Carthamidin-Mediated Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis, Characterization and Anticancer Activity- Invitro Approach

The synthesis of silver nanoparticles from biological sources has fascinated the research fraternities due to their distinctive non-toxic features and benign synthesis methodologies. In this pipeline, we have synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from the carthamidin (CT) pigment. The yellow-colored water-soluble pigment reduces the silver nitrate into metallic silver in a simple one-pot method. The CTAgNPs were exclusively characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive analysis spectroscopy (EDAX). The characterization techniques indicate that CTAgNPs are spherical with an average size of 59 nm and face-centered cubic with a face-centered cubic crystalline structure. The CTAgNPs were evaluated as a cytotoxic agent in the MCF 7 cells, and in the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, CTAgNPs inhibited the growth of MCF 7 cells with an IC50 value of 112 mu g/mL. The MTT assay signifies that CTAgNPs possess cytotoxic attributes which can be further developed as an anticancer agent. Further, we molecularly analyzed the apoptosis induction by CTAgNPs by acridine orange (AO)/ethidium bromide (EB) staining, a reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay, quantification of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and cell cycle arrest using flow cytometry. Finally, CTAgNPs exhibit remarkable cytotoxicity in MCF-7 cells and induce apoptosis. Thus, CTAgNPs may be proposed as a drug molecule for breast cancer treatment.