Potential of green-synthesized ZnO NPs against human ovarian teratocarcinoma: an in vitro study

BackgroundOvarian cancer leads to devastating outcomes, and its treatment is highly challenging. At present, there is a lack of clinical symptoms, well-known sensitivity biomarkers, and patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Currently, available therapeutics against ovarian cancer are inefficient, costly, and associated with severe side effects. The present study evaluated the anticancer potential of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) that were successfully biosynthesized in an ecofriendly mode using pumpkin seed extracts.Methods and resultsThe anticancer potential of the biosynthesized ZnO NPs was assessed using an in vitro human ovarian teratocarcinoma cell line (PA-1) by well-known assays such as MTT assay, morphological alterations, induction of apoptosis, measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and inhibition of cell adhesion/migration. The biogenic ZnO NPs exerted a high level of cytotoxicity against PA-1 cells. Furthermore, the ZnO NPs inhibited cellular adhesion and migration but induced ROS production and cell death through programmed cell death.ConclusionThe aforementioned anticancer properties highlight the therapeutic utility of ZnO NPs in ovarian cancer treatment. However, further research is recommended to envisage their mechanism of action in different cancer models and validation in a suitable in vivo system.

Automated summary

Ovarian cancer treatment is highly challenging due to the lack of clinical symptoms and sensitivity biomarkers leading to late-stage diagnosis. This study evaluated the anticancer potential of biogenic zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) synthesized using pumpkin seed extracts.