EVALUATION OF HYBRID PLASMONIC NANOCARRIERS AND SEA CUCUMBER ANTICANCER COMPOUNDS IN CANCER TREATMENT

Background & Aims: Sea cucumbers belong to the phylum Echinodermata and have applications in fisheries, food, pharmaceuticals, and medical industries.Additionally, the use of metal nanoparticles in drug delivery systems (nanodrugs) has contributed to innovations in dosage forms by improving therapeutic effects and physicochemical properties over the past several years.The aim of this study is to investigate and compare the cytotoxic activity of the alcoholic extract of the sea cucumber species Holothuria leocuspilota, based on its bioactive compounds, and to evaluate the effectiveness of plasmonic hybrid nanocarriers at different doses in treating colon cancer.Materials & Methods: This study was conducted in vitro.Samples were collected from the intertidal zone of Lark Island in 2018, transferred to plastic containers containing seawater, and analyzed for their anticancer effects.The extract, obtained using methanol as a solvent, was tested alongside gold nanoparticles against the colon cancer cell line (HCT116).Results: Toxicity assessments conducted at 24, 48, and 72 hours revealed that cytotoxic effects increased proportionally with both extract and nanoparticle concentration, as well as with the duration of exposure.The best result was observed after 72 hours at a concentration of 500 micrograms of extract and 9 nanograms of nanoparticles.The IC50 value recorded during this period was 125 micrograms/ml.Conclusion: Due to the significant cytotoxicity of the methanol extract against the cancer cell line, these compounds hold potential as viable candidates for anticancer drug development following further purification.Additionally, the plasmonic hybrid nanocarrier, which has demonstrated remarkable anticancer properties, could be extensively utilized in medical and pharmaceutical applications.