Unveiling the cytotoxicity of phytosynthesised silver nanoparticles using Tinospora cordifolia leaves against human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cell line

Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using plant extract is a cheap, easily accessible and natural process in which the phyto-constituents of the plants act as capping, stabilising and reducing agent. The present study explored the biosynthesis of AgNPs using aqueous leaf extract of Tinospora cordifolia and characterised via various techniques such as Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis and X-ray diffraction. Here, TEM confirmed the spherical morphology with 25-50 nm size of synthesised AgNPs. Further, anticancer efficiency of AgNPs synthesised using T. cordifolia leaves were evaluated against human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 by MTT, trypan blue assay, apoptotic morphological changes using Annexin V-FITC and Propidium iodide (PI), nuclear morphological changes by DAPI (4, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride) staining, reactive oxygen species generation and mitochondrial membrane potential determination. Results confirmed the AgNPs synthesised using T. cordifolia leaves are found to be highly toxic against human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549.