A Comparative Study on Anticancer Effects of the Alhagi maurorum and Amygdalus haussknechtii Extracts Alone and in Combination with Docetaxel on 4T1 Breast Cancer Cells

Pemetrexed loaded gold nanoparticles as cytotoxic and apoptosis inducers in lung cancer cells through ROS generation and mitochondrial dysfunction pathway

Supramolecular nanoparticles containing peptides and drugs have recently gained recognition as an effective tumor treatment drug delivery system. A multitarget drug termed pemetrexed is effective against various cancers, including nonsmall cell lung cancer. The work aims to establish the capability of pemetrexed gold nanoparticles (PEM-AuNPs) to induce apoptosis and explore molecular changes. X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope were used to investigate the synthesized nanoparticles. The MTT assay was utilized to investigate the anticancer properties of PEM-AuNPs at varying concentrations (50, 100, and 200 µM). PEM-AuNPs demonstrated a decrease in cell viability with 55.87%, 43.04%, and 25.59% for A549 cells and 54.31%, 37.40%, and 25.84% for H1299 cells at the respective concentrations. To assess apoptosis and perform morphological analysis, diverse biochemical staining techniques, including acridine orange-ethidium bromide and 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole nuclear staining assays, were employed. Additionally, 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate staining confirmed the induction of reactive oxygen species generation, while JC-1 staining validated the impact on the mitochondrial membrane at the IC50 concentration of PEM-AuNPs. Thus, the study demonstrated that the synthesized  PEM-AuNPs exhibited enhanced anticancer activity against both A549 and H1299 cells.

Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesis using Alhagi Maurorum Leaf Extract and Evaluation of Their Cytotoxic Effect on Breast Cancer Cell Lines and Antibacterial Effects

INTRODUCTION

Green synthesis offers a fast, simple, and economical method for producing metallic nanoparticles.The basis of this method is to obtain nanoparticles using natural materials, such as plants, fungi, and bacteria, instead of harmful and expensive chemical-reducing agents. In this study, CeO2NPs were produced using Alhagi maurorum extract, and their anticancer and antibacterial activities were evaluated.

METHODS

Alhagi maurorum extract was prepared according to a previously described protocol, and CeO2NPs were synthesized from the salt of this extract. The resulting nanoparticles were characterized using Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The antibacterial and cytotoxic effects of the nanoparticles were measured by MIC, MBC, and MTT assays, respectively. The results were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using Prism software.

RESULTS

The MTT assay on breast cancer cell lines showed that the cytotoxic effect of CeO2NPs on cell lines was concentration-dependent. In addition, this nanoparticle was more effective against Gram-positive bacteria.

CONCLUSION

These nanoparticles can be used as cancer drug delivery systems with specific targeting at low concentrations in addition to anticancer treatments. It can also have biological and medicinal applications, such as natural food preservation and wound dressing.

Brown Macroalgae Sargassum cristaefolium Extract Inhibits Melanin Production and Cellular Oxygen Stress in B16F10 Melanoma Cells

The brown macroalgae Sargassum has been reported for its anti-UV and photoprotective potential for industrial applications. This study evaluated the melanin inhibition activity of Sargassum cristaefolium (SCE) ethanol extract. Melanogenesis inhibition by SCE was assessed in vitro with B16-F10 melanoma cell models and in silico against melanin regulatory proteins Tyrosinase (TYR) and Melanocortin 1 Receptor (MC1R). The regulatory properties evaluated were the melanin content, intracellular tyrosinase activity and cellular antioxidant activities. In addition, the bioactive compounds detected in SCE were subjected to molecular docking against TYR and MC1R. Based on the results, 150 µg/mL SCE effectively inhibited the production of melanin content and intracellular tyrosinase activity. Cellular tyrosinase activity was reduced by SCE-treated cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The results were comparable to the standard tyrosinase inhibitor kojic acid. In addition, SCE effectively decreased the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in B16-F10 cells. The antioxidant properties may also contribute to the inhibition of melanogenesis. In addition, LCMS UHPLC-HR-ESI-MS profiling detected 33 major compounds. The results based on in silico study revealed that the bioactive compound putative kaurenoic acid showed a strong binding affinity against TYR (-6.5 kcal/mol) and MC1R (-8.6 kcal/mol). However, further molecular analyses are needed to confirm the mechanism of SCE on melanin inhibition. Nevertheless, SCE is proposed as an anti-melanogenic and antioxidant agent, which could be further developed into cosmetic skin care products.