Biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles from biological source and its effect on in vitro anti-cancer activity

Abstract

Cancer is usually defined as a state, where in the cells, it tends to divide and grow uncontrollably and has the ability to destroy normal healthy cells. Thanks to the advancements in nanotechnology as it has paved its way and has found numerous applications in the field of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Nanoparticles, which are usually (1–100 nm), are widely used in the treatment of cancer. One of the major problems encountered in treating cancer patients is that they exhibit multiple drug resistance, and hence, it becomes tedious to treat them. Therefore, in these scenarios, nanoparticles are employed as they can serve as drug-targeting molecules. In particular, AuNPs (gold nanoparticles) are employed in cancer treatment due to their ability to reverse multidrug resistance. AuNPs have the potential to exhibit minimum cytotoxicity and also have the ability to serve as an antioxidant. Various spices (i.e., clove, cinnamon, turmeric, and cardamom) are said to have high antioxidant content, and they are also beneficial in cancer treatment. Moreover, it is proven that AuNPs, which have been synthesized from biological sources, have higher efficacy in cancer cells and less toxicity toward normal cells. Thus, the main aim of this approach was to synthesize gold nanoparticles from spices, which will exhibit higher efficacy in destroying cancer cells and inducing apoptosis while offering less toxicity toward normal cells. This study is an attempt to understand the study of the biosynthesized AuNPs which will help in destroying cancer cells.