Therapeutic Applications of Biostable Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Peel Extract of Benincasa hispida: Antibacterial and Anticancer Activities

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to fabricate biostable inorganic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using fresh peel (aqueous) extract of Benincasa hispida. A fast, robust, and eco-friendly approach was used for the synthesis of AgNPs, where bioactive components of peel extract of B. hispida acted as reducing and stabilizing agents. Synthesized AgNPs were characterized using a UV–Vis spectrophotometer, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and electron microscopy. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibited maximum absorption at 418 nm under the typical AgNPs surface plasmon resonance band range. They depicted a mean size of 26 ± 2 nm with a spherical shape. Their therapeutic prospective was determined by evaluating their antimicrobial and anticancer potential. The bio-synthesized silver nanoparticles exhibited strong antimicrobial activity with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC 50) values of 14.5, 8.6, 6.063, and 13.4 μg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Micrococcus luteus (ATCC 14593), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), and Klebsiella pneumonia (ATCC 13883), respectively. The biosynthesized AgNPs showed potent in vitro cytotoxicity against human cervical cancer cell line with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 0.066 μg/mL; however, no cytotoxic effect was observed on normal human primary osteoblasts cell line. This study explored B. hispida extract and confirmed its effectiveness as a promising source in producing AgNPs that could be employed for several therapeutic applications.

Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles by Using Green Machinery: Characterization and In Vitro Toxicity

“…To assess the cytotoxic effects of GNPs against cancerous (HeLa; human cervical cancer cells) and normal human primary osteoblasts, MTT cytotoxicity colorimetric assay was performed [ 36 ]. Briefly, the cells (1 × 10 4 cells per well) were plated in a 96-well plate and incubated for 24 h at 37 °C.…”

“…To assess the cytotoxic effects of GNPs against cancerous (HeLa; human cervical cancer cells) and normal human primary osteoblasts, MTT cytotoxicity colorimetric assay was performed [36]. Briefly, the cells (1 × 10 4 cells per well) were plated in a 96-well plate and incubated for 24 h at 37 • C. The cell lines were treated with GNPs at different concentrations ranging from 0.62 to 20 µg/mL in triplicates and incubated for 48 h. Ten µL of the MTT reagent (0.5 mg/mL) was then added to each well and the plates were further incubated for 4 h. Then, 150 µL DMSO was added to each well to solubilize formazan crystals.…”

“…The main constituents of B. hispida fruits include volatile oils, glycosides, flavonoids, vitamins, and minerals. Traditionally, B. hispida had been used for the alleviation of various complaints such as respiratory disease, gastrointestinal problems, urinary diseases, and heart diseases [ 36 ]. In addition, many reports demonstrated that B. hispida exerts many neuropharmacological effects such as muscle relaxant, anxiolytic, antidepressant, as well as positive effects in psychological disorders such as epilepsy, dementia, and schizophrenia [ 37 ].…”

“…In addition, many reports demonstrated that B. hispida exerts many neuropharmacological effects such as muscle relaxant, anxiolytic, antidepressant, as well as positive effects in psychological disorders such as epilepsy, dementia, and schizophrenia [ 37 ]. Recently, we utilized peel extract of B. hispida for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles [ 36 ]. This method enabled nanoparticle synthesis in a one-pot process.…”

Enhancement of Curcumin Anti-Inflammatory Effect via Formulation into Myrrh Oil-Based Nanoemulgel

“…The formulations (10 µL) were diluted with 3 mL of distilled water. All the experiments were performed in triplicate [ 28 ].…”