Evaluation of Cytotoxic and Apoptotic Effects of Green Synthesized Zn Oxide Nanoparticles on the MCF-7 breast cancer Cell Line

Today, nanoparticles have been considered an effective anti-cancer factor in cancer therapy and diagnostic studies. In this way, nanoparticles synthesized by biological methods are being developed. This study aimed to green synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles by Bunium persicum and study toxicity and apoptotic effects in breast cancer cell lines.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by the fruit extract of Bunium persicum and synthesized nanoparticles were evaluated by FESEM, EDS, XRD, and Zeta sizer analyses. Then, the cytotoxicity of ZnO nanoparticles on breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and normal HEK-293 was evaluated by the MTT method within 24 hours, and the IC50 lethality was determined. Finally, P53, Bcl2, and Bax gene expression were analyzed by Real-time PCR.

ZnO nanoparticles with an average size of 100 nm and a polyhedral shape were made using the fruit extract of the Bunium persicum. According to the XRD analysis, the synthesized nanoparticles have a single-phase crystal structure and no impurities. Based on the MTT results, ZnO nanoparticles had cytotoxicity effects on cancer cells (in 16-500 µg/ml concentration) as well as normal HEK-293 cells (in 31-500 µg/ml concentration) (P<0.001). The gene expression results indicated a 2.7-fold increase in P53 (P<0.001), 6.2 in Bax, and 2.3-fold in Bcl2  (P<0.001).

The findings indicated that the fabrication of zinc oxide nanoparticles by fruit extract of Bunium persicum was done successfully. Also, these nanoparticles have toxicity effects on breast cancer cell lines, and this toxicity is probably due to the induction of apoptosis.