The fruit-derived core-shell nanospheres uses mixing silver nitrate and Pouteria caimito extract as a method for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles, followed by coating the nanoparticles with silica. These core-shell nanospheres may be produced by aqueous extraction of dried P. caimito fruit and mixing and incubating the resulting P. caimito extract with silver nitrate to produce a nanoparticle composition including the silver nanoparticles. The nanoparticles may be subsequently coated with silica by mixing with a silica precursor. The core-shell nanospheres show activity against oral cancer.

BACKGROUND

The disclosure of the present patent application relates to nanotechnology, and particularly to fruit-derived core-shell nanospheres made using silver nitrate andPouteria caimitoto form silver nanoparticles coated with a silica shell:

2. Description of the Related Art

Nanoparticles have demonstrated important uses in a variety of fields. In particular, silver nanoparticles have been applied in electronics, biosensing, plasmonics, optics, and medicine. In particular, silver nanoparticles have demonstrable antibacterial properties. Core-shell nanoparticles provide potentially useful and largely unexplored benefits over single material nanoparticles. For example, a silica coating on metal nanoparticles may increase colloidal stability of the nanoparticles in solution, and control or limit the distance between core particles.

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles for use alone or in core-shell nanoparticles has been achieved by a variety of methods, including physicochemical, thermal decomposition, electrochemical, microwave-assisted, sonochemical, solvothermal, photosynthesis, photochemical reduction, chemical reduction, and continuous-flow methods. These methods are often costly or produce byproducts that pose increased risks to human health and the environment.

SUMMARY

The fruit-derived core-shell nanospheres are made using silver nitrate andPouteria caimito, the method including providing a solution including silver nitrate; providing an extract of thePouteria caimitoplant or plant part(s); mixing the silver nitrate solution and the extract solution to form an aqueous mixture; and resting the aqueous mixture for a period of time to form biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (BAgNP; alternatively referred to as bio-silver nanoparticles). The BAgNP are mixed with a tetraethoxysilane solution, and then washed and dried for shell synthesis, resulting in silver-core,-silica-shell nanospheres, referred to hereinafter as BAg@SiO2, or alternatively, core-shell nanospheres. The BAg@SiO2nanospheres have shown anti-cancer activity against oral cancer. The synthesis method is inexpensive and environmentally friendly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The fruit-derived core-shell nanospheres includes a first step of mixing silver nitrate with aPouteria caimitofruit extract to form bio-silver nanoparticles (BAgNP) and a second step of mixing the bio-silver nanoparticles with a silica precursor to form silica-coated silver nanoparticles (BAg@SiO2). The silica-coated silver nanoparticles can be core-shell nanospheres in shape, with diameters ranging from 15 nm to 30 nm. In the exemplary synthesis discussed below, BAg@SiO2nanospheres were fabricated having sizes in the range of 16.85 nm to 25.42 nm (average size 18.19 nm). As used herein, the phrase “silver nanoparticles” is defined to include nanoparticles of pure silver metal, as wells as nanocomposites of pure silver metal coated or capped by elements or compounds extracted fromPouteria caimitoor otherwise agglomerated into nanoparticles or incorporatingPouteria caimitoextracts into the crystalline structure of the silver nanoparticles, as evidenced by EDX analysis.

