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. 2020 May 19;15:3577–3595. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S240293

Table 1.

The Results of Anticancer Activity of Biosynthesized AuNPs Against Breast Cancer Cells

Biological Source Characterization Size (nm)/Morphology Cancer Cell Line Healthy Cell Line Dose Exposure Time Assay Cytotoxicity Data Ref.
Plant/Anacardium occidentale UV–Vis, TEM, DLS, FT-IR, XRD, EDX 10-30/Spherical MCF-7 PBMC 10 ng/mL −100 µg/mL for MCF-7; 10 ng/mL −600< µg/mL for PBMC 24 h MTT IC50: 6 µg/mL against MCF-7;
IC50: 600 µg/mL against PBMC		 47
Alga/Dunaliella salina UV–Vis, TEM, XRD, SAED, XPS, FT-IR Average: 22.4/Nearly spherical MCF-7 MCF-10A 25-200 µg/mL 24, 48 h MTT IC50: <50 µg/mL against MCF-7 after 48 h;
IC50: 200< µg/mL against MCF-10A after 48 h.
No IC50 was found at 200 µg/mL against both cell lines after 24 h.		 48
Plant/Citrus macroptera UV–Vis, TEM, AFM, DLS, XRD, SAED Average: 20/Predominantly pseudo-spherical MDA-MB 468 0 30-300 ng/mL No data MTT IC50: 157.9 ng/mL 49
Bacterium/Streptomyces griseus UV–Vis, TEM, FT-IR 19-28/Hexagonal MCF-7 0 3.9–500 µg/Well 24 h MTT IC50: 46.6 µg/Well 50
Plant/Dragon fruit from the genus of Hylocereus UV–Vis, TEM, XRD 10-20/Spherical, oval and triangular MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 L929 10-500 µg/mL 24, 48h alamarBlue® IC50: 500< µg/mL against L929 after 24 and 48 h;
IC50: ~500 µg/mL against MCF-7 after 24h;
IC50: <250 µg/mL against MCF-7 after 48h;
No cytotoxicity was found against MDA-MB-231 after 24 and 48 h.		 51
Plant/Lycium chinense UV–Vis, TEM, EDX, DLS, XRD, SAED, FT-IR 20-100/Mostly spherical MCF-7 RAW264.7 1-100 µg/mL 48 h MTT No cytotoxicity 52
Plant/
a) Aegle marmelos
b) Eugenia jambolana
c) soursop 		UV–Vis, TEM, SAED, EDX, FT-IR a) Average: 18/Nearly spherical
b) Average: 16/Nearly spherical
c) Average: 28/Nearly spherical		 MCF-7 0 20-120 µg/mL 24 h MTT a) IC50: 172±4 µg/mL
b) IC50: 163±4 µg/mL
c) IC50: 98±4 µg/mL		 53
Plant/Amomum villosum UV–Vis, FE-TEM, DLS, SAED, EDX, FT-IR 5-10/Spherical MCF-7 RAW264.7 1-100 µg/mL 48 h MTT No cytotoxicity 54
Plant/Linum usitatissimum UV–Vis, TEM, SEM, XRD, 20-60/Semi‐spherical MDA-MB-231 Vero 1-5 µg/mL 24 h MTT IC50: 1.67 µg/mL against MDA‐MB‐231;
IC50: 4.85 µg/mL against Vero		 55
Plant/Mangifera indica L. UV–Vis, TEM, FE-SEM, FT-IR, XRD 20-25/Spherical 0 MCF-10A 0-100 µmol/L 24 h MTT No cytotoxicity 56
Plant/Lotus leguminosae UV–Vis, TEM, IR, TGA Average: 37/Almost spherical MCF-7 0 31.25–1000 µg/mL 24 h MTT AuNPs exhibited mild to low cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cells at higher concentrations. 57
Plant/Chaenomeles sinensis UV–Vis, FE-TEM, FT-IR, XRD, EDX, SAED, DLS Average: 40/Spherical MCF-7 RAW264.7 1-50 µg/mL 48 h MTT No cytotoxicity was found against RAW264.7 and low toxicity was fond against MCF-7 at 50 µg/mL. 58
