Gold nanoparticles from indole-3-carbinol exhibit cytotoxic, genotoxic and antineoplastic effects through the induction of apoptosis

The synthesized gold nanoparticles using indole-3-carbinol (AuNPI3Cs) has been characterized and its antineoplastic activities has been studied here. Several techniques have been used to characterize the AuNPI3Cs. Ultraviolet spectroscopy studies indicated the stability of the synthesized AuNPI3Cs, while FTIR analysis proved that indole-3-carbinol was playing an important role in stabilizing the AuNPI3Cs. TEM analysis study showed that AuNPI3Cs were mostly spherical in shape with an average particle size of 3 nm. The selected area electron diffraction pattern exhibited the crystalline nature of AuNPI3Cs, which was further proved by XRD studies. The present study describes the in vitro antineoplastic efficacy of AuNPI3Cs against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells. Results showed that the IC50 dose of AuNPI3Cs was significantly capable of elevating intracellular reactive oxygen species. AuNPI3Cs induced apoptosis by increasing the G2/M population, LIVE/DEAD cytotoxicity, chromatin condensation, DNA laddering and TUNEL-positive cells significantly (p < 0.001). Reduction of the mitochondrial potential by AuNPI3Cs was substantiated by JC-1 fluorescent staining. These findings will enlighten future biomedical applications of gold nanoparticles using indole-3-carbinol (AuNPI3Cs) as an antineoplastic agent.