Biosynthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles from red seaweed Hypnea valentiae and evaluation of their antioxidant and antitumor potential via the AKT/PI3K pathway

This work specifically examines the eco-friendly production of iron oxide nanoparticles from the red seaweed Hypnea valentiae (Hv-Fe3O4-NPs), with an emphasis on their potential applications in cancer treatment. The synthesised Hv-Fe3O4-NPs were characterised and confirmed through various analytical techniques such as UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), X-Ray Diffraction analysis (XRD), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM). Hv-Fe3O4-NPs exhibit notable DPPH and hydrogen peroxide scavenging abilities, suggesting their potential as antioxidants. Moreover, these nanoparticles exhibit effective anticancer efficacy against human MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer) cells (IC50 = 33.89µg/mL) compared to lung cancer (A549 cells) (IC50 = 66.79µg/mL). The Hv-Fe3O4-NPs effectively generates the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level to induce apoptotic activity in breast cancer cells. The RT-PCR gene expression analysis showed that Hv-Fe3O4-NPs could downregulate the expression of AKT and PI3K and upregulate the expression of PTEN at 34µg/mL, showing strong anti-cancer activity. Moreover, the molecular docking examination of compounds from H. valentiae, which targeted the AKT/PI3K pathway proteins in breast carcinoma with aberrant mutations, resulted in advantageous binding scores. This research presents a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach with considerable potential for exhibiting antioxidant and anticancer properties, particularly against breast cancer.