Rhamnolipid-functionalized zinc oxide nanoformulations: Targeted ROS-mediated therapy against breast carcinoma

Nanoscience and nanotechnology have been revolutionizing the lives of people on this earth through technology, healthcare, textiles, robotics, and diagnostics industries. In the current study, novel zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using biosurfactants isolated from bacteria growing in petroleum-contaminated soils (ZnORL nanoparticles). The synthesized ZnORL nanoparticles were characterized through FE-SEM, TEM, XRD, and FTIR. The ZnORL nanoparticles exhibited half maximum inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) against DPPH of 60.10 ± 3.90 μg/mL and against ABTS of 17.19 ± 0.74 μg/mL, thus indicating remarkable antioxidant activity against free radicals. In terms of anticancer activity, the synthesized ZnORL nanoparticles exhibited significant effectiveness against MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cancer cells, demonstrating inhibition percentages of 88.08 ± 0.62% and 82.96 ± 1.26%, respectively, at a concentration of 50 μg/mL. Importantly, it was observed that the evaluated nanoparticles did not present any cytotoxicity or hemolytic activity when human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and red blood cells were exposed, respectively. Further studies through flow cytometry and confocal microscopy revealed the production of high concentrations of ROS, which altered the cellular machinery of the cancerous cells. Thus, this study establishes that the newly synthesized rhamnolipid-coated ZnO nanoparticles (ZnORL) exhibited remarkable antioxidant and anticancer properties in vitro, suggesting their therapeutic potential for breast cancer.