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Anti-cancer studies of noble metal nanoparticles synthesized using different plant extracts
Deshpande Raghunandan1, Bhat Ravishankar2, Ganachari Sharanbasava2
1HKES Matoshree Taradevi Rampure Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sedam Road, Gulbarga-585105, Karnataka, India.
Abstract:
Biofunctionalized gold and silver nanoparticles synthesized using different plant extracts of guava and clove in vitro anti-cancer efficacy against four different cancer cell lines human colorectal adenocarcinoma, human kidney, human chronic myelogenous, leukemia, bone marrow, and human cervix have been studied and reported. The present experimental study suggests that flavonoids functionalized gold nanoparticles synthesized using aqueous clove buds extract are more potential than guava leaf extract towards anti-cancer activities. The microscopic and 2,3-bis (2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-5-[(phenylamino)carbonyl]-2H-tetrazolium hydroxide (XTT) assay infer that the functionalized irregular shaped gold nanoparticles synthesized with aqueous clove bud extract showed a satisfactory anti-cancer effect on all the cell lines. The silver nanoparticles synthesized using same extracts are devoid of anti-cancer activity. The XTT assay revealed dose-dependent cytotoxicity to cancer cell lines. The study revealed that the free radicals generated by gold nanoparticles are responsible for anti-cancer effect. To confirm the free-radical scavenging efficacy of gold nanoparticle, nitric oxide assay is followed. We observed that the gold nanoparticles swabbed the free radicals in dose-dependent manner. With continued improvements, these nanoparticles may prove to be potential anti-cancer agents.
Insights
Gold nanoparticles from clove extract show promising anti-cancer effects against multiple cell lines, unlike silver nanoparticles. These gold nanoparticles demonstrate dose-dependent cytotoxicity by generating free radicals, suggesting potential as future anti-cancer agents.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Plant extracts are explored for synthesizing nanoparticles with potential therapeutic applications.
- Gold and silver nanoparticles have garnered interest for their anti-cancer properties.
- Investigating plant-mediated synthesis offers a sustainable approach to nanoparticle development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize biofunctionalized gold and silver nanoparticles using guava and clove extracts.
- To evaluate the in vitro anti-cancer efficacy of these nanoparticles against human colorectal adenocarcinoma, kidney, chronic myelogenous leukemia, and cervix cancer cell lines.
- To determine the mechanism of action, focusing on free radical generation and scavenging properties.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles using aqueous extracts of guava and clove buds.
- Characterization of nanoparticles using microscopy.
- In vitro anti-cancer activity assessment via 2,3-bis (2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-5-[(phenylamino)carbonyl]-2H-tetrazolium hydroxide (XTT) assay.
- Nitric oxide assay to evaluate free-radical scavenging capacity.
Main Results:
- Flavonoid-functionalized gold nanoparticles synthesized with clove extract exhibited significant anti-cancer activity against all tested cell lines.
- Gold nanoparticles synthesized with guava extract showed less potent anti-cancer effects compared to clove extract.
- Silver nanoparticles synthesized using both extracts demonstrated no significant anti-cancer activity.
- XTT assay confirmed dose-dependent cytotoxicity of gold nanoparticles.
- Nitric oxide assay indicated that gold nanoparticles effectively scavenge free radicals in a dose-dependent manner.
Conclusions:
- Aqueous clove bud extract-derived gold nanoparticles possess superior anti-cancer potential compared to guava extract-derived nanoparticles.
- The anti-cancer mechanism of these gold nanoparticles is attributed to the generation of free radicals.
- Gold nanoparticles show promise as effective anti-cancer agents, warranting further investigation and development.
