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Synthesis of curcumin-functionalized gold nanoparticles and cytotoxicity studies in human prostate cancer cell line

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Abstract

Gold nanoparticles synthesized using plant extracts with medicinal properties have gained traction in recent years, especially for their use in various biomedical applications. Colloidal stability of these nanoparticles in different environments is critical to retain the expected therapeutic/diagnostic efficacy and toxicological outcome. Any change in the colloidal stability leads to dramatic changes in the physico-chemical properties of the nanoparticles such as size and surface charge, which in turn may alter the biological activity of the particles. Such changes are imminent in physiologically-relevant environment wherein interactions with different biomolecules, such as serum proteins, may modify the overall properties of the nanoparticles. In this regard, we synthesized 15 nm sized gold nanoparticles using curcumin, a plant extract from turmeric root, to evaluate cytotoxicity, uptake, and localization in human prostate cancer cells using cell-culture medium supplemented with or without fetal bovine serum (FBS). The results indicate a dramatic difference in the cytotoxicity and uptake between cells treated with curcumin-functionalized gold nanoparticles (cur-AuNPs) in cell-culture medium with and without serum. The addition of FBS to the medium not only increased the stability of the nanoparticles but also enhanced the biocompatibility (i.e. minimal cytotoxicity for a wide range of cur-AuNP concentrations). We conclude that the presence of serum proteins significantly impact the therapeutic potential of cur-AuNPs.

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Acknowledgements

This research was financially supported by the Telus Ride for Dad and the Prostate Cancer Fight Foundation. We are thankful to Prof. Jonathan Blay for his help with the phase contrast microscope.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, 10A Victoria St. S., Kitchener, ON, N2G 1C5, Canada

    Shruti Nambiar & Shawn Wettig

  2. Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W., Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada

    Shruti Nambiar & Shawn Wettig

  3. Department of Medical Physics, Grand River Regional Cancer Centre, Kitchener, ON, N2G 1G3, Canada

    Shruti Nambiar, Ernest Osei, Andre Fleck & Johnson Darko

  4. Department of Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W., Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada

    Ernest Osei

  5. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W., Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada

    Ernest Osei & Johnson Darko

  6. Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E., Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada

    Ernest Osei, Andre Fleck, Johnson Darko & Anthony J. Mutsaers

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  1. Shruti Nambiar
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  2. Ernest Osei
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  3. Andre Fleck
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Correspondence to Shawn Wettig.

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Nambiar, S., Osei, E., Fleck, A. et al. Synthesis of curcumin-functionalized gold nanoparticles and cytotoxicity studies in human prostate cancer cell line. Appl Nanosci 8, 347–357 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-018-0728-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-018-0728-6

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