<i>Artemisia pallens</i> ‐Mediated Manganese Nanoparticles: Apoptotic Effects on Human Epidermoid Carcinoma Cells and Their Antibiofilm Properties

In recent times, green-synthesized nanoparticles have been widely used in the biomedical field due to their low toxicity, eco-friendliness, cost-effectiveness, and enhanced therapeutic potential. This study investigated the anticancer, antibacterial, and antibiofilm properties of green-synthesized manganese dioxide nanoparticles derived from Artemisia pallens (AP-MnNPs). The AP-MnNPs were characterized through various techniques, including UV-Vis spectroscopy, SEM, EDX, XRD, and FTIR. These nanoparticles effectively inhibited the growth of cancer cell lines A431, A549, and MCF7, with the highest inhibition observed in A431 cells (IC₅₀ = 25 μg/mL). In A431 cells, AP-MnNPs induced ROS generation, mitochondrial disruption, arrested cell cycle progression at the G2/M phase, DNA breakage, and programmed cell death. AP-MnNPs also modulated apoptotic markers by increasing the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax, caspase 3) and decreasing the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, thereby disrupting cell proliferation via suppression of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Furthermore, AP-MnNPs demonstrated antibacterial and antibiofilm efficacy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Streptococcus mutans , Staphylococcus aureus , and their mixed cultures. Collectively, AP-MnNPs exhibit promising potential as anticancer agents that impede cancer cell growth and modulate proliferation-related signaling proteins, as well as antibacterial and antibiofilm agents.