Gold/silver decorated magnetic nanostructures as theranostic agents: Synthesis, characterization and in-vitro study

A facile and novel semi-biosynthesis method was reported to develop multifunctional magnetic-plasmonic nano structures with potent and specific anticancer activity. Silver and gold nanoseeds were synthesized in the presence of Taxus baccata extracted Taxanes, as reducing and capping agents, and used to decorate the silica coated iron oxide nanoparticles. The resulted nanostructures were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, FE-SEM, TEM, FTIR, EDS, and DLS. The resulted hollow and porous nanostructures displayed semi-spherical shapes and sizes between 200 and 500 nm with appropriate magnetic and plasmonic properties. FTIR analysis showed efficient encapsulation of nanostructures by the organic compounds which led to their appropriate colloidal stability. MTT assay and microscopic studies revealed potent and specific anticancer activity of silver decorated magnetic nanostructures (FeAg-Ns), so that after 48 h incubation of human cervical (HeLa) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cells with 100 mu g mL(-1) FeAg-Ns up to 70.4 +/- 2.02 and 98.6 +/- 2.36% mortality were obtained, respectively. Moreover, the nanostructures displayed significantly less cytotoxicity (up to 40.5 +/- 1.82%) on noncancerous human fibroblast cells. In conclusion, the synthesized nanostructures have great potential to develop theranostic agents for bio-imaging and magnetically targeted cancer therapy. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.