| Photothermal therapy (PTT) procedure is anticipated as a new generation of cancer therapy techniques. With this
in mind, in this work, an effective drug-free approach was developed to kill MCF7 breast cancer cells using PTT.
A novel biocompatible nanocomposite as a PTT transducer was prepared from the in situ phytosynthesis of gold
nanoparticles (Au NPs) in the presence of perlite as a platform and extract of Allium Fistulosum L. as a stabilizing
and reducing agent (Au/perlite NC). The common characterization techniques such as Fourier transform infrared
(FT-IR), zeta potential, dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV–vis),
scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) were used to approve the synthesis of
Au/perlite NC. The potential of the synthesized NCs on ROS generating and antioxidant activity was assessed by
DPPH. In the following, the PTT efficacy of the Au/perlite NC on the destruction of MCF-7 breast cancer cells was
assessed in vitro via the cell cycle, cell viability, and DAPI staining assays. The DPPH assay results showed that
Au/perlite NC had a radicals scavenging capacity of about 41.47 % in 30 min. Cellular uptake results indicated a
significant cell uptake after 1.5 h exposure with Au/perlite NC. Interestingly, cell death was increased
dramatically by increasing irradiation time from 6 to 10 min. Cell viability assay revealed that the maximum
number of cell death is around 50 % which was observed in the presence of Au/perlite NC by irradiation time of
10 min. Cell cycle results showed that the maximum amount of apoptotic cells (85 %) was observed in Au/perlite
NC treatment group received laser irradiation for 10 min. The outcomes demonstrated that the Au/perlite NC can
be used as a new drug-free and efficient agent for PTT of breast cancer cells without any concern cytotoxicity. |