Green Nanoparticle Synthesis With Santalum Album Leaf Extract: Comparative Analysis for Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Anticancer Activities

ABSTRACT Microbial pathogenesis, and oxidative stress are among the prominent contributors to disease that resulted in mortality as well as high burden on global economy. Synthetic medicines appear effective, but the evolution of resistant strains and side effects has worsened the condition. In last few decades, herbal formulations have gained attention due to their consumer‐friendly nature and lesser side effects. The current research examined Santalum album L. aqueous extract for its phytochemical composition and compared its bioactivities with that of AuNPs, ZnNPs, and CuNPs. GC‐MS and LC‐MS/MS identified furo‐pyridines, phthalates, and benzene derivatives as major compounds. Both extract as well as composite nanoparticles (NPs) have good antibacterial properties against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis , and Pseudomonas fluorescens . The prepared NPs have also shown commendable rise in antioxidant potential in comparison to crude extract. Among crude extract, AuNPs, CuNPs, and ZnNPs, AuNPs has shown excellent cytotoxicity and inhibitory effect on A375 melanoma and HCT‐116 cells, and hence cell viability decreased with increase in dosage. The IC50 of AuNPs was 63.48 ± 0.33 for HCT‐116 and 2.86 ± 0.61 for A375 cells. Overall assessment has identified S. album L. as a strong therapeutic candidate, but commercial formulation needs detailed pharmacokinetic analysis.