Piper betle: Augmented Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles and Its In-vitro Cytotoxicity Assessment on HeLa and HEK293 Cells

Plant-based photo fabrication of noble metal nanoparticles is a dominating research area in nanobiotechnology as they offer immense applications in biomedicine, drug delivery and bioimaging. In this study, we report the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) using Piper betle leaf extract. Extraction of secondary metabolites was performed by both acetonic and ethanolic extract to establish a comparative assessment. UV-Visible spectroscopic, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray and X-ray diffraction characterization confirmed the synthesis of GNPs. The results thus suggested that the metabolites of P. betle L. leaf can effectively catalyze the conversion of Au3+ to Au-0 ions and serve as excellent stabilizing agents. Morphological modulation was found with varying tetrachloroauric acid concentration and the solvent medium used. Cytotoxicity assessment of GNPs on HeLa and HEK293 signified the selective toxic behaviour of GNPs towards cancerous cell lines. Further, biocompatibility towards HEK293 cells signified that the GNPs can be used for drug delivery as well as bio-imaging applications.