Mentha spicata assisted Ag–CuO nanocomposite enables anti-diabetic and vitamin-C sensing activities

Diabetes mellitus (DM), a multifactorial chronic health condition, affects a sizable portion of the global population, and more people are expected to contract it in the future, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Diabetes mellitus can be treated with conventional drugs, but most of the medications have a variety of side effects. The use of nanocomposites (NCs) to treat diabetes has been prioritized in this scenario. In this study, Ag–CuO NCs were synthesized using a green method using Mentha spicata leaf extract and their physicochemical properties were investigated with a variety of analytical techniques. According to an extensive in vivo and in vitro analysis of the biological activities of as-synthesized Ag–CuO NCs, Ag–CuO NCs possess effective antibacterial, anti-diabetic, and anti-hyperlipidemic characteristics. When Ag–CuO NCs are administered to STZ-induced animals in a concentration-based manner, the blood levels of inflammatory and liver marker enzymes are reduced and antioxidant enzyme levels are increased. Besides, Ag–CuO NCs exhibit excellent sensing activity with a limit of detection of 86 nM against Vitamin-C. This study reveals that Ag–CuO NCs derived from Mentha spicata may, therefore, prove to be a very successful anti-diabetic and biosensor candidate in the future.