Abstract
In this work, the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized using pulse-modulated radio-frequency atmospheric pressure glow discharge (pm-rf-APGD). By tailoring selected operating parameters of the pm-rf-APGD reaction-discharge system, the experimental conditions for the synthesis of raw-AuNPs with controlled optical and structural properties were found. The colloidal suspension of the size-controlled raw-AuNPs was mixed with an aqueous solution of gelatine and turmeric oil to produce an oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsion. AuNPs loaded into the nanoemulsion were characterized using ultraviolet–visible absorption spectrophotometry, dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy supported by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy equipped with selected area X-ray diffraction. Additionally, attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was used to confirm the efficient functionalization of the AuNPs by nanoemulsion component. It was revealed that AuNPs were mostly spherical with an average size of 4.6 ± 1.0 nm and a face-centered cubic crystal system. The developed O/W nanoemulsion carrying AuNPs was applied towards the human breast cancer cell lines MCF7 and MDA-MB-231. It was found that it exhibited the cytotoxicity towards the breast cancer cells while were non-cytotoxic towards the non-tumour breast cells MCF10A. Moreover, it also inhibited the migration of the invasive cancer breast cells (line MDA-MB-231) and hence, could prevent the breast cancer metastasis.
Highlights
A rapid development in the production and utilization of nanomaterials of certain properties has been observed
The differences in the both responses between the treatments were higher than the variability of these responses within the treatments. This pointed out that the both responses acquired for the studied reaction-discharge system, i.e., the λmax of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorption band of the synthesized raw-AuNPs and their D H, were varied due to the changes in the operating parameters
The both responses were not transformed to stabilize their variance observed during the operation of the studied reaction-discharge system [31, 33]
Summary
A rapid development in the production and utilization of nanomaterials of certain properties has been observed. Due to the biological activity of turmeric [48,49,50,51], it was decided in the present work to use turmeric essential oil (i) to functionalize the surface of the raw-AuNPs produced with pm-rf-APGD under defined operating conditions to enhance their cytotoxicity towards the human cancer cell lines and (ii) to prepare the homogenous oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsion carrying the produced raw-AuNPs. In the later case, it was motivated by the fact that the nanoemulsions are the most promising nanocarries used to improve the therapeutic efficacy of the anticancer drugs, commonly overcoming the problems associated with their systemic toxicity and poor bioavailability [52, 53]. The developed O/W nanoemulsion carrying AuNPs was examined with respect to its migration and cytotoxic activity against the cancer cells, i.e., the human breast cancer cell lines MCF7 and MDA-MB-231, as well as a non-tumour breast cells (line MCF10A)
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