Biosynthesis and characterisation of solid lipid nanoparticles and investigation of toxicity against breast cancer cell line.

Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) comprise non-toxic surface-active lipidic agents combined with appropriate ratios of drugs or essential oils. The goal of this research was to investigate the effects of the SLN synthesised using essential oils of Foeniculum vulgare on the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. SLNs were prepared by homogenisation and ultrasound techniques and characterised by dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential assessment, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay (MTT assay), flow-cytometry, and Acridine-Orange assay were employed for assessing the biological activities of the SLNs. The average particle size was 55.43 nm and the net surface charge was -29.54 ± 11.67 mV. TEM showed that the mean particle size was 33.55 nm and the synthesised SLNs had a uniform round morphology. The MTT assay showed that the prepared SLNs had high toxicity against MCF-7 cells and low toxicity against normal HUVECs cells. Flow-cytometry revealed a noteworthy rise in the subG1 peak of the cell cycle in the cancer cells treated with SLNs compared to the controls, indicating apoptosis in cancer cells. The results also showed discolouration in SLNs-treated cells, which further confirmed the induction of apoptosis and the toxicity of the SLNs against MCF-7 cells.

Application of Response Surface Methodology for Optimizing the Therapeutic Activity of ZnO Nanoparticles Biosynthesized from Aspergillus niger.

In this study, the biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Aspergillus niger (A/ZnO-NPs) is described. These particles have been characterized by UV-Vis spectrum analysis, X-ray powder diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. To use this biosynthesized nanoparticle as an antiproliferative and antimicrobial agent, the IC50 value against the breast cancer cell line and inhibition zone against Escherichia coli were used to optimize the effect of two processing factors including dose of filtrate fungi cell and temperature. The biosynthesized A/ZnO-NPs had an absorbance band at 320 nm and spherical shapes. The mean particles size was 35 nm. RSM (response surface methodology) was utilized to investigate the outcome responses. The Model F-value of 12.21 and 7.29 implies that the model was significant for both responses. The contour plot against inhibition zone for temperature and dose showed that if the dose increases from 3.8 to 17.2 µg/mL, the inhibition zone increases up to 35 mm. As an alternative to chemical and/or physical methods, biosynthesizing zinc oxide NPs through fungi extracts can serve as a more facile and eco-friendly strategy. Additionally, for optimization of the processes, the outcome responses in the biomedical available test can be used in the synthesis of ZnO-NPs that are utilized for large-scale production in various medical applications.