Silver nanoparticles from Dendropanax morbifera Léveille inhibit cell migration, induce apoptosis, and increase generation of reactive oxygen species in A549 lung cancer cells.

Green synthesized silver nanoparticles have significant potential in the pharmaceutical field because of their biological functions such as antioxidant and anticancer activities. Novel silver nanoparticles synthesized from Dendropanax morbifera Léveille leaves (D-AgNPs) exhibit antimicrobial activity and reduce the viability of cancer cells without affecting the viability of RAW 264.7 macrophage-like cells. In this study, we evaluated the anticancer effect of D-AgNPs by measuring the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and toxicity against A549 and HepG2 cell lines. The effect of D-AgNPs on cell migration, induction of apoptosis, and modification of gene and/or protein expression of cancer-related markers was determined using A549 cells. D-AgNPs exhibited cytotoxicity in A549 and HepG2 cell at different concentrations and enhanced the production of ROS in both cell lines. An increase in cell apoptosis and a reduction in cell migration in A549 cells were also observed after D-AgNP treatment. Furthermore, the effect of D-AgNPs in A549 cells was shown to be related to modification of the EGFR/p38 MAPK pathway. Our data provide the first evidence supporting the potential of D-AgNPs as a possible anticancer agent, particularly for the treatment of non-small cell lung carcinoma.