30 nm size and crystalline nature using TEM and XRD analysis respectively. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations examined the interactions between active phytochemicals from Tulsi extracts and Fe2+ ions. Notably, 1,16-cyclocoryan-17-oic acid-19,20-didehydro-methyl ester formed a stable nanocluster with Fe2+ (Complex I), exhibiting an adsorption energy of −27.60 eV, while methyl eugenol (Complex II) showed an adsorption energy of −26.40 eV. Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules (QTAIM) analysis revealed closed-shell interactions in both complexes. The 3D Interaction Region Isosurface (IRI) confirmed chemical bond formation in Complex I, whereas Complex II displayed a mix of covalent interactions and van der Waals forces. Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis indicated that Complex I is more stable than Complex II due to favorable interaction energies. These findings suggest that Complex I could have significant applications in various fields.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666845925000819Ocimum tenuiflorumPhytonutrientsQuantitative assayIron nanoparticlesDensity functional theory
spellingShingle Anshul Sharma
Hira Karim
Manjeet Kaur
Jitender Rathee
Khushwant Nandal
Priyanka Dahiya
Abdul Rajjak Shaikh
Phytochemical evaluation and biosynthesis of Ocimum tenuiflorum based iron nanoclusters: An integrated experimental and DFT approach
Results in Surfaces and Interfaces
Ocimum tenuiflorum
Phytonutrients
Quantitative assay
Iron nanoparticles
Density functional theory
title Phytochemical evaluation and biosynthesis of Ocimum tenuiflorum based iron nanoclusters: An integrated experimental and DFT approach
title_full Phytochemical evaluation and biosynthesis of Ocimum tenuiflorum based iron nanoclusters: An integrated experimental and DFT approach
title_fullStr Phytochemical evaluation and biosynthesis of Ocimum tenuiflorum based iron nanoclusters: An integrated experimental and DFT approach
title_full_unstemmed Phytochemical evaluation and biosynthesis of Ocimum tenuiflorum based iron nanoclusters: An integrated experimental and DFT approach
title_short Phytochemical evaluation and biosynthesis of Ocimum tenuiflorum based iron nanoclusters: An integrated experimental and DFT approach
title_sort phytochemical evaluation and biosynthesis of ocimum tenuiflorum based iron nanoclusters an integrated experimental and dft approach
topic Ocimum tenuiflorum
Phytonutrients
Quantitative assay
Iron nanoparticles
Density functional theory
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666845925000819
work_keys_str_mv AT anshulsharma phytochemicalevaluationandbiosynthesisofocimumtenuiflorumbasedironnanoclustersanintegratedexperimentalanddftapproach
AT hirakarim phytochemicalevaluationandbiosynthesisofocimumtenuiflorumbasedironnanoclustersanintegratedexperimentalanddftapproach
AT manjeetkaur phytochemicalevaluationandbiosynthesisofocimumtenuiflorumbasedironnanoclustersanintegratedexperimentalanddftapproach
AT jitenderrathee phytochemicalevaluationandbiosynthesisofocimumtenuiflorumbasedironnanoclustersanintegratedexperimentalanddftapproach
AT khushwantnandal phytochemicalevaluationandbiosynthesisofocimumtenuiflorumbasedironnanoclustersanintegratedexperimentalanddftapproach
AT priyankadahiya phytochemicalevaluationandbiosynthesisofocimumtenuiflorumbasedironnanoclustersanintegratedexperimentalanddftapproach
AT abdulrajjakshaikh phytochemicalevaluationandbiosynthesisofocimumtenuiflorumbasedironnanoclustersanintegratedexperimentalanddftapproach