Anticancer potential of silver nanoparticles biosynthesized using Catharanthus roseus leaves extract on cervical (HeLa229) cancer cell line

Abstract

Cervical cancer is a significant global health issue among women due to its prevalence and impact on morbidity and mortality, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This underscores the critical necessity for the development of anticancer treatments that are not only more efficient but also safer. This study introduces a novel approach to combating cervical cancer by synthesizing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous Catharanthus roseus leaves extract and evaluating their anticancer activity. The aqueous extract of C. roseus showed remarkable potential to reduce silver ions rapidly. UV–Vis spectroscopy confirmed the formation of AgNPs, with a characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band observed at 429 nm. TEM/EDX and FE-SEM analysis confirmed the presence of spherical AgNPs with uniform size distribution. XRD analysis confirmed the face-centered cubic (FCC) structure of metallic silver in AgNPs. Moreover, AgNPs exhibited significant antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects on HeLa229 cells, with higher selectivity towards cancer cells compared to normal cells. Moreover, wound healing assays showed the robust antimetastatic potential of AgNPs by inhibiting cancer cell migration. The real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated the impact of AgNPs on inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Overall, these findings highlight the promising role of Ag-NPs synthesized from C. roseus extract as effective anticancer agents,offering a promising alternative to conventional chemotherapy with potentially reduced side effects and increased efficacy.

Keywords

• Silver nanoparticles
• Characterization
• Cytotoxicity
• Antimetastatic activity
• Gene expression analysis