Biogenic Synthesis and Characterization of Ethyl Ferulate Gold Nanoparticle and its Efficacy against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) presents a significant challenge due to its aggressive nature and lack of responsive hormone receptors, predominantly affecting younger premenopausal women. Ethyl ferulate (EF), a notable phytochemical, has demonstrated promising anti-cancer properties. This study aimed to enhance the efficacy of EF by synthesizing and characterizing ethyl ferulate gold nanoparticles (EF-AuNps) to passively target TNBC cells via the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. We synthesized EF-AuNps using a direct reduction method and characterized the NPs by employing various techniques, including UV-visible spectroscopy, DLS, XRD, EDX, TEM, and FT-IR. The anti-proliferative activity against MDA-MB-231 cells was assessed using MTT and colony formation assays, alongside evaluating cell viability with PI-FACS and live/dead assays. Furthermore, a Western blot was performed to determine the mechanism of action of EFAuNps in TNBC cells. We successfully synthesized triangular EF-AuNps (<100nm) and observed a substantial inhibition of cell proliferation (IC50 18μg/ml). Compared to EF alone, EF-AuNps significantly enhanced cell death in TNBC cells, as confirmed by flow cytometry and viability assays. Besides, Western blot analysis verified that the expression of apoptotic-related signal proteins, such as survivin, caspase 3, and caspase 9, were modulated by EF-AuNps. EF-AuNps showed higher anti-cancer efficacy than EF in the MDA-MB-231 cell line. These findings suggest the therapeutic potential of EF-AuNps for TNBC treatment, advocating for further preclinical and clinical investigations into this promising anti-cancer formulation.