Urtica dioica Mediates Zinc-Copper Doped Nanoparticles as Potent Anticancer Agents against Human Breast Cancer MDA-MB-231 Cell Line

Background: Recently, biosynthesis, also recognized as green synthesis, has emerged as an alternative for producing nano-metal oxides. In this study the anti-cancer activity of green-synthesized zinc-copper-doped NPs using Urtica dioica against the human BC-MDA-MB-231 cell line was investigated. Mat...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Fatemeh Tavanaei, Azadeh Mohammadgholi, Nastaran Asghari Moghaddam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2025-04-01
Series:Advanced Biomedical Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/abr.abr_515_23
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850042312233582592
author Fatemeh Tavanaei
Azadeh Mohammadgholi
Nastaran Asghari Moghaddam
author_facet Fatemeh Tavanaei
Azadeh Mohammadgholi
Nastaran Asghari Moghaddam
author_sort Fatemeh Tavanaei
collection DOAJ
description Background: Recently, biosynthesis, also recognized as green synthesis, has emerged as an alternative for producing nano-metal oxides. In this study the anti-cancer activity of green-synthesized zinc-copper-doped NPs using Urtica dioica against the human BC-MDA-MB-231 cell line was investigated. Materials and Methods: The synthesized bimetallic NPs using U. dioica through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), coupled with energy-dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDX) and UV-Visible spectroscopy was characterized. MTT assay assessed the toxicity in BC cells induced by NP exposure, determining the lethal toxic dose. Additionally, apoptosis in cells resulting from NP exposure was evaluated using the real-time PCR technique. The potential mechanism of toxicity induced by doped NPs was further assessed by lactate dehydrogenase, caspase-3, and ROS generation in BC cells. Results: The particles exhibited an irregular structure with non-uniform surfaces, and a variable size of NPs ranging between 22 and 46 nm was observed. Zn-doped-Cu NPs decreased the viability of MDA-MB-231 cells in both treatment groups in a dose-dependent manner. The IC50 concentration of Zn-doped-Cu NPs significantly increased Bax expression and decreased Bcl2, MMP2, and MMP9 genes thus playing a crucial role in apoptosis and metastasis prevention. Furthermore, a notable increase in LDH activity, caspase-3 activity, and ROS generation was observed in cancerous cells following exposure to biosynthesized NPs compared to MDA-MB-231 cells receiving extract and the control group. Conclusions: These findings underscore the remarkable apoptotic, antimetastatic, and antioxidant activity of biosynthesized Zn-doped-Cu NPs.
format Article
id doaj-art-4439cbf19b4d40bf9bf3ed5945247607
institution DOAJ
issn 2277-9175
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
record_format Article
series Advanced Biomedical Research
spelling doaj-art-4439cbf19b4d40bf9bf3ed59452476072025-08-20T02:55:36ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsAdvanced Biomedical Research2277-91752025-04-01141303010.4103/abr.abr_515_23Urtica dioica Mediates Zinc-Copper Doped Nanoparticles as Potent Anticancer Agents against Human Breast Cancer MDA-MB-231 Cell LineFatemeh TavanaeiAzadeh MohammadgholiNastaran Asghari MoghaddamBackground: Recently, biosynthesis, also recognized as green synthesis, has emerged as an alternative for producing nano-metal oxides. In this study the anti-cancer activity of green-synthesized zinc-copper-doped NPs using Urtica dioica against the human BC-MDA-MB-231 cell line was investigated. Materials and Methods: The synthesized bimetallic NPs using U. dioica through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), coupled with energy-dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDX) and UV-Visible spectroscopy was characterized. MTT assay assessed the toxicity in BC cells induced by NP exposure, determining the lethal toxic dose. Additionally, apoptosis in cells resulting from NP exposure was evaluated using the real-time PCR technique. The potential mechanism of toxicity induced by doped NPs was further assessed by lactate dehydrogenase, caspase-3, and ROS generation in BC cells. Results: The particles exhibited an irregular structure with non-uniform surfaces, and a variable size of NPs ranging between 22 and 46 nm was observed. Zn-doped-Cu NPs decreased the viability of MDA-MB-231 cells in both treatment groups in a dose-dependent manner. The IC50 concentration of Zn-doped-Cu NPs significantly increased Bax expression and decreased Bcl2, MMP2, and MMP9 genes thus playing a crucial role in apoptosis and metastasis prevention. Furthermore, a notable increase in LDH activity, caspase-3 activity, and ROS generation was observed in cancerous cells following exposure to biosynthesized NPs compared to MDA-MB-231 cells receiving extract and the control group. Conclusions: These findings underscore the remarkable apoptotic, antimetastatic, and antioxidant activity of biosynthesized Zn-doped-Cu NPs.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/abr.abr_515_23apoptosisbiosynthesisbreast cancermda-mb-231nanoparticles
spellingShingle Fatemeh Tavanaei
Azadeh Mohammadgholi
Nastaran Asghari Moghaddam
Urtica dioica Mediates Zinc-Copper Doped Nanoparticles as Potent Anticancer Agents against Human Breast Cancer MDA-MB-231 Cell Line
Advanced Biomedical Research
apoptosis
biosynthesis
breast cancer
mda-mb-231
nanoparticles
title Urtica dioica Mediates Zinc-Copper Doped Nanoparticles as Potent Anticancer Agents against Human Breast Cancer MDA-MB-231 Cell Line
title_full Urtica dioica Mediates Zinc-Copper Doped Nanoparticles as Potent Anticancer Agents against Human Breast Cancer MDA-MB-231 Cell Line
title_fullStr Urtica dioica Mediates Zinc-Copper Doped Nanoparticles as Potent Anticancer Agents against Human Breast Cancer MDA-MB-231 Cell Line
title_full_unstemmed Urtica dioica Mediates Zinc-Copper Doped Nanoparticles as Potent Anticancer Agents against Human Breast Cancer MDA-MB-231 Cell Line
title_short Urtica dioica Mediates Zinc-Copper Doped Nanoparticles as Potent Anticancer Agents against Human Breast Cancer MDA-MB-231 Cell Line
title_sort urtica dioica mediates zinc copper doped nanoparticles as potent anticancer agents against human breast cancer mda mb 231 cell line
topic apoptosis
biosynthesis
breast cancer
mda-mb-231
nanoparticles
url https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/abr.abr_515_23
work_keys_str_mv AT fatemehtavanaei urticadioicamediateszinccopperdopednanoparticlesaspotentanticanceragentsagainsthumanbreastcancermdamb231cellline
AT azadehmohammadgholi urticadioicamediateszinccopperdopednanoparticlesaspotentanticanceragentsagainsthumanbreastcancermdamb231cellline
AT nastaranasgharimoghaddam urticadioicamediateszinccopperdopednanoparticlesaspotentanticanceragentsagainsthumanbreastcancermdamb231cellline