The extract can be prepared by collecting one or more plant parts of theP. caimitoplant for use as the extraction substrate. Suitable plant parts can include, for example, the leaves, flowers, stems, and/or roots ofP. caimito. Prior to extraction, theP. caimitoplant or plant part may be washed thoroughly one or more times with tap water and/or distilled water, e.g., triple distilled water. For example, in the exemplary synthesis discussed below, wholeP. caimitoplants were seeded and washed with running tap water, and then with distilled water. The washedP. caimitomay then be dried, e.g., shade dried, at room temperature to provide driedP. caimito. The shade-drying may proceed for at least a day, and the washedP. caimitomay be cut into sections to aid in drying. For example, in the exemplary synthesis discussed below, the shade-drying proceeded for three days, and the washedP. caimitowere cut into sections around 0.2 to 0.4 inches. The driedP. caimitomay then be powdered by grinding, blending, or any other conventional means. For example, in the exemplary synthesis discussed below, the driedP. caimitowas powdered by using a blender at a speed of 15000 rpm for 3 mins. PowderedP. caimitomay then be suspended in water, e.g., triple distilled water to produce theP. caimitoextract. For example, in the exemplary synthesis discussed below, 5 grams of the powderedP. caimitowas stirred well for 5 minutes and then suspended in about 500 mL of triple distilled water for about 24 hours. TheP. caimitoextract may be filtered using filter paper, a muslin cloth, or any other conventional means, producing filteredP. caimitoextract. In the exemplary synthesis discussed below, a muslin cloth was used, resulting in exemplaryP. caimitoextract. TheP. caimitoextract may be used immediately after filtering.

The biogenic synthesis of the BAgNP may be achieved by mixing theP. caimitoextract with silver nitrate (AgNO3). For example, about 10 mL of the filteredP. caimitoextract can be mixed with about 250 mL of 1 mM AgNO3. In the exemplary synthesis discussed below, the AgNO3inP. caimitoextract was mixed for 10 minutes and then allowed to incubate at room temperature for 48 hours. The mixture may be incubated at room temperature in a darkened location until a color change occurs from colorless to brown, indicating the formation of BAgNP. The mixture may then be centrifuged, e.g., at about 15,000 rpm for about 20 minutes. The supernatant may be discarded, and the pellet re-suspended in distilled water. The centrifugation and resuspension steps may then be repeated multiple times in order to remove impurities, for example, three times. The final resuspension may then be dried using conventional means, such as an oven, producing BAgNP or a nanoparticle composition including BAgNP andP. caimitoextract components. For example, in the exemplary synthesis discussed below, the pellet was washed and centrifuged three times, and then dried in an oven at 40° C. for 12 hours. Once completely dry, the pellet may appear black. In the examples discussed below, the dried black colored material was collected in powder form and sampled for characterization of BAgNP by XRD, TEM, FTIR, and EDX with a SEM.

Silica coating of BAgNP may be executed using the following method. BAgNP may be mixed with a silica precursor. The dried BAgNP may first be suspended in water before mixing with the silica precursor. The silica precursor may be tetraethoxysilane (TEOS). For example, in the exemplary synthesis discussed below, all under continuous stirring, 500 mg of dried BAgNP was dissolved with 250 mL of distilled water and 4 mL of the aqueous BAgNP solution was mixed with 20 mL of ethanol, followed by 0.6 mL of ammonia (28%, Fluka) and then 0.5 mL TEOS (98%, Fluka). The mixture of BAgNP with silica precursor is mixed and incubated for sufficient time to form a silica coating on the BAgNP, resulting in BAg@SiO2in solution. For example, in the exemplary synthesis discussed below, the mixture was stirred continuously using a magnetic stirrer for 24 h at room temperature. The BAg@SiO2in solution may be isolated by any conventional means, for example, centrifugation or settling, and washed with water. Exemplary synthesized BAg@SiO2in solution was centrifuged at 5,000 rpm for 15 mins; the supernatant was discarded, and the pellet was dispersed in deionized water. This process was repeated three times for removal of ammonia, isopropanol and unreacted TEOS. After washing, the BAg@SiO2may be dried. For example, in the exemplary synthesis, the exemplary synthesized BAg@SiO2was kept in an oven at 40° C. for 12 hours to dry. The resulting powdered BAg@SiO2was used for analyses for physiochemical characterization and related coating confirmation studies, such as XRD, ATR-FTIR, TEM and EDX with a SEM.

A core-shell nanosphere composition including BAg@SiO2can be administered to a patient in need thereof. For example, a therapeutically effective amount of the composition can be administered to a patient suffering from cancer, in particular oral cancer. The therapeutically effective amount can be about 1-5 mg/kg.

