Green Synthesis of ZnO Nanoparticles and Evaluation of Its Effect on Cancer Cells

Technological advances are moving away from syntheses using natural materials. Thus, synthetic materials used in industrial production and synthesis lead to environmental pollution. In this study, a green, sustainable, simple and low-cost synthesis method was used for the synthesis of ZnO NPs. For this, extracts of Malus domestica (Yahyali apple) (S1), Rosa canina L. (rosehip) (S2), Viburnum opulus L. (gilaburu) (S3) and Tilia L. (linden) (S4) plants were prepared. Everyone biomass sample separately was combined with A549, DLD-1 and HepG2 cancer cells and healthy L929 cells and its antiproliferative effects on the cells were examined by the MTT (3-(4.5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2.5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide) method. It was observed that the biomass samples obtained from gilaburu, linden, yayla apple and rosehip extracts contained point ZnO NPs in the wurtzite structure with a size 1–3 nm. All samples showed an antiproliferative effect on L929 healthy cells at a concentration of 12.5 µM and this effect continued even at decreasing concentrations. All samples showed an antiproliferative effect with an approximately 80% decrease in the number of A549 lung cancer cells compared to other cancer cells. If the effect of the samples on healthy fibroblast L929 cells is brought to a tolerable level or can be evaluated as a side effect on the connective tissue, all samples can be used as anticancer drug in the treatment of these cancers since they show cytotoxic effects on A549, HEPG2, DLD-1 cancer cells at 12.5 µM concentration. Further cancer research may lead to the use of nanoparticles at specified concentrations in the treatment of cancer in animals and humans.