In vitro anticancer evaluation of chitosan/biogenic silver nanoparticle conjugate on Si Ha and MDA MB cell lines

Nanomedicine is an innovative approach to cancer therapy. The present study is in vitro anticancer evaluation of chitosan-stabilized biogenic silver nanoparticles (Ch/Bio-AgNPs) on Si Ha (human cervical carcinoma) and MDA MB (human adenocarcinoma) cells. IC50 values of Bio-AgNP and Ch/Bio-AgNP were studied by MTT assay, antiproliferative and cell apoptosis-inducing activities of the conjugate were examined by ethidium bromide/acridine orange double staining, RO analysis, DNA fragmentation, Caspase 7 and 9 assays and flow cytometry. Gene expression was studied by real-time PCR using the β-actin housekeeping gene. As a result, on MDA MB cells IC50 value for Bio-AgNP and Ch/Bio-AgNP was 4.346 ± 0.6381 µg/ml and 0.9851 ± 0.0065 µg/ml, respectively, and on Si Ha cells it was 24.35 ± 1.390 µg/ml and 2.86 ± 0.319 µg/ml, respectively. Ch/Bio-AgNPs was a potent inhibitor on MDA MB and Si Ha cell lines with characteristic apoptosis and up-regulation of p53 and p38 genes.