Majallah-i Dānishgāh-i ̒Ulūm-i Pizishkī-i Qum (Aug 2023)
The Effect of Gold Nanoparticles and Sea Cucumber Alcoholic Extract on Liver Cancer Cells
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Sea cucumber has antibacterial, fungal, anti-viral, and anti-cancer compounds that can be used for medicinal purposes. This research investigates the effect of gold nanoparticles and sea cucumber alcoholic extract on liver cancer cells. Methods: Sea cucumber samples were collected from the tidal zone of Owli village, Dayyer county, Bushehr City, southern Iran. Initial identification was done by extracting spicules using the FAO identification key. The anticancer effects of the prepared alcoholic extract (10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 µg/mL) and gold nanoparticles (0.5, 2, 4, 8, 10, 16 nM) were studied on the liver cancer cell line (Hep-G2) using the MTT assay, 24, 48 and 72 hours after exposure. Statistical analyses were performed in SPSS software, version 21. Results: The best effect of sea cucumber alcoholic extract and gold nanoparticles on the Hep-G2 was seen 72 hours after exposure. The highest cytotoxic effect of sea cucumber alcoholic extract on the cell line was seen at a dose of 100 μg/mL with 89.2% growth inhibition. The highest cytotoxic effect of gold nanoparticles was seen at a dose of 16 nM with 87.3% growth inhibition. The 100-μg/mL alcoholic extract and 16-nM nanoparticles together showed 95.4% growth inhibition. Conclusion: Due to the significant cytotoxic effect of sea cucumber alcoholic extract and gold nanoparticles on liver cancer cells, these compounds can be used as suitable candidates for producing anti-cancer drugs.
