Anticancer potential of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using a battery of <i>in vitro</i> tests

Abstract This study synthesized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using a facile microwave-assisted chemical route and evaluated them as potential anticancer candidates against breast colon cancer cell lines. Numerous spectral characterization tools were used to the optical properties, structure, morphology of prepared AuNPs. UV-Vis spectroscopy showed characteristic peak at 517 nm, which confirms formation The crystalline structure NPs was studied by X-ray diffraction, NPs’ shape size calculated with Field emission transmission electron microscopy. AuNPs found be uniform in range 2–6 nm. A variety biological tests, including MTT, scratch, real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), comet assays adopted assess these models. findings suggested cell-dependent cytotoxicity Different viability 40.3 66.4% obtained for MCF-7 HCT-116, respectively, 5 µg/mL scratch assay impede migration concentration-dependent manner line. On other hand, real-time (RT-PCR) apoptotic (p53, Bax, caspase-3) anti-apoptotic (BCl-2) genes revealed upregulation downregulation genes, probably leading its cytotoxicity. At concentration AuNPs, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production increased 26.4 42.7%, HCT-116 cells. Similarly, demonstrated induced DNA damage These suggest that observed efficacy driven ROS generation. appeared promising therapeutic However, our vitro data need confirmed validated ex vivo models so this NP can further exploited human use.