Green Ziziphus nummularia gold nanoparticles: antioxidant and anticancer activity in TNBC
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains one of the most aggressive breast cancer subtypes with limited targeted therapeutic options, highlighting the need for innovative, biocompatible treatment strategies. Plant-mediated green synthesis offers a sustainable route for gold nanoparticle (AuNP) fabrication with enhanced biological functionality. In this study, Ziziphus nummularia ethanolic extract (ZNE) was employed as a reducing and capping agent to synthesize stable, crystalline, and predominantly spherical gold nanoparticles (ZNE-AuNPs). Comprehensive physicochemical characterization confirmed successful nanoparticle formation and phytochemical capping. Importantly, this work provides novel biological and mechanistic insights into the anticancer effects of ZNE-AuNPs specifically in TNBC. ZNE-AuNPs exhibited notable antioxidant activity and significantly reduced the viability of MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells in a concentration-and time-dependent manner. For the first time, the anticancer activity of ZNE-AuNPs in TNBC was mechanistically linked to the suppression of cellular proliferation (decreased Ki-67), induction of apoptosis (modulation of BAX, BCL-2, and caspase-3), and inhibition of ERK phosphorylation, implicating the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. Taken together, these findings support Ziziphus nummularia-derived AuNPs as a sustainable nanotherapeutic platform and establish their previously unexplored mechanistic relevance in TNBC.
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BibTeX
@article{abdallah2026green,
title = {{Green Ziziphus nummularia gold nanoparticles: antioxidant and anticancer activity in TNBC}},
author = {Rola Abdallah and Rami Abdel-Rahem and Adnan Badran and Mayyas Al-Remawi and Serine Baydoun and Mikhael Bechelany and Digambara Patra and Elias Baydoun},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-62225-8},
url = {https://hal.umontpellier.fr/hal-05796407v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Green Ziziphus nummularia gold nanoparticles: antioxidant and anticancer activity in TNBC
AU - Rola Abdallah
AU - Rami Abdel-Rahem
AU - Adnan Badran
AU - Mayyas Al-Remawi
AU - Serine Baydoun
AU - Mikhael Bechelany
AU - Digambara Patra
AU - Elias Baydoun
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-62225-8
UR - https://hal.umontpellier.fr/hal-05796407v1
AB - Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains one of the most aggressive breast cancer subtypes with limited targeted therapeutic options, highlighting the need for innovative, biocompatible treatment strategies. Plant-mediated green synthesis offers a sustainable route for gold nanoparticle (AuNP) fabrication with enhanced biological functionality. In this study, Ziziphus nummularia ethanolic extract (ZNE) was employed as a reducing and capping agent to synthesize stable, crystalline, and predominantly spherical gold nanoparticles (ZNE-AuNPs). Comprehensive physicochemical characterization confirmed successful nanoparticle formation and phytochemical capping. Importantly, this work provides novel biological and mechanistic insights into the anticancer effects of ZNE-AuNPs specifically in TNBC. ZNE-AuNPs exhibited notable antioxidant activity and significantly reduced the viability of MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells in a concentration-and time-dependent manner. For the first time, the anticancer activity of ZNE-AuNPs in TNBC was mechanistically linked to the suppression of cellular proliferation (decreased Ki-67), induction of apoptosis (modulation of BAX, BCL-2, and caspase-3), and inhibition of ERK phosphorylation, implicating the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. Taken together, these findings support Ziziphus nummularia-derived AuNPs as a sustainable nanotherapeutic platform and establish their previously unexplored mechanistic relevance in TNBC.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -