Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy and is ranked as the third most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Schinus molle (S. mole) L. is an important medicinal plant that contains many bioactive compounds with pharmacological properties. The role of S. molle leaf extract in the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was determined. The biosynthesized AgNPs were thoroughly characterized by UV–vis spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques. Furthermore, the cytotoxic effect of the biosynthesized AgNPs using S. molle (SMAgNPs) against HepG2 liver cancer cells was investigated. Reactive oxygen species generation, apoptosis induction, DNA damage, and autophagy activity were analyzed. The results clearly showed that the biosynthesized silver nanoparticles inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 by significantly (p < 0.05) inducing oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, DNA damage, apoptosis, and autophagy in a dose- and time-dependent manner. These findings may encourage integrating the potential of natural products and the efficiency of silver nanoparticles for the fabrication of safe, environmentally friendly, and effective anticancer agents.
Highlights
Accepted: 25 December 2021Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy, representing approximately 75–85% of cases [1]
Silver nanoparticles have an advantage over other biomedical nanomaterials, as they exhibit unique physical, chemical, optical, and biological properties
The choice of the leaf extract from S. molle was based on the presence of a variety of phytochemical compounds such as phenols, amino acids, flavones, etc., [25,26]
Summary
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy, representing approximately 75–85% of cases [1]. HCC is ranked as the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality among men and the sixth most common cause of cancer-related death among women [2]. The incidence and mortality of liver cancer have continued to rise despite advances in new technologies, prevention techniques, and screening for both diagnosis and treatment [3]. Cancer treatment strategies include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery and can be implemented to improve a patient’s quality of life. The nano-biotechnology applications have revealed novel strategies for the treatment and diagnosis of cancer [6]. The application of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as an auspicious anticancer entity is becoming versatile and widespread [7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
