In vitro cytotoxic study of synthesized Ag and Ce dual-doped α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles on NIH/3T3 and U87 cell lines

Abstract

The significant potential of iron oxide nanoparticles in biomedical fields, particularly in the delivery of anticancer drugs and in sono-chemodynamic therapy, can be attributed to their remarkable physicochemical properties. Consequently, this study aimed to organize artificially produced hematite nanospheres (α-Fe2O3 NS) that were doped with silver (Ag) and cerium (Ce) using an environmentally sustainable method utilizing taranjabin. Following this, an assessment of their cytotoxicity was conducted. The structure and morphology characteristics of nanoparticles were analyzed using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray(EDX), and Raman techniques. The FESEM images revealed that the α-Fe2O3 NS exhibited a spherical shape; however, the morphology of the α-Fe2O3 NS doped with Ag and Ce transitioned to a conical form. The doping of Ag and Ce within the α-Fe2O3 structure was thoroughly validated through EDX and Raman analysis. Based on the cytotoxic outcomes, the impacts of Ag and Ce-doped α-Fe2O3 against human glioblastoma(U87) and mouse embryonic fibroblast (NIH/3T3) cells were studied using MTT assay. The results indicated that doped nanoparticles exhibited greater cytotoxic than α-Fe2O3 in both NIH/3T3 and U87 cells. The IC50 values were determined to be 188.33 μg ml−1 for Ag-doped α-Fe2O3 and 308.58 μg ml−1 for Ce-doped α-Fe2O3 against U87 and NIH/3T3 cells, respectively, both of which were lower than the IC50 of α-Fe2O3. Consequently, the doping process significantly enhanced the cytotoxic effect of α-Fe2O3 NS. This study represents the first documentation of the synthesis and anticancer activity of Ag and Ce-doped α-Fe2O3 on NIH/3T3 and U87 cells. However, further investigation into the antitumor efficacy of Ag and Ce-doped α-Fe2O3 in appropriate in vivo models is recommended.