Synthesis of NiO nanoparticles and their evaluation for photodynamic therapy against HeLa cancer cells

Abstract

The worldwide increase in malignancy rates has caused an increase of research interest for compelling and safe materials used for cancer treatment. A standout amongst the most pervasive types of treatment for malignant growth is photodynamic therapy (PDT), which is viewed as an alternative to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. PDT utilizing metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) is anticipated to be a useful approach for the treatment of malignant tumors. In the present study, NiO NPs were synthesized via a chemical co-precipitation (CPT) technique and characterized using XRD, SEM, TEM, UV–Visible spectroscopy, and EDX spectroscopy. The particle size was measured to be in the range of 90–120 nm using different characterization techniques. UV–visible spectroscopy showed the maximum absorption band was 340 nm, which confirmed the formation of the NiO NPs. Subsequently, the cytotoxicity of the NiO NPs was studied using a HeLa cancer cell line at various concentrations (10–180 μg/mL). An MTT assay was carried out and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) were investigated to determine the cell killing effects and their relationship with the loss of cell viability upon treatment with NiO alone or in the presence of light. Our results show that a light dose of 100 J/cm2 and NiO NPs concentration of 180 μg/mL exhibited an effective PDT outcome on cervical cancer cells. These key outcomes support the photokilling effect of NiO NPs as a potential treatment for cervical malignancy and their in-vivo application is inferred from their biocompatible properties. Keywords: NiO NPs, Cytotoxicity, ROS, Cellular morphology