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Synthesis of Bimetallic Palladium/Zinc Oxide Nanocomposites Using Crocus sativus and Its Anticancer Activity via the Induction of Apoptosis in Cervical Cancer

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Abstract

Palladium (Pd) and zinc oxide (ZnO) (Pd/ZnO NPs) bimettalic nanocomposites still lag much too far behind other nanoparticles investigated for various biological uses in the area of cancer treatments. Chemically created nanoparticles agglomerate under physiological conditions, impeding their use in biomedical applications. In this study, a straightforward and environmentally friendly method for creating bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) by combining palladium (Pd) and zinc oxide (ZnO) using Crocus sativus extract (CS-Pd/ZnO NCs) was reported; the bio-synthesize bimetallic palladium/zinc oxide nanocomposites and their antioxidant and anti-cancer properties were assessed. The developed Pd/ZnO NPs were characterized using different approaches, including UV-vis, DLS, FTIR, EDX, and SEM analyses. The present investigation shows how nanocomposites are made, their distinctive properties, antioxidant activity, anticancer mechanisms, and their potential therapeutic applications. DPPH and ABTS tests were used to investigate antioxidant activity. Further, the effects of CS-Pd/ZnO NCs on HeLa cells were assessed using the cell viability, ROS generation, MMP levels, and induced apoptosis. Apoptosis induction was measured using an Annexin V-fluorescein isothicyanate assay. Cell DNA was stained with propidium iodide to evaluate the impact upon this cell cycle. Time-dependent cell death was carried on by CS-Pd/ZnO NCs. The maximum inhibitory effect was 59 ± 3.2 when dosages of 4.5 µg/mL or higher were delivered after 24 h of treatment. Additionally, the CS-Pd/ZnO NCs caused HeLa cells to undergo apoptosis. Apoptotic HeLa cells were present in 35.64% of the treated cells at 4.5 µg/mL, and the cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase occurred concurrently. According to these findings, the CS-Pd/ZnO NCs may be a promising candidate for the creation of brand-new cervical cancer treatment.

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Author notes

  1. Jun Feng and Leilei He contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou Dushu Lake Hospital, Medical Center of Soochow University, Suzhou Jiangsu, 215000, China

    Jun Feng

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, 221000, Jiangsu, China

    Leilei He

  3. Department of Surgical, Shaanxi Kangfu Hospital, Xian, 710065, Shaanxi, China

    Jin Qing Hui

  4. Department of Biotechnology, Hindusthan College Arts and Science, Coimbatore, TN, India

    Krishnamoorthy Kavithaa

  5. Department of Gynaecology, Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Chinese & Western Medicine, Wuhan, 430000, Hubei, China

    Zhengzheng Xu

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  1. Jun Feng
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Contributions

Jun Feng: resources, conceptualization, writing—review and editing. Leilei He: Conceptualization, visualization, writing—review and editing. Jin Qing Hui: methodology, visualization, writing—review and editing. Krishnamoorthy Kavithaa: methodology, visualization, writing—review and editing. Zhengzheng Xu: investigation, conceptualization, supervision, writing—original.

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Correspondence to Zhengzheng Xu.

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Feng, J., He, L., Hui, J.Q. et al. Synthesis of Bimetallic Palladium/Zinc Oxide Nanocomposites Using Crocus sativus and Its Anticancer Activity via the Induction of Apoptosis in Cervical Cancer. Appl Biochem Biotechnol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-024-04877-8

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