Bacterium/Deinococcus radiodurans ATCC13939 UV-Vis, TEM, SEM, EDX, XRD, FT-IR, DLS, XPS Average: 51.7±7.38/Spherical 0 MCF-10A 2.5–25 μg/mL 48 h MTS No cytotoxicity 59
Plant/Backhousia citriodora UV-Vis, TEM, FE-SEM, EDX, XRD, SAED, FT-IR Average: 8.4/Spherical MCF-7 HDF-7 50-1000 µg 24 h MTT IC50: 116.65 µg against MCF-7;
IC50:612 µg against HDF-7.		 60
Bacterium/Micrococcus yunnanensis strain J2 UV-Vis, TEM, SEM, EDX, XRD, TGA, FT-IR Average: 53.8/Spherical MCF-7 3T3 and Vero 3.12–500 µg/mL 24 h MTT IC50: 105.3±1.7 µg/mL against MCF-7;
No cytotoxicity was found against 3T3 and Vero at 500 µg/mL		 61
Plant/Corchorus olitorius UV-Vis, TEM, XRD, TGA, FT-IR Average: 37-50/Quasi-spherical MCF-7 0 1.56–50 µg/mL 24 h MTT IC50: 11.2 µg/mL 62
Plant/Glycyrrhiza uralensis UV-Vis, FE-TEM, SAED, XRD, EDX, DLS, FT-IR 10–15/Spherical MCF-7 RAW264.7 1-50 µg/mL 48 h MTT No cytotoxicity 63
Alga/Carrageenan oligosaccharide derived from marine red alga UV-Vis, HR-TEM, SEM, XRD, FT-IR Average: 35±8/Ellipsoidal MDA-MB-231 0 12.5–400 µg/mL 72 h Sulforhodamine B IC50: 129.2±1.7 µg/mL 64
Plant/Nigella arvensis UV–Vis, XRD, FT-IR, TEM 3–37/Almost spherical MCF-7 0 10-100 µg/mL 48 h MTT IC50: ~25 µg/mL 65
Plant/Nerium oleander UV–Vis, HR-TEM, DLS, EDX, XRD 20-40/Spherical MCF-7 Human normal lymphocytes 10-200 µg/mL 48 h MTT IC50: 74.04 µg/mL against MCF-7;
No cytotoxicity was found against human normal lymphocytes		 66
Plant/Dipturus chilensis UV–Vis, HR-XRD, HR-TEM, DLS Average: 16.7±0.2/Spherical MDA-MB-231 0 4-126 µg/mL 24 h WST IC50: ~32 µg/mL 67
Plant/Cibotium barometz UV–Vis, FE-TEM, EDX, SAED, XRD, DLS, FT-IR Average: 6/Spherical MCF-7 RAW264.7 0.01–10 µg/mL 48 h MTT No cytotoxicity 68
Fungus/Ganoderma lucidum UV–Vis, HR-TEM, EDX, XRD, FT-IR 2-100/Spherical, hexagonal, and triangular MCF-7 0 No data 48 h MTT The IC50 of AuNPs conjugated with doxorubicin (Doxorubicin concentrations: 6.25–300 µmol/L) was found at 50 μM, while the IC50 of doxorubicin was at 400 µmol/L. 69
Plant/Areca catechu UV–Vis, TEM, XRD, FT-IR Average: 10/Spherical MCF-7 0 12.5–200 µg/mL 24 h MTT No IC50 was found at 200 µg/mL. At 100 µg/mL, 73.46% and at 200 µg/mL, 57.07% cell viability were found. 70
Plant/Embelia ribes UV–Vis, DLS, HR-TEM, FT-IR, XRD 10–30/Spherical MCF-7 0 10–100 µg/mL 48 h MTT IC50: 40 µg/mL 71
Plant/Mukia maderaspatna UV–Vis, HR-TEM, EDX 20–50/Spherical, triangle and hexagonal MCF-7 0 1–100 µg/mL 24 h MTT IC50: 44.8 µg/mL 72
Plant/Mentha piperita UV–Vis, DLS, TEM, FE-SEM, FT-IR Average: ~78/Hexagon MDA-MB-231 3T3-L1 18.75–300 μg/mL 48 h MTT No cytotoxicity was found against 3T3-L1 at 300 µg/mL. Besides, AuNPs exhibited around 40%, 70%, and 90% cytotoxicity at 37.5, 75, and 300 µg/mL, respectively against MDA-MB-231. 73
Plant/Mimosa pudica UV–Vis, FT-IR, XRD, HR-TEM Average: 12.5/Spherical MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 HMEC 2-10 µg/mL 24, 48 h MTT IC50: 6 µg/mL against MCF-7 after 48h;
