Efficacy of Biogenic Zinc Sulfide NPs against MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells

Green synthesis of nanoparticles through biogenic methods and plant secondary metabolites has gained significant importance due to their faster reduction rates, making them a more environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative to traditional chemical and physical methods. This study presents a sustainable method for synthesizing fluorescent ZnS nanocrystals using Allium sativum extract. The synthesis utilizes sulfur-rich cysteine compounds and templating agents such as alkaloids and flavonoids of the Allium sativum extract. The resulting ZnS NPs were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, while FE-SEM revealed an average particle size of 128[Formula: see text]nm and TEM showed particle size in the range of 42–78[Formula: see text]nm. The optical investigations reports showed that the biosynthesized ZnS NPs had an energy band gap of 4.9[Formula: see text]eV with absorption and excitation wavelengths of 214[Formula: see text]nm and 460[Formula: see text]nm, respectively. In vitro cytotoxicity assays showed significant anticancer activity against MCF-7 human breast cancer cells, with an IC50 value of 58.2[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g/mL.