Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles from Boerhavia diffusa L. Against the MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line

Abstract

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, highlighting the need for new, safer, and more effective therapeutic strategies. Phytochemical screening of the Boerhavia diffusa L. extract confirmed the presence of flavonoids, phenols, tannins, glycosides, and cardiac glycosides, which may contribute to nanoparticle synthesis and stabilization. UV–Vis spectroscopy confirmed the formation of AgNPs through the appearance of a characteristic surface plasmon resonance peak at 420 nm, while SEM–EDAX, XRD, and FTIR analyses were used for further characterization. SEM revealed predominantly spherical nanoparticles, while XRD confirmed their face-centered cubic crystalline structure. FTIR analysis suggested that phytochemicals from the plant acted as reducing and capping agents. Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) cell viability was assessed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay to evaluate the dose-dependent cytotoxicity of the AgNPs, yielding an IC₅₀ value of 36 µg/mL. Apoptosis induction in cells treated with AgNPs was evaluated by morphological observation and staining with acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EtBr) and 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). These results indicate that B. diffusa-mediated AgNPs exhibit anticancer activity against MCF-7 cells in vitro. Nevertheless, these findings require validation through further in vivo and mechanistic studies before the therapeutic potential of the AgNPs can be established.