Preparation, Chemical Characterization, and Determination of the Cytotoxicity and Anti-Thyroid Cancer Properties of Pomegranate Aqueous Extract Green-Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles Following the STAT3 and p53 Signaling Pathways

Abstract

The biogenic silver nanoparticles manufactured using pomegranate as a supporting material are described in this study. The plant's leaves effectively stabilized the produced silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and acted as a natural reducing agent. The physicochemical characteristics of the prepared NPs were examined using TEM, EDX, FE-SEM, and UV–Vis methods. According to the study's data, the antioxidant properties of nanoparticles may be related to how well they treat thyroid cancer in humans. The capacity of biologically produced nanoparticles to prevent thyroid cancer cells was assessed. As determined by the MTT assay, the silver nanoparticles had strong anti-thyroid cancer characteristics, effectively eliminating the BCPAP cancer cell in a way that depended on both concentration and time. Ag NPs decrease the anti-apoptotic marker Bcl-2 level while promoting cell death, which is associated with increased levels of pro-apoptotic indicators such as cleaved caspase-8 and Bax. Additionally, compared to the corresponding control group, silver nanoparticles show a reduction in colony development. The data of Ag NPs showed that p53 expression was much higher, and that the examined cell lines had lower levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). This implies that the pomegranate extract-induced biological reactions in BCPAP human thyroid cancer cells depend critically on STAT3 and p53.