Evaluation of the anticancer, antimetastatic, and antibacterial effects of bi̇metallic copper-iron nanoparticles synthesized with corylus avellana L. extract on gli̇oblastoma brain cancer

Within the scope of this thesis, copper–iron bimetallic nanoparticles (BNPs) were synthesized via a green approach using Corylus avellana L. leaf extract, and their anticancer, antimetastatic, and antibacterial properties were systematically investigated, with a particular focus on glioblastoma. The bioactive constituents of the plant extract were characterized by LC–MS/MS analysis. The biosynthesized BNPs were structurally and morphologically characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, and SEM–EDX analyses. The biological activities of the BNPs were evaluated through the MTT assay. Cytotoxic effects were assessed in human glioblastoma (U87-MG) cells and healthy human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cells. The results demonstrated a pronounced dose-dependent cytotoxic response in U87-MG cells. At concentrations of 400, 200, and 100 µg/mL, cell viability rates were determined to be 39.7%, 40.9%, 44.8%, and 45.4%, respectively, and the IC₅₀ value was calculated as 11.7 µg/mL. When considered alongside the substantially higher IC₅₀ value obtained in HDF cells, the selectivity index (SI) was calculated as 27.8. These findings indicate that Fe–Cu BNPs exhibit potent and selective anticancer activity against glioblastoma cells. Furthermore, Hoechst 33258 staining supported that the observed cell death was predominantly associated with apoptotic mechanisms. The antimetastatic potential of the BNPs was examined using an in vitro scratch (wound healing) assay. While the migration rate in the control group was 55.1%, treatment with BNPs reduced migration to 31.9%, 21.9%, and 10.6% at concentrations of 100, 200, and 400 µg/mL, respectively. These results demonstrate that the nanoparticles significantly suppress glioblastoma cell migration. In addition, the antibacterial activity of the BNPs was evaluated against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus within the concentration range of 100–400 µg/mL. A marked reduction in bacterial viability was observed for both strains. At the highest tested concentration, viability decreased to 25.3% for P. aeruginosa and 27.0% for S. aureus. In conclusion, the green-synthesized BNPs exhibited selective cytotoxicity toward glioblastoma cells, significant inhibition of cell migration, and broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. These findings suggest that the synthesized BNPs may represent a promising candidate for further investigation in cancer research and biomedical applications.