Biosynthesis and Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs) with Jacalin, a Lectin from Jackfruit Seeds and its Antiproliferative Effects on HeLa Cancer Cells

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) possess varied biological activities, including antibacterial and anticancer effects. AgNPs are effective even at low concentrations, and this is attributed to their large surface-to-volume ratio. The study thoroughly examined AgNPs capacity to suppress cancer cell proliferation. The preceding investigation was expanded by synthesizing AgNPs from jacalin protein extracted from jackfruit seeds and characterizing them using UV-Vis spectroscopy, XRD, DLS, and SEM. The present study synthesized AgNPs using jacalin, the lectin purified from jackfruit seeds. The color change from yellow to red confirms the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. The AgNPs synthesized using Jacalin displayed an absorption maxima at 430 nm. XRD, DLS, and SEM determined the particle size of the synthesized AgNPs to be between 200 and 300nm. Moreover, the AgNPs inhibited the proliferation of HeLa cells significantly but did not exhibit significant effects on the proliferation of the PBMCs, even at higher concentrations. In conclusion, jacalin was used to biosynthesize silver nanoparticles, which showed potent inhibition of proliferation against the cervical cancer cell line (HeLa).