Sustainable synthesis of Cr2O3 nanoparticles utilizing Rauvolfia tetraphylla root extract for lung cancer treatment

Lung adenocarcinoma accounts for the leading cause of mortality worldwide, and it is diagnosed only at advanced stages. Currently, existing treatment regimens including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy offer limited benefits, wherein adverse effects on the surrounding normal cells and the development of therapy resistance by the cancer cells become a major concern in clinical oncology. In this regard, nanoformulations are gaining significance in developing novel anticancer therapies, due to their smaller particle size, ease of synthesis, cost-efficiency, and no undue effects on the normal cells. This study was designed to investigate the anticancer efficacy of green synthesized Cr2O3 nanoparticles from Rauvolfia tetraphylla root extract against A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells. Cytotoxicity of the NPs was determined using MTT, apoptosis detection, and nuclear damage detection assays using the standard protocols. The results indicated that the Cr2O3 NPs exerted a potent anticancer activity on A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells, with an IC50 value of 25 mu g/mL. Further, these NPs induced morphological changes, apoptosis, and nuclear damage in the lung cancer cells. These NPs could be developed into potential anticancer agents for lung cancer, after appropriate pre-clinical and clinical validations.