Pluronic-F-127-Passivated SnO₂ Nanoparticles Derived by Using Polygonum cuspidatum Root Extract: Synthesis,...

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Tin oxide (SnO2) nanoparticles exhibit unique properties enhanced at the nanoscale.
• Developing cost-effective and eco-friendly synthesis methods for SnO2 nanoparticles is crucial.
• Tailoring nanoparticle size and morphology is key for specific applications, including cancer therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize green Pluronic-coated SnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) using Polygonum cuspidatum root extract.
• To evaluate the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of these SnO2 NPs on HepG2 cancer cells.
• To investigate the underlying mechanisms of NP-induced apoptosis and cell cycle inhibition.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of Pluronic-coated SnO2 NPs using a green chemistry approach.
• Characterization using UV-Vis, FTIR, EDAX, TEM, FE-SEM, XRD, PL, and DLS.
• In vitro cytotoxicity assessment (MTT assay), apoptosis evaluation (dual staining, flow cytometry), cell cycle analysis, and Western blotting for protein expression and pathway analysis (PI3K/Akt/mTOR).

Main Results:

• SnO2 NPs were successfully synthesized with an estimated crystallite size of 45 nm and a spherical morphology.
• The NPs demonstrated significant dose-dependent cytotoxicity and induced apoptosis specifically in HepG2 cells, not in other liver cell lines.
• NP treatment led to G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, increased oxidative stress, promoted pro-apoptotic protein expression, and inhibited the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Conclusions:

• Green synthesized Pluronic-coated SnO2 NPs possess potent anticancer properties against HepG2 cells.
• The mechanism involves inducing oxidative stress, promoting apoptosis, arresting the cell cycle, and blocking the PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis.
• These findings highlight the potential of SnO2 NPs as a promising anticancer agent for targeted therapy.