Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles (CM-AgNPs) from the Root of Chuanminshen for Improving the Cytotoxicity Effect in Cancer Cells with Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities

The unique properties of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), such as size, surface charge, and the ability to release silver ions, contribute to DNA damage, inducing of oxidative stress, and apoptosis in cancer cells. Thus, the potential application of AgNPs in the field of biomedicine, and cancer therapy are rapidly increasing day by day. Therefore, in this study, AgNPs were synthesized by extract of Chuanminshen violaceum, and then the synthesized CM-AgNPs were fully characterized. The biological activity of CM-AgNPs was investigated for antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities. The cytotoxic activity of CM-AgNPs was tested for various kinds of cancer cells including MKN45 gastric cancer cells, HCT116 human colon cancer cells, A549 human lung cancer cells, and HepG2 liver cancer cells. Among these cancer cells, the induced apoptosis activity of CM-AgNPs on HCT116 cancer cells was better and was used for further investigation. Besides, the CM-AgNPs exhibited great antioxidant activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) with 50% free radical scavenging activity, and CM-AgNPs also showed a significant antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Thus, our pilot data demonstrated that the green synthesis of CM-AgNPs would be considered a good candidate for the treatment of HCT116 cancer cells, with its strong antioxidant activity and antibacterial effects.