Synthesis, characterization, anticancer activity assessment and apoptosis signaling of fucoidan mediated copper oxide nanoparticles

Abstract

Nanotechnology is expanding at a very fast rate owing to its many possible applications in the industrial, biomedical, commercial, and other areas. In this study, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-Fu-NPs) were prepared using Undaria pinnatifida-derived fucoidan as a capping and reducing agent, and their anticancer activity and apoptosis-related mechanism were assessed using HeLa cells. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction were used to characterize the fabricated product, revealing that the fucoidan molecules had reduced the Cu ions into NPs and coated the CuO NP surface. Circular NPs of <30 nm in size were also trapped in fucoidan sheets. The CuO-Fu-NPs inhibited HeLa cell growth significantly in a dose- and time-dependent manner, with an IC50 value of 0.479 mg/mL (compared with 1.104 mg/mL with fucoidan alone). According to TUNEL assay results, the CuO-Fu-NPs induced DNA damage and apoptosis in the HeLa cells. Western blot analysis revealed the expression of apoptosis-associated proteins (BCL2, BAX, cytochrome c, cleaved CASP-3 (cleaved caspase-3), and cleaved PARP) in the CuO-Fu-NPs-treated cells. This study provides valuable information about the toxic effect of this biomaterial, which could have biomedical applications.