Copper nanoparticles green synthesis and characterization as anticancer potential in breast cancer cells (MCF7) derived from Prunus nepalensis phytochemicals

The green synthesis of nanoparticles from bioactive compounds have attracted a wide range of application, due to increased drug efficacy and less toxicity in the nanosized mediated drug delivery model. In this study, we have fabricated copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) from the fruits of Prunus nepalensis (P. nepalensis) extract. Therefore, the aim of present study was to investigate the anticancer ability of P. nepalensis fruit phytochemical copper nanoaprticles (PNFPCuNP) on cancerous human breast cell line (MCF-7) and healthy (MCFA10) cell lines. Crystalline CuNPs of P. nepalensis synthesis was confirmed by different physicochemical analytical techniques such as UV–Visible Spectroscopy (UV–Vis); Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR); Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM); and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Nanoparticle Size was found to be ranging from 35 to 50 nm with the average size of 42.5 nm. Further, after synthesized compounds were tested anticancer activity on human breast cancer cell lines. Following 72 h treatment to PNFPCuNP, the expression of apoptotic marker genes (P21, p53, P14/P19, Caspase-3) were studied in MCF-7 cells treated at 100 to 200 μg of PNFP-CuNP. Our results showed that PNFP-CuNP increased the gene expression of apoptotic genes in a dose-dependent manner. The real-time PCR data showed a significant upregulation in p53, Bax, caspase-3, and caspase-9 and down regulation in the mRNA expression of Ras and Myc genes in MCF-7 cells exposed to PNFP-CuNP. Collectively, the data from this study stated that P. nepalennsis fruit extract phytochemical derived nanoparticles induced apoptosis via the up regulation of tumour suppressor genes and down regulation of oncogenes in MCF-7 cells. Finally, our study confirmed the CuNPs synthesis from P. nepalensis fruit phytochemical, which showed environmental friendly anticancer activity.