Gold Nanoparticles Synthesized by an Aqueous Extract of Codium tomentosum as Potential Antitumoral Enhancers of Gemcitabine

Mar Drugs. 2022 Dec 27;21(1):20. doi: 10.3390/md21010020.

Abstract

Cancer still poses a global threat, since a lot of tumors remain untreatable despite all the available chemotherapeutic drugs, whose side effects, it must also be noted, still raise concerns. The antitumoral properties of marine seaweeds make them a potential source of new, less toxic, and more active antitumoral agents. Furthermore, these natural extracts can be combined with nanotechnology to increase their efficacy and improve targeting. In this work, a Codium tomentosum (CT) aqueous extract was employed for the green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au@CT). The complete characterization of Au@CT was performed by UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Zeta potential, electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), high-performance steric exclusion chromatography (HPSEC), and by the determination of their antioxidant capacity. The antiproliferative activity of Au@CT was then tested in hepatic (HEPG-2) and pancreatic (BxPC-3) cell lines. Their potential capacity as enhancers of gemcitabine, a drug frequently used to treat both types of tumors, was also tested. The activity of Au@CT was compared to the activity of the CT extract alone. A synergistic effect with gemcitabine was proven for HEPG-2. Our results showed that gold nanoparticles synthesized from seaweed extracts with antitumoral activity could be a good gemcitabine enhancer.

Keywords: BxPC-3; Codium tomentosum; HEPG-2; antitumoral; gemcitabine enhancer; gold nanoparticles; green synthesis.

MeSH terms

  • Chlorophyta*
  • Gemcitabine
  • Gold / chemistry
  • Gold / pharmacology
  • Green Chemistry Technology / methods
  • Humans
  • Metal Nanoparticles* / chemistry
  • Neoplasms*
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • X-Ray Diffraction

Substances

  • Gemcitabine
  • Gold
  • Plant Extracts