Structural characterization, antioxidant and cytotoxic effects of iron nanoparticles synthesized using Asphodelus aestivus Brot. aqueous extract

ASP was used to synthesize FeNPA. They were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, TEM, SEM, XRD and ZP. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro cytotoxic activity and antioxidant acitivities of FeNPA and ASP. The antioxidant properties were evaluated using DPPH, ABTS(+) and H2O2 assays. FeNPA had higher antioxidant activity comparing to ASP according to DPPH (IC50: 3.48 mu g/mL) and ABTS(+) (60.52%) assays. Anti-cancer activities of FeNPA and ASP were investigated in breast cancer, melanoma and control cell lines. FeNPA was more cytotoxic than ASP in MCF-7, MeWo, CHL-1, and HEL 299 cells. FeNPA had shown that mitochondria induce apoptosis through stress in MDA-MB-231, and cells MeWo. ASP also induced apoptosis 2.23-fold in MCF-7 cells. Progesterone receptor gene expression showed a 10-fold increase in a hormone-dependent MCF-7 cell line in ASP, and FeNPA treatment. Expressions of BCL6, CXCL12, DNAJC15, RB1 and TPM1 in melanoma cancer cell lines were significantly increased in ASP and FeNPA administration. It had been shown that FeNPA regulates gene expressions that may be considered important in terms of prognosis in breast cancer and melanoma cell lines and it is suggested that gene expressions regulated by FeNPA are also evaluated in animal models in vivo.