IC50: 4 µg/mL against MDA-MB-231 after 48h;
No IC50 was found after 24h against both cancer cell lines;
No cytotoxicity was found against HMEC at 10–80 µg/mL after 24 and 48 h.		 74
Plant/Musa paradisiaca UV–Vis, FT-IR, XRD, HR-TEM, SAED, EDX, AFM Average: 8/Predominantly spherical MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 0 2-10 µg/mL 24, 48 h MTT IC50: ~8 µg/mL against MCF-7 after 48h;
IC50: ~2 µg/mL against MDA-MB-231 after 48h;
No IC50 was found after 24h against both cancer cell lines		 75
Plant/
a) Carica papaya
b) Catharanthus roseus 		UV–Vis, FT-IR, XRD, HR-TEM, SEM 2-20/Mostly spherical MCF-7 3T3 10-250 µg/mL 24 h MTT AuNPs synthesized from C. papaya showed IC50 around 100 µg/mL against MCF-7;
AuNPs synthesized from C. roseus showed IC50 around 150 µg/mL against MCF-7;
AuNPs synthesized from combination of C. papaya and C. roseus showed IC50 less 100 µg/mL against MCF-7;
AuNPs synthesized using C. papaya, C. roseus and combination of these plants did not show cytotoxicity against 3T3 at 250 µg/mL.		 76
alga/Sargassum incisifolium UV-Vis, TEM, XRD, EDX, DLS Average size for AR-AuNPs: 66.13±58.30/Triangles, spheres and hexagons;
Average size for AC-AuNPs: 5.35±3.13/Spherical		 MCF-7 MCF-12a 1.39 and 4.17 mmol/L 24 h MTT AR-AuNPs and AC-AuNPs exhibited no cytotoxicity at 1.39mmol/L, but showed cytotoxicity at 4.17mmol/L with cell viability between 40-50% against MCF-7. Besides, AC-AuNPs did not show any cytotoxicity against MCF-12a, while AR-AuNPs showed low cytotoxicity against MCF-12a. 77
Plant/Limonia acidissima L. UV-Vis, HR-TEM, FT-IR, SAED, EDX, DLS Average size of AuNPs conjugated to epirubicin and folic acid: 139±3/Nearly spherical MCF-7 0 No data 48 h MTT The AuNPs were conjugated to epirubicin (Epirubicin concentrations: 0–30 µg/mL) and folic acid. The IC50 of this complex was found at 2 µg/mL, while the IC50 of epirubicin was found at 28 µg/mL. 78
Plant/Euphoria longana Lam. HR-TEM, EDX, XRD, FT-IR Average: 25/Spherical MCF-7 0 6.25–100 µg/mL 24 h MTT IC50: <6.25 µg/mL 79
Plant/Taxus baccata
(The aqueous and ethanolic T. baccata extracts were used separately for synthesis of AuNPs)		 UV-Vis, TEM, SEM, AFM, DLS, EDX, FT-IR Less than 20/Spherical, semispherical, hexagonal and triangular MCF-7 Normal fibroblast cells 2-20 µg/mL 24, 48, 72 h MTT No cytotoxicity was found against normal fibroblast cells;
At 20 µg/mL of ethanolic and aqueous synthesized AuNPs after 72 h, 92 and 80% cytotoxicity were found against MCF-7, while less cytotoxicity were found after 24 h.		 80
Plant/Cassia roxburghii UV-Vis, HR-TEM, EDX, XRD, FTIR 25-35/Predominantly spherical MCF-7 Vero 5-100 µg/mL 24 h MTT IC50: ~75 µg/mL against Vero;
IC50: 50 µg/mL against MCF-7.		 81
Plant/Mappia foetida UV-Vis, FE-SEM, TEM, EDX, XRD 10-20/Spherical MDA-MB-231 0 10-50 µg/mL 48 h MTT IC50: 60 µg/mL against Vero;
IC50: 50 µg/mL against MDA-MB-231		 82
