Hybrid nanocomposite curcumin-capped gold nanoparticle-reduced graphene oxide: Anti-oxidant potency and selective cancer cytotoxicity

• Published in: PloS one 2019-05, Vol.14 (5), p.e0216725
• Main Authors: Al-Ani, Lina A, Yehye, Wageeh A, Kadir, Farkaad A, Hashim, Najihah M, AlSaadi, Mohammed A, Julkapli, Nurhidayatullaili M, Hsiao, Vincent K S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anticancer properties; Antineoplastic Agents - chemistry; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Antioxidants; Antioxidants (Nutrients); Antioxidants - chemistry; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Apoptosis; Biocompatibility; Biological activity; Biology and Life Sciences; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Cancer treatment; Catalysis; Cell cycle; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival - drug effects; Chemical compounds; Citric acid; Colon; Colon cancer; Colorectal cancer; Curcumin; Curcumin - chemistry; Curcumin - pharmacology; Cytotoxicity; Drug development; Electron microscopy; Engineering and Technology; Free radicals; Gold; Gold - chemistry; Graphene; Graphite; Graphite - chemistry; Health aspects; Hepatocytes; Humans; Hybridization; Medical research; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metal Nanoparticles - chemistry; Microscopy; Models, Molecular; Molecular Conformation; Nanocomposites; Nanocomposites - chemistry; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Optical microscopy; Organic chemistry; Oxidation-Reduction; Pandas; Patient outcomes; Pharmacology; Physical Sciences; Raw materials; Reagents; Reducing agents; Selectivity; Synthesis; Therapeutics; Time dependence; Toxicity; Toxicology; Transmission electron microscopy; Trinucleotide repeats; Tumor cell lines
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216725

Nanotechnology-based antioxidants and therapeutic agents are believed to be the next generation tools to face the ever-increasing cancer mortality rates. Graphene stands as a preferred nano-therapeutic template, due to the advanced properties and cellular interaction mechanisms. Nevertheless, majority of graphene-based composites suffer from hindered development as efficient cancer therapeutics. Recent nano-toxicology reviews and recommendations emphasize on the preliminary synthetic stages as a crucial element in driving successful applications results. In this study, we present an integrated, green, one-pot hybridization of target-suited raw materials into curcumin-capped gold nanoparticle-conjugated reduced graphene oxide (CAG) nanocomposite, as a prominent anti-oxidant and anti-cancer agent. Distinct from previous studies, the beneficial attributes of curcumin are employed to their fullest extent, such that they perform dual roles of being a natural reducing agent and possessing antioxidant anti-cancer functional moiety. The proposed novel green synthesis approach secured an enhanced structure with dispersed homogenous AuNPs (15.62 ± 4.04 nm) anchored on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets, as evidenced by transmission electron microscopy, surpassing other traditional chemical reductants. On the other hand, safe, non-toxic CAG elevates biological activity and supports biocompatibility. Free radical DPPH inhibition assay revealed CAG antioxidant potential with IC50 (324.1 ± 1.8%) value reduced by half compared to that of traditional citrate-rGO-AuNP nanocomposite (612.1 ± 10.1%), which confirms the amplified multi-potent antioxidant activity. Human colon cancer cell lines (HT-29 and SW-948) showed concentration- and time-dependent cytotoxicity for CAG, as determined by optical microscopy images and WST-8 assay, with relatively low IC50 values (~100 μg/ml), while preserving biocompatibility towards normal human colon (CCD-841) and liver cells (WRL-68), with high selectivity indices (≥ 2.0) at all tested time points. Collectively, our results demonstrate effective green synthesis of CAG nanocomposite, free of additional stabilizing agents, and its bioactivity as an antioxidant and selective anti-colon cancer agent.