Phyto-Facilitated Bimetallic ZnFe2O4 Nanoparticles via Boswellia carteri: Synthesis, Characterization, and Anti-Cancer Activity

Abstract

Background: The growing unsatisfaction toward the available traditional chemotherapeutic agents enhanced the need to develop new methods for obtaining materials with more effective and safe anti-cancer properties. Over the past few years, usage of metallic nanoparticles has been a target for researchers of different scientific and commercial fields due to their tiny sizes, environment friendly properties and wide range applications. To overcome the obstacles of traditional physical and chemical methods for synthesis of such nanoparticles, a new less expensive and eco-friendly method has been adopted using natural existing organisms as a reducing agent to mediate synthesis of the desired metallic nanoparticles from their precursors, a process called green biosynthesis of nanoparticles. Objective: Here in the present study, zinc iron bimetallic nanoparticles (ZnFe2O4) were synthesized via an aqueous extract of Boswellia Carteri resin mixed with zinc acetate and iron chloride precursors, and they were tested for their anticancer activity. Methods: Various analytic methods were applied for the characterization of the Phyto synthesized ZnFe2O4 and they were tested for their anticancer activity against MDA-MB-231, K562, MCF-7 cancer cell lines and normal fibroblasts. Results: Our results demonstrate the synthesis of cubic structured bimetallic nanoparticles ZnFe2O4 with an average diameter 10.54 nm. MTT cytotoxicity assay demonstrate that our phyto-synthesized ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles exhibited a selective and potent anticancer activity against K562 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines with IC50 values 4.53 µM and 4.19 µM, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, our bio synthesized ZnFe2O4 nano particles show a promising environmentally friendly of low coast chemotherapeutic approach against selective cancers with a predicted low adverse side effect toward normal cells. Further in vivo advanced animal research should be done to execute their applicability in living organisms.