Abstract
The impressive role of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is well identified for cancer therapy. However, safety concerns have been raised about the adverse effects of high-doses of chemically-synthesized-AgNPs that release many hazardous residues and in turn diminish the anticancer property of AgNPs. Hence, to overcome these side effects and to maintain the anticancer effectiveness of AgNPs at relatively low-doses, the present study utilizes a natural antitumor product Ferula asafoetida (FA) in the preparation of green synthesis of AgNPs and further focuses on its cytotoxic effects, against Lung and Cervical cancer cells. The successful green-synthesis of FA-AgNPs was confirmed via UV-Vis-spectroscopy, TEM, DLS, FTIR and IR. Based on cytotoxicity assay, the average low (6.25 mu l) and high (25 mu l) doses of FA-AgNPs were observed to cause severe cytotoxic effects on studied cancer cells. Furthermore, our study was also directed to check any possible antitumorigenic-modulatory-effects of low and high doses of FA-AgNPs on the expression of four oncogenes (PIK3CA, KRAS, EGFR and ERBB3). In RT-qPCR analysis, the low and high doses of FA-AgNPs caused significant(p < 0.01) downregulation effects on the expression of PIK3CA and KRAS oncogenes, in treated-cancer cells. This is the first-report on the role of FA-AgNPs that induce strong cytotoxicity with its low-doses.