Cerium Oxide/Graphene Oxide Hybrid: Synthesis, Characterization, and Evaluation of Anticancer Activity in a Breast Cancer Cell Line (MCF-7)

Abstract

In the present study, we used a simple ultrasonic approach to develop a Cerium oxide/Graphene oxide hybrid (CeO2/GO hybrid) nanocomposite system. Particle size analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) have been used to analyze the physio-chemical characteristics of the developed nanocomposite. The synthesized hybrid system has also been examined to assess its anticancer capability against MCF-7 cell lines and normal cell lines at different sample concentrations, pH values, and incubation intervals using an antiproliferative assay test. The test results demonstrate that as sample concentration rises, the apoptotic behavior of the CeO2/GO hybrid in the MCF-7 cell line also rises. The IC50 was 62.5 µg/mL after 72 h of incubation. Cytotoxicity of cisplatin bound CeO2/GO hybrid was also tested in MCF-7 cell lines. To identify apoptosis-associated alterations of cell membranes during the process of apoptosis, a dual acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) fluorescence staining was carried out at three specified doses (i.e., 1000 µg/mL, 250 µg/mL, and 62.5 µg/mL of CeO2/GO hybrid). The color variations from both live (green) and dead (red) cells were examined using fluorescence microscopy under in vitro conditions. The quantitative analysis was performed using flow cytometry to identify the cell cycle at which the maximum number of MCF-7 cells had been destroyed as a result of interaction with the developed CeO2/GO hybrid (FACS study). According to the results of the FACS investigation, the majority of cancer cells were inhibited at the R3 (G2/M) phase. Therefore, the CeO2/GO hybrid has successfully showed enhanced anticancer efficacy against the MCF-7 cell line at the IC50 concentration. According to the current study, the CeO2/GO platform can be used as a therapeutic platform for breast cancer. The synergetic effects of the developed CeO2/GO hybrid with the MCF-7 cell line are presented.