Investigation of in vitro anticancer effects of gold nanoparticles synthesized with vitis vinifera extract (grape seed) and their combined use with gemcitabine against colon cancer cells

Investigation of In Vitro Anticancer Effects of Gold Nanoparticles Synthesized with Vitis vinifera Extract (Grape Seed) and Their Combined Use with Gemcitabine Against Colon Cancer Cells Colon cancer is one of the most common types of cancer observed in men and women in the world, research to improve prevention and treatments remains ongoing. Nanotechnology, one of the innovative technologies to solve the problems encountered in current cancer treatments, makes it possible to design and characterize nanoparticles using a wide variety of organic and inorganic materials to obtain the desired properties. In this study, it was aimed to perform biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles using Vitis vinifera (grape seed) extract and to evaluate cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of gold nanoparticles (Vv-AuNP) Gemcitabine co-administration on HT-29 human colon cancer cells in vitro. The characterization of gold nanoparticles synthesized using the aqueous extract of Vitis vinifera (grape seed) was performed using UV-visible spectrophotometer (UV-vis) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). HT-29 cells were treated with increasing concentrations of Vv-AuNPs (0-400μg/ml) and combination with at a fixed dose of 200 μg/ml Gemcitabine for 72 hours. The cytotoxic effects of synthesized Vv-AuNPs and their combination with Gemcitabine on HT-29 cells were determined by BrdU cell proliferation test and Caspase-3 protein levels associated with apoptosis were determined by Western blot. . It was observed that Vv-AuNPs induced a significant increase of cell death in colon cancer cells compared to control group in dose dependent manner. It was observed that the use of Vv-AuNPs at a dose of 200 μg/ml and above decreased cell viability by more than 50%, and increased combined effect when Gemcitabine co-administration at lower Vv-AuNP dose. It was found that Caspase-3 activation was increased at increasing Vv-AuNP doses, and this apoptotic effect was more pronounced when Gemcitabine co-administration. In this study, it has been shown that the use of Vv-AuNPs synthesized with grape seed extract together with Gemcitabine has a synergistic effect and can be used as an alternative therapeutic agent for colon cancer treatment. Keywords: Vitis vinifera, Gold Nanoparticle, Gemcitabine, Colon Cancer, HT-29