Plant/Cassia auriculata UV-Vis, TEM, XRD, FT-IR Average: 21/Spherical MDA-MB 0 10-30 µg/mL 4 h MTT IC50: 10 µg/mL 83
Plant/Camellia sinensis (green tea) UV-Vis, AFM, DLS 24-45/Spherical MCF-7 0 2 and 20 µg/mL 24 h MTT At concentrations of 2 and 20 µg/mL of AuNPs, 30 and 40% cytotoxicity were found. 84
Fungus/Inonotus obliquus UV-Vis, FT-IR, SEM, EDX, TEM, SAED, AFM, XRD 11.0–37.7/Spherical, triangular and rod MCF-7 0 10-100 µL from the stock of 1mmol/L 24 h WST At concentrations of 10 and 100 µL of AuNPs, 8.6 and 61.2% cytotoxicity were found. 85
Plant/Antigonon leptopus UV-Vis, HR-TEM, FT-IR, XRD, SAED, EDX 13-28/Nearly spherical and few triangular MCF-7 0 31.25–1000 µg/mL 48 h MTT IC50: 257.8 µg/mL 86
Plant/Argemone mexicana L. UV-Vis, XRD, FT-IR, SEM, TEM Average: 26±5/Spherical MCF-7 0 6.25–100 µg/mL 24, 48 h MTT At concentrations of 100 µg/mL of AuNPs, around 80 and 97% cytotoxicity were found after 24 and 48 h. 87
Bacterium/Bacillus flexus UV-Vis, XRD, EDX, XPS, SAED, FT-IR, TEM Average: 20/Nearly spherical MCF-7 0 10–200 mmol/L 24 h MTT No cytotoxicity 88
Plant/Curcuma pseudomontana UV-Vis, FT-IR, SEM, HR-TEM Average: 20/ T47D L929 25-150 µL 48 h MTT No cytotoxicity 89
Plant/Acalypha indica Linn UV–Vis, FE-SEM, TEM, XRD Less than 30/Spherical MDA-MB-231 0 1-100 µg/mL 48 h MTT At concentrations of 100 µg/mL, AuNPs showed 40% cytotoxicity. 90
Fungus/Ganoderma spp. UV-Vis, TEM, XRD, EDX, DLS, FT-IR Average: 20/Spherical MDA-MB-231 0 10-100 µmol/L 24 h MTT No cytotoxicity 91
Plant/Theobromo cacao (cocoa) UV-Vis, TEM, FE-SEM, XRD, DLS, FT-IR 150-200/Spherical and triangular MDA-MB-231 L929 and NIH-3T3 5−200 μg/mL 24 h alamarBlue® No cytotoxicity 92
Plant/Punica granutum UV-Vis, FT-IR, TEM, DLS Average: 70.90±8.42/Nearly spherical MCF-7 0 No data 24 h MTT The AuNPs were conjugated to 5-Fu and folic acid. The IC50 of this complex was found at 250 ng/mL (concentration of 5-Fu), while the IC50 of 5-Fu was found at 1000 ng/mL. 93
Fungus/Pleurotus florida UV-Vis, TEM, FE-SEM, AFM, XRD, EDX, FT-IR 10-50/Spherical and triangular MDA-MB Vero No data 72 h MTT IC50: 55.3±2.74 µg/mL against Vero;
IC50: 39.1±3.17 µg/mL against MDA-MB		 94
Plant/Piper betle UV-Vis, HR-TEM, SAED, XRD, EDX, FT-IR 10-35/Different shapes including spherical, triangular, etc MCF-7 0 10-100 µmol/L 24 h MTT No cytotoxicity 95
Plant/Eclipta Alba UV-Vis, TEM, SAED, XRD, XPS, DLS, FT-IR 5-200/Spherical, hexagonal, triangular, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 0 11.4–114.2 µmol/L 48 h MTT No cytotoxicity 96
Plant/Fagopyrum esculentum UV-Vis, HR-TEM, SAED, XRD, EDX, FT-IR Average: 8.3/Spherical, hexagonal and triangular MCF-7 0 10-100 µmol/L 24 h MTT No cytotoxicity 97
Plant/Vites vinefera UV-Vis, SEM, TEM 20–45/Spherical 0 HBL-100 10-150 µg/mL 24 h MTT No cytotoxicity 98
Plant/Camellia sinensis (tea) UV-Vis, TEM, DLS 15-45/Spherical MCF-7 0 10-150 μmol/L 24 h MTT No cytotoxicity 99