Neuroprotective effect of biogenically synthesized ZnO nanoparticles against oxidative stress and β‐amyloid toxicity in transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract Amyloid β (Aβ) plaque accumulation‐mediated neuronal toxicity has been suggested to cause synaptic damage and consequent degeneration of brain cells in Alzheimer's disease (AD). With the increasing prerequisite of eco‐friendly nanoparticles (NPs), research investigators are utilizing green approaches for the synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs for pharmaceutical applications. In this present study, ZnO NPs were synthesized from Acanthus ilicifolius to assess the neuroprotective properties in the AD model of transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans strains CL2006 and CL4176 expressing Aβ aggregation. Our findings revealed that the therapeutic effect of green‐synthesized ZnO NPs is associated with antioxidant activity. We also found that ZnO NPs significantly enhance the C. elegan's lifespan, locomotion, pharyngeal pumping, chemotaxis behavior also diminish the ROS deposition and intracellular productionMoreover, thioflavin T staining demonstrated that ZnO NPs substantially attenuated the Aβ deposition in the C. elegans strain as compared to untreated worms. With their antioxidant properties, the greenly synthesized ZnO NPs had a significant neuroprotective efficiency on Aβ‐induced toxicity by reducing Aβ aggregation and specifically reducing the progression of paralysis in the C. elegans AD model. Our findings suggested that the biosynthesized ZnO NPs could be thought‐provoking candidates for age‐associated neurodegenerative disorders accompanied by oxidative stress.