Anticancer potential of folic acid functionalized Ag-Zn bimetallic nanoparticles

In the current study, silver-zinc bimetallic nanoparticles (BNPs) have been synthesized using folic acid (FA) for investigating their potential against HepG-2 cancer cell lines. These FA-Ag/Zn BNPs were prepared using chemical reduction method. The as-synthesized BNPs were characterized using different techniques. UV/Vis analysis exhibited absorbance peaks at 360 nm and 440 nm confirming the presence of both the NPs. FTIR analyses confirmed the formation of FA-Ag/Zn BNPs and SEM images revealed a grain-like morphology which is uniformly distributed throughout with a particle size of 65.22 nm. The XRD diffractogram revealed crystal structure of the said BNP’s as face-centered cubic (FCC) having a crystallite size of 23.29 nm. Synthesized nanoparticles (FA-Ag/Zn BNPs) were then tested for their anticancer potential i.e. cellular mitochondrial activity was measured using MTT assay with varied concentration of the synthesized BNPs from 10 to 400 µg/mL. Maximum cytotoxicity (CTY) was recorded for 400 µg/mL of BNPs showing a significant cytotoxic effect against HepG-2 cells compared to the control. The current study may be considered as a significant role in provided alternative route for chemotherapy. This route is much safer, cost-effective and feasible due to the productive of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which eventually result in dysfunction the Mitochondria and causes cancer cell death.