Phyto-Facilitated Bimetallic Znfe(2)O(4 )Nanoparticles Via Boswelliacarteri: Synthesis, Characterization, And Anti-Cancer Activity

Background: The growing dissatisfaction with the available traditional chemotherapeutic agents has enhanced the need to develop new methods for obtaining materials with more effective and safe anti-cancer properties. Over the past few years, the usage of metallic nanoparticles has been a target for researchers of different scientific and commercial fields due to their tiny sizes, environment-friendly properties, and a wide range of applications. To overcome the obstacles of traditional physical and chemical methods for the synthesis of such nanoparticles, a new, less expensive, and eco-friendly method has been adopted using natural existing organisms as a reducing agent to mediate the synthesis of the desired metallic nanoparticles from their precursors, a process called green biosynthesis of nanoparticles. Objective: In the present study, zinc-iron bimetallic nanoparticles (ZnFe2O4) were synthesized via an aqueous extract of BoswelliaCarteri resin mixed with zinc acetate and iron chloride precursors, and they were tested for their anticancer activity. Methods: Various analytic methods were applied for the characterization of the phyto synthesized ZnFe2O4, and they were tested for their anticancer activity against MDA-MB-231, K562, MCF-7 cancer cell lines, and normal fibroblasts. Results: Our results demonstrate the synthesis of cubic structured bimetallic nanoparticles ZnFe2O4 with an average diameter of 10.54 nm. MTT cytotoxicity assay demonstrates that our phyto-synthesized ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles exhibited a selective and potent anticancer activity against K562 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines with IC50 values 4.53 & micro;M and 4.19 & micro;M, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, our biosynthesized ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles show a promising, environmentally friendly, and low coast chemotherapeutic approach against selective cancers with a predicted low adverse side effect toward normal cells. Further, in vivo, advanced animal research should be done to execute their applicability in living organisms.The conventional chemical methods for obtaining metallic nanoparticles with organic solvents, toxic chemicals, and nonbiodegradable stabilizing agents are no longer a future research trend [1]. In order to obtain materials with controlled size and morphology, as well as with certain properties, great research efforts are nowadays focused on the broad areas of science, combining knowledge from chemistry, biology, and nanotechnology [2-4]. Furthermore, as the number of severe infectious diseases and the resistance of most