Green Synthesis of Stable Silver Nanoparticles Using Teucrium polium Extract: In-vitro Anticancer Activity on NALM-6

Abstract: The therapeutic effect of silver nanoparticles on leukaemia cancerous cells has been demonstrated in several studies. However, most of these nanoparticles are toxic to normal cells as well as cancerous cells. In the present study, green chemistry has been applied for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles by Teucrium polium (T.P) extract. The synthesized nanoparticles were spherical with an average diameter of 14.3 ± 9.7 nm and a surface charge of -0.84 mV. Based on the FTIR results, the silver nanoparticles have been coated with T.P extract phytochemicals. The extract was not toxic toward cancerous cells. However, the T.P extract coated silver nanoparticles (T.P@AgNPs) with concentrations ≥ 50 µg/mL could eradicate the NALM-6 cancerous cells in a significant amount. Based on the flow cytometry analysis, the predominant mechanism of cancerous cell death is the apoptosis in NALM-6 cancerous cells; and the T.P@AgNPs had no toxic effect on normal PBMC cells.