Effects of albumin–chlorogenic acid nanoparticles on apoptosis and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway inhibitory activity in MDA-MB-435s cells

• Main Authors: Alzahrani, Badr, Elderdery, Abozer Y., Alsrhani, Abdullah, Alzerwi, Nasser A. N., Althobiti, Maryam Musleh, Rayzah, Musaed, Idrees, Bandar, Elkhalifa, Ahmed M. E., Subbiah, Suresh K., Mok, Pooi Ling
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI 2023
• Online Access: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/107558/1/nanomaterials-13-01438.pdf; http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/107558/; https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/13/9/1438

In this study, we synthesized, characterized, and explored the anti-microbial and anti-cancer effects of albumin–chlorogenic acid nanoparticles (NPs). Characterization studies with a UV-vis spectrophotometer, FTIR, PL spectrum, TEM, FESEM, XRD, and DLA analysis showed patterns confirming the physio–chemical nature of biogenic nanocomposites. Further, anti-microbial studies using bacterial strains Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio cholera, and fungal strain Candida albicans showed significant (p < 0.05) anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activities. Next, we used MDA-MB-435s, a human cell line, to evaluate the anti-cancer effects of albumin–chlorogenic acid NPs. Cytotoxic studies revealed its IC50 concentration at 24 μg/mL after a 24 h treatment of MDA-MB-435s cells. We chose this IC50 dose to analyze albumin–chlorogenic acid NPs anti-cancer effects in vitro. MDA-MB-435s cells exposed to our NPs were studied via AO/EtBr staining, cell cycle analyses via PI staining, the status of whole genomic damage via comet assay, levels of apoptotic cells via annexin V/PI staining, ROS generation via DCFH-DA staining, an assay of antioxidant enzymes catalase, superoxide dismutase, and antioxidant GSH, via ELISA analyses of apoptotic markers caspase-3, 8, 9, Bax, Bcl-2, CytC, and p53, PI3/AKT/mTOR pathway. Our results collectively showed albumin–chlorogenic acid NPs induced apoptosis via p53-dependent and PI3/AKT/mTOR inhibition in MDA-MB-435s cells. Our results denote albumin–chlorogenic acid NPs can be used as an effective candidate for anti-microbial and anti-cancer applications; however, further in vivo confirmatory studies are warranted.