Biosynthesis of chitosan encapsulated silver- nanoparticles using Probiotic-Lactobacillus plantarum strain and it's in vitro anticancer assessment on HeLa cells

Cervical cancer remains the deadliest cancer among women worldwide. Investigating the molecular mechanisms of tumor progression by targeting signaling pathways can provide insights into novel therapeutic strategies to overcome the limitations of conventional treatments. Green synthesis of nanoparticles addresses conventional treatment drawbacks like chemotherapy and radiation. This study aims to green synthesize, characterize, and evaluate chitosan-encapsulated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Lactobacillus plantarum probiotics against cervical cancer HeLa cells, targeting the EMT mechanism. The green synthesized chitosan encapsulated Silver- Nanoparticles using probiotic -Lactobacillus plantarum (CS-LP-AgNPs) were characterized using UV–vis spectroscopy, which showed a peak at 420 nm confirming the reduction of AgNPs. Zeta and DLS analysis revealed the particle surface charge and stability. TEM analysis demonstrated that CS-LP-AgNPs are spherically shaped, with a size of approximately 15.3 nm. XRD patterns confirmed the crystalline nature of CS-LP-AgNPs. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed that CS-LP-AgNPs were functionalized with biomolecules. DAPI and double staining were employed to examine characteristic nuclear and morphological changes during apoptosis. Gene expression profiles of EMT in HeLa cell lines were performed to evaluate the anticancer potency of CS-LP-AgNPs. MTT assay demonstrated cytotoxic activity, whereas DAPI/(AO/EB) double staining images showed the induced apoptosis in HeLa cells by CS-LP-AgNPs treatment. CS-LP-AgNPs treated HeLa cells showed decreased SNAIL/EMT via enhancing apoptotic cascade mechanism. Green synthesized CS-LP-AgNPs may be considered an effective anti-cancer drug delivery system for the treatment of CC in the future.