Dendrophthoe falcata (L.f) Ettingsh (Neem mistletoe): A potent bioresource to fabricate silver nanoparticles for anticancer effect against human breast cancer cells (MCF-7)

Fabrication of metal nano scale particles through environmentally acceptable greener route has been focused with much interest in the present scenario. In this study aqueous leaf extract of mistletoe Dendrophthoe falcata (L.f) Ettingsh was successfully employed as a reducing and stabilizing agent to fabricate nanosilver particles (AgNPs) for biomedical applications. Various reactions conditions such as temperature, pH, concentration of metal ion, incubation time and stoichiometric proportion of the reaction mixture were optimized to attain narrow size range particles with maximum synthesis rate. Fabricated crystalline AgNPs with spherical structure (5-45 nm) were characterized with UV-Visible spectroscopy, Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), High resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) and Selected area diffraction pattern (SEAD). Further the fabricated AgNPs were studied for their stability and surface chemistry through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Moreover, fabricated AgNPs and aqueous leaf extract were assessed for their cytotoxicity effect against human breast carcinoma cell line (MCF-7). It is concluded that colloidal AgNPs can be developed as an imminent candidature for cancer therapy. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.