Abstract
Treatment of cancer using nanoparticles made of inorganic and metallic compounds has been increasingly used, owing to their novel intrinsic physical properties and their potential to interact with specific cellular sites, thereby significantly reducing severe secondary effects. In this study, we report a facile strategy for synthesis of folate capped Mn
3
O
4
nanoparticles (FA-Mn
3
O
4
NPs) with high colloidal stability in aqueous media using a hydrothermal method for potential application in photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer. The capping of FA to Mn
3
O
4
NPs was confirmed using various spectroscopic techniques. In adenocarcinomic human alveolar basal epithelial cells (A549), the nanohybrid synthesised with a combination of FA and Mn
3
O
4
shows remarkable PDT activity
via
intracellular ROS generation (singlet oxygen). As established by a DNA fragmentation assay and fluorescence studies, the nanohybrid can cause significant nuclear DNA damage by light induced enhanced ROS generation. In the assessment of Bax, Bcl2 provides strong evidence of apoptotic cellular death. Cumulatively, the outcomes of this study suggest that these newly synthesized FA-Mn
3
O
4
NPs can specifically destroy cells with overexpressed folate receptors, thereby providing a solution in the journey of cancer eradication.
Folate capped Mn
3
O
4
nanoparticles can be used in PDT for specifically destroying folate receptor-overexpressing cancer cells through photo induced free radical damage.