Cheah_2026_Artif.Cells.Nanomed.Biotechnol_54_120

The prevalence of obesity has risen sharply in recent years, prompting the need for safer and more biocompatible therapeutic alternatives to conventional anti-obesity drugs. In this study, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were synthesized using pomegranate husk extract via two green approaches: conventional heating and microwave-assisted synthesis. Structural and morphological characterizations confirmed successful nanoparticle formation. Microwave-assisted ZnO nanoparticles (MA-ZnO NPs) exhibited smaller particle dimensions and narrower polydispersity compared with conventionally synthesized ZnO NPs. Both types of ZnO NPs demonstrated notable antioxidant activity (>62% scavenging in DPPH and ABTS assays) and strong inhibitory effects against pancreatic lipase and alpha-amylase (>70%), comparable to standard drugs such as orlistat and acarbose. Cytotoxicity assays using Vero cells confirmed high biocompatibility, with >60% cell viability. This work presents a comparative evaluation of two green synthesis methods and highlights the potential of biogenic ZnO NPs as multifunctional agents for oxidative stress reduction and enzyme inhibition in obesity management.