Journal of Kerman University of Medical Sciences

Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using the Aqueous Plant Extracts and Evaluation of Their Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mandana Jafari 1
Mehrnaz Mehrabani 2
Mitra Mehrabani 1
Hamed Javedani 2
Fatemeh Pouya 3
Kobra Bahrampour Juybari 4

1 Herbal and Traditional Medicines Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

2 Physiology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

3 Department of Anatomy, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

4 Immunogenetics Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran

Abstract
Background: The present research focused on the synthesis and characterization of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) applying aqueous extracts of Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze (CS), Salvia officinalis L. (SO), Salvia rosmarinus Spenn. (SR), and Matricaria chamomilla L. (MC). Then, the antioxidant activities and the cytotoxic impact on two human breast cancer cell lines were evaluated.
Methods: TEM, EDX, and UV-Vis spectroscopy were used to characterize the production of Phyto-NPs. The cytotoxicity of both Phyto-AuNPs and the aqueous extracts against the MCF-7, MCF-10, and MDA-MB-231 cell lines was assessed through the MTT assay. Additionally, the antioxidant capacity of Phyto-AuNPs and the aqueous extracts was determined using FRAP and DPPH tests.
Results: Phyto-AuNPs displayed spherical shapes with particle sizes <100 nm. Furthermore, Phyto-AuNPs have demonstrated enhanced antioxidant activities compared to plant extracts analyzed by FRAP and DPPH assays. According to the MTT assay, phyto-AuNPs exhibited greater cytotoxic effects on the MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines compared to the plant extracts.
Conclusion: The present research showed that preparing a nanoproduct of aqueous plant extracts can be more effective than the aqueous extract alone in terms of antioxidant and antitumor properties. However, additional research is needed to clarify the underlying molecular mechanisms and to evaluate these effects in animal models of breast cancer.

Keywords

Gold nanoparticles
Medicinal plants
Antioxidant activity
Cytotoxicity
Breast cancer
Subjects
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Journal of Kerman University of Medical Sciences

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