The core-shell nanosphere composition can be admixed with a suitable pharmaceutical carrier, including, but not limited to water, glycols, oils, alcohols, flavoring agents, preservatives, coloring agents, starches, sugars, diluents, granulating agents, lubricants, binders, disintegrating agents, and the like. The composition can be administered by any conventional route of administration, including, but not limited to, intravenous, oral, subcutaneous, intramuscular, intradermal and parenteral. Depending on the route of administration, the composition can be constituted into any form. For example, forms suitable for oral administration include as pills, gel caps, tablets, caplets, capsules (each including immediate release, timed release and sustained release formulations), granules, powders, and syrups.

Fruit was collected from freshP. caimitofrom Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An aqueous extraction was prepared using seeded wholeP. caimitofruit. The fruit were washed first with tap water and then with triple distilled water, and cut into small pieces (0.2-0.4 inches). The washedP. caimitofruit pieces were shade-dried for about three days. The shade-driedP. caimitofruit were then powdered using a blender at 15000 rpm for 3 mins. About 5 grams of poweredP. caimitowas suspended in 500 mL of triple distilled water for 24 hours, producingP. caimitoextract. TheP. caimitoaqueous extract was filtered using a muslin cloth, producing filteredP. caimitoextract.

Biogenic Synthesis of BAgNP and BAg@SiO2

A quantity of 10 mL of filteredP. caimitoextract was mixed with about 250 mL of 1 mM AgNO3and kept at room temperature in the dark for 48 hours. The color of the reaction mixture changed from colorless to brown, indicating the formation of BAgNP. The mixture containing BAgNP was centrifuged at 15,000 rpm for 20 min, the supernatant was discarded, and the pellet was dispersed in distilled water. This process was repeated three times for removal of impurities, and the pellet was dried in an oven at 40° C. for 12 hours. The resulting dried BAgNP were used for further studies or suspended in water for synthesis of BAg@SiO2.

Silica coating of BAgNP was achieved by mixing 4 mL BAgNP with 20 mL of ethanol, followed by 0.6 mL of ammonia (28%, Fluka) and 0.5 mL TEOS (98%, Fluka). The mixture was stirred continuously by using a magnetic stirrer for 24 h under constant room temperature, at which point the mixture contained synthesized BAg@SiO2. The synthesized BAg@SiO2in solution was centrifuged at 5,000 rpm for 15 mins, the supernatant was discarded and the pellet was dispersed in deionized water. This process was repeated three times for removal of ammonia, isopropanol and unreacted TEOS impurities. After complete washing, the resulting pellet was kept in an oven at 40° C. for 12 hours to dry. The resulting BAg@SiO2powder was used for analyses for physiochemical characterization and related coating confirmation studies, such as XRD, ATR-FTIR, TEM, and EDX with a SEM.

Characterization of BAgNP and BAg@SiO2

Bio-reduction of Ag+ions to colloidal nanoparticles was visually observed by a color change from colorless (AgNO3solution) to brown (BAgNP).

UV-visible spectroscopic analysis of BAgNP was used to further confirm nanoparticle synthesis. The absorption of light by the nanoparticles at different wavelengths provides an indication of particle size, while breadth of the absorption peaks signifies the particle size distribution.FIG. 1shows UV spectra of BAgNP fabricated as described above, wherein the AgNO3andPouteria caimitofruit extract are allowed to react for 48 hours. The highest absorbance peak appears at 432 nm, which confirms formation of BAgNP.

Bio-silver nanoparticles and core-shell nanospheres were imaged by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), as shown inFIG. 2AandFIG. 2B, respectively. Bio-silver nanoparticles appeared spherical in shape with diameters in the range of 14.56 nm to 22.85 nm. Core-shell nanospheres appeared as core-shell nanosphere structures with outer diameters in the range of 16.85 nm to 25.42 nm.

Organic components of bio-silver nanoparticles before shell formation and formation of core-shell nanospheres were analyzed by Energy Dispersive X-Ray Diffraction (EDX) using SEM analysis, the results being