Redox Mediated Synthesis of Ag-CuO Hybrid Nanoparticles – DNA/BSA Binding Studies and in vitro Evaluation of Anti-cancer Activity on MCF-7 Cancer Cell Line

We herein report a nanoparticle-directed therapeutic approach to breast cancer using Ag-CuO hybrid nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were synthesized through redox-mediated process involving reduction of silver ion on the surface of Cu₂O nanostructures. Structural, microstructural and optical characterization were carried out and the hybrid nanoparticles were found to be phase pure with crystallite size between 100–200 nm and the absorption due to surface plasmon resonance from silver was observed around 460 nm. The binding affinities of the hybrid nanoparticles with the plasma protein BSA and calf thymus DNA were studied and the respective binding constants were found to be 5.1 × 10⁴ and 1.12 × 10⁵ M⁻¹ showing appreciable binding affinity of the substrate. The cytotoxicity of the as-synthesized hybrid nanoparticles induced in breast cancer cells was evaluated in vitro and the obtained results demonstrates the potential anti-cancer activity of the Ag-CuO hybrid nanoparticles against the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.