Lactobacillus sp., Mediated Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and their Anticancer Activity on A549 Lung Cancer Cell Lines

Targeting certain signaling pathways may enable innovative therapeutics to overcome chemotherapy and radiation’s limitations, therefore, nanoparticle biosynthesis provides a promising alternative. This study investigates Lactobacillus sp., mediated zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) as a therapeutic approach against lung cancer A549 cells. The ZnO NPs were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX, zeta potential and DLS analyses, confirming their nanoscale size and structural integrity. The UV-Vis spectra analysis of ZnO NPs revealed a significant absorption peak at approximately 392 nm. FTIR investigation confirms the functional groups in Lactobacillus sp., mediated ZnO NPs. Electron microscopy and XRD validated the spherical/cubic crystalline structure of ZnO NPs, averaging 30-40 nm in size. Strong signals in EDAX spectrum confirmed ZnO NPs formation. Zeta potential and DLS analysis showed biosynthesized ZnO NPs stability and particle size. The cytotoxic effect of ZnO NPs on A549 cancer cells was dose- and time-dependent, with an IC50 at 38 µg/mL. Morphological changes such as cell shrinkage and nuclear fragmentation in treated cell lines indicative of apoptosis observed via AO/EB staining. Flow cytometry revealed that ZnO NPs induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Additionally, ZnO NPs significantly reduced A549 cell migration. These findings highlight the potential of Lactobacillus sp., mediated ZnO NPs as an eco-friendly, novel and effective strategy in cancer nanomedicine for lung cancer treatment.