Abstract
In the present report, three different shapes of chitosan-capped gold nanoparticles (nanospheres, nanostars, and nanorods) were synthesized to investigate the effects of shape on cytotoxicity and cellular uptake in cancer cells. Green tea extract was utilized as a reducing agent to reduce gold salts to gold nanospheres. Gold nanostars were prepared using an as-prepared nanosphere solution as a seed solution. Gold nanorods were synthesized using a conventional method. All three types of gold nanoparticles showed their characteristic surface plasmon resonance bands upon UV-visible spectrophotometry. In high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images, lattice structures were clearly observed in all three shapes, confirming the crystalline nature of the nanoparticles. All three colloidal solutions of gold nanoparticles retained colloidal stability in various solutions. To assess cytotoxicity, the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was performed on four cancer cell lines. The cytotoxicity was the highest in nanorods, followed by nanostars and finally nanospheres. The cellular uptake of gold nanoparticles in human hepatocyte carcinoma cells (HepG2) was measured, and the results followed the order nanospheres > nanorods > nanostars. The outcomes of the current study may assist in the shape design of gold nanoparticles for therapeutic applications as drug delivery vehicles in the field of nanomedicine.
Highlights
Plants contain natural primary and secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, steroids, coumarins, tannins, phenols, terpenoids, carbohydrates, proteins, and amino acids
HR-transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images were captured using a JEM-3010 operated at 300 kV (JEOL, Tokyo, Japan); the sample was loaded onto a carbon-coated copper grid and allowed to oven-dry at 37 °C for 24 h
After the chitosan capping of nanospheres, the maximum surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was red-shifted to 537 nm together with a hypochromic shift (Fig. 1b)
Summary
Plants contain natural primary and secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, steroids, coumarins, tannins, phenols, terpenoids, carbohydrates, proteins, and amino acids. Plant extracts have been utilized for the synthesis of nanomaterials, metallic nanoparticles such as gold, silver, titanium oxide, copper, palladium, zinc oxide, and platinum nanoparticles [1]. Diverse phytochemicals actively participate in converting metal salts to metallic nanoparticles as reducing agents. Plant extracts play a role as stabilizing agents to maintain the colloidal stability of metallic nanoparticles in solution. Chemical reducing agents are generally noxious and toxic to living organisms. The use of plant extracts in the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles is green, eco-friendly, and
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