title: Earthworm-mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles: A potent tool against hepatocellular carcinoma, Plasmodium falciparum parasites and malaria mosquitoes.
abstract: The development of parasites and pathogens resistant to synthetic drugs highlighted the needing of novel, eco-friendly and effective control approaches. Recently, metal nanoparticles have been proposed as highly effective tools towards cancer cells and Plasmodium parasites. In this study, we synthesized silver nanoparticles (EW-AgNP) using Eudrilus eugeniae earthworms as reducing and stabilizing agents. EW-AgNP showed plasmon resonance reduction in UV-vis spectrophotometry, the functional groups involved in the reduction were studied by FTIR spectroscopy, while particle size and shape was analyzed by FESEM. The effect of EW-AgNP on in vitro HepG2 cell proliferation was measured using MTT assays. Apoptosis assessed by flow cytometry showed diminished endurance of HepG2 cells and cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner. EW-AgNP were toxic to Anopheles stephensi larvae and pupae, LC(50) were 4.8 ppm (I), 5.8 ppm (II), 6.9 ppm (III), 8.5 ppm (IV), and 15.5 ppm (pupae). The antiplasmodial activity of EW-AgNP was evaluated against CQ-resistant (CQ-r) and CQ-sensitive (CQ-s) strains of Plasmodium falciparum. EW-AgNP IC(50) were 49.3 μg/ml (CQ-s) and 55.5 μg/ml (CQ-r), while chloroquine IC(50) were 81.5 μg/ml (CQ-s) and 86.5 μg/ml (CQ-r). EW-AgNP showed a valuable antibiotic potential against important pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Concerning non-target effects of EW-AgNP against mosquito natural enemies, the predation efficiency of the mosquitofish Gambusia affinis towards the II and II instar larvae of A. stephensi was 68.50% (II) and 47.00% (III), respectively. In EW-AgNP-contaminated environments, predation was boosted to 89.25% (II) and 70.75% (III), respectively. Overall, this research highlighted the EW-AgNP potential against hepatocellular carcinoma, Plasmodium parasites and mosquito vectors, with little detrimental effects on mosquito natural enemies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Entomology, Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, 641 046, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Anitha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jaganathan
authors.affiliation: Division of Entomology, Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, 641 046, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Kadarkarai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murugan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, University of Tabuk, 71491, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Chellasamy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Panneerselvam
authors.affiliation: Division of Entomology, Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, 641 046, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Pari
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Madhiyazhagan
authors.affiliation: Division of Entomology, Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, 641 046, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Devakumar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dinesh
authors.affiliation: Division of Entomology, Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, 641 046, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Chithravel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vadivalagan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, University of Tabuk, 71491, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Al Thabiani
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Aziz
authors.affiliation: Division of Entomology, Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, 641 046, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Balamurugan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chandramohan
authors.affiliation: Division of Entomology, Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, 641 046, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Udaiyan
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Suresh
authors.affiliation: Division of Entomology, Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, 641 046, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Rajapandian
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rajaganesh
authors.affiliation: Division of Entomology, Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, 641 046, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Jayapal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Subramaniam
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nicoletti
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Central University, No. 300, Jhongli, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan; Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Akon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdullah A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Alarfaj
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Murugan A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Munusamy
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, University Putra Malaysia, Seri Kembangan, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Suresh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: g.benelli@sssup.it.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Benelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000469:parasitology; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology; D007814:Larva; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000737:chemistry*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects*; D011679:Pupa; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D012834:Silver
keywords: Arbovirus; Bacteria; Cancer; Chloroquine; Eudrilus eugeniae; Nanosynthesis