Biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles using marine algae Cladophora glomerata and evaluation of apoptotic effects in human colon cancer cells

ABSTRACT

In the current study, silver nanoparticle (AgNPs) is biogenically synthesised using marine algae Cladophora glomerata extract, and anticancer activity was studied against colon cancer cells HCT-116 in-vitro. Biosynthesised silver nanoparticles characterised using TEM, UV-Spectrophotometry, XRD, and FTIR. XRD and UV-Spectrophotometry confirmed AgNPs formation with a mean size of 8–11 nm. AgNPs demonstrated specific cytotoxicity to colon cancer cells, whereas no or minimal effect was observed in human colon epithelial cell line cells. The fluorescence microscopic of AgNPs treated HCT-116 after nucleus staining confirmed the apoptosis induction in HCT-116 cells. In the immunoblotting study, the expression of proapoptotic markers like caspases, p21, BAX/BCL-XL, and NF-kB, along with a decrease of further confirmed the p53-dependent apoptosis induced by AgNPs. Hence, overall, we concluded that our biogenically synthesised AgNPs nanoparticles possess a selective apoptotic effect against colon cancer HCT-116 cells and potential to be used in targeted therapy for colon cancer.

KEYWORDS:

• Green synthesis
• p53-dependent apoptosis
• cell cycle
• colon cancer
• DNA damage
• silver nanoparticle

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the Director of NRME Research Laboratory, Newredmars Education Pvt Ltd for allowing to carry out the research work. The authors are also thankful to Dr Pralay Ranjan Behera, Scientist, Marine Biodiversity Division, Regional Centre of ICAR – Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh for the identification of algal species Cladophora glomerata for analysis. The authors sincerely thank the Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences (Deemed-to-be University) for their support, encouragement, and extending all the necessary facilities in the university.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.