Biogenic Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Kleinia grandiflora Leaf Extract Suppress Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (MDA-MB-231) Through Oxidative Stress Modulation and Apoptosis
Abstract
The current investigation deals with the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) using aqueous leaf extract of Kleinia grandiflora and their physicochemical, antioxidant and anticancer properties. The synthesized ZnO-NPs were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, DLS, Zeta-potential analysis, SEM and XRD. Antioxidant property was investigated using Total phenol and flavonoid content, DPPH, FRAP assay, superoxide radical scavenger activity, Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) scavenger activity and NO scavenger assay. Anticancer activity was examined against MDA-MB-231 TNBC cell lines by MTT assay. Apoptosis was detected using acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EtBr) staining. Characterization results demonstrate the formation of crystalline ZnO-NPs with characteristic physicochemical properties. The ZnO-NPs displayed concentration-dependent radical scavenging activity among all the different essays. The ZnO-NP treatment led to dose-dependent decrease in viability of MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells and the IC50 value was found to be around 40µg/ µmL. AO/EtBr staining confirmed the presence of morphological changes leading to apoptotic cell death. In conclusion, K. Grandiflora-mediated ZnO-NPs have good potential in the anti- TNBC therapy, in nanobiotechnology for cancer treatment, so further research is needed for the development of potential drug formulation to treat TNBC.
Keywords: Kleinia grandiflora, zinc oxide nanoparticles, green synthesis, triple negative breast cancer, MDA-MB-231, antioxidant activity, cytotoxicity, apoptosis, nanobiotechnology.
Keywords:
Kleinia grandiflora, zinc oxide nanoparticles, green synthesis, triple negative breast cancer, MDA-MB-231, antioxidant activity, cytotoxicity, apoptosis, nanobiotechnologyDOI
https://doi.org/10.22270/jddt.v16i9.7979References
1. Bianchini, G., Balko, J. M., Mayer, I. A., Sanders, M. E., & Gianni, L. Triple-negative breast cancer: Challenges and opportunities of a heterogeneous disease. Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, 2016;13:674–690. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2016.66
2. Dent, R., Hanna, W. M., Trudeau, M., Rawlinson, E., Sun, P., & Narod, S. A. Pattern of metastatic spread in triple-negative breast cancer. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 2009;115:423–428. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-008-0086-2
3. Bianchini, G., Balko, J. M., Mayer, I. A., Sanders, M. E., & Gianni, L. Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, 2016;13:674–690.
4. Mitchell, M. J., Billingsley, M. M., Haley, R. M., Wechsler, M. E., Peppas, N. A., & Langer, R. Engineering precision nanoparticles for drug delivery. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 2021;20:101–124. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41573-020-0090-8
5. Bayda, S., Adeel, M., Tuccinardi, T., Cordani, M., & Rizzolio, F. The history of nanoscience and nanotechnology: From chemical–physical applications to nanomedicine. Molecules, 2020;25(1):112. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25010112
6. Vera, J., Herrera, W., Hermosilla, E., Díaz, M., Parada, J., Seabra, A. B., Tortella, G., Pesenti, H., Ciudad, G., & Rubilar, O. Antioxidant Activity As an Index for the Efficacy of the Plant Extract-Based Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles. Antioxidants, 2023;12(4):784. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12040784
7. Sivasankarapillai, V. S., Krishnamoorthy, N., Eldesoky, G. E., Wabaidur, S. M., Islam, M. A., Dhanusuraman, R., Ponnusamy, V. K., 2022.
8. Al-darwesh, M. Y., Ibrahim, S. S., & Mohammed, M. A. A review on plant extract mediated green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles and their biomedical applications. Results in Chemistry, 2024;7:101368.
9. Sivasankarapillai, V. S., et al. One-pot green synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using Scoparia dulcis plant extract for antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Applied Nanoscience, 2022;12:2731–2743.
10. Pouresmaeil, V., Haghighi, S., Raeisalsadati, A. S., Neamati, A., & Homayouni-Tabrizi, M. The anti-breast cancer effects of green-synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles using carob extracts. Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry, 2021;21(3):316–326. https://doi.org/10.2174/1871520620666200721132522
11. Mongy, Y., & Shalaby, T. Scientific Reports, 2024;14:13470. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-63258-7
12. Tegegne, B. A., Begashaw, T., Belay, W. Y., et al. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2025;15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2024.1469887
13. Alhujaily, M., Albukhaty, S., Yusuf, M., Mohammed, M. K. A., Sulaiman, G. M., Al-Karagoly, H., Alyamani, A. A., Albaqami, J., & AlMalki, F. A. Recent advances in plant-mediated zinc oxide nanoparticles with their significant biomedical properties. Bioengineering, 2022;9(10):541. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering9100541
14. Alhujaily, M., et al. Recent advances in plant-mediated zinc oxide nanoparticles with their significant biomedical properties. Bioengineering, 2022;9(10):541. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering9100541
15. Sivasankarapillai, V. S., Krishnamoorthy, N., Eldesoky, G. E., Wabaidur, S. M., Islam, M. A., Dhanusuraman, R., & Ponnusamy, V. K. One-pot green synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using Scoparia dulcis plant extract for antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Applied Nanoscience, 2022;12:2731–2743. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-022-02610-7
16. Mohammadi, S., et al. Green fabrication of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Phlomis leaf extract: Characterization and in vitro evaluation of cytotoxicity and antibacterial properties. International Journal of Nanomedicine.2021.
17. Sivasankarapillai, V. S., et al. One-pot green synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using Scoparia dulcis plant extract for antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Applied Nanoscience, 2022;12:2731–2743.
18. Vera, J., Herrera, W., Hermosilla, E., Díaz, M., Parada, J., Seabra, A. B., Tortella, G., Pesenti, H., Ciudad, G., & Rubilar, O. Antioxidant activity as an indicator of the efficiency of plant extract-mediated synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles. Antioxidants, 2023;12(4):784. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12040784
19. Vera, J., et al. Antioxidant activity as an indicator of the efficiency of plant extract-mediated synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles. Antioxidants, 2023;12(4):784.
20. Pouresmaeil, V., Haghighi, S., Raeisalsadati, A. S., Neamati, A., & Homayouni-Tabrizi, M. The anti-breast cancer effects of green-synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles using carob extracts. Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry, 2021;21(3):316–326. https://doi.org/10.2174/1871520620666200721132522
21. Mongy, Y., & Shalaby, T. Green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Rhus coriaria extract and their anticancer activity against triple-negative breast cancer cells. Scientific Reports, 2024;14:13470. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-63258-7
Published
Abstract Display: 0 
PDF Downloads: 0 PDF Downloads: 0 How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2026 Kavithaa Krishnamoorthy, Santhoshkumar Ravichandran, Senthilkumar Palanisamy, Sharon Rozario Solomon David
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
How to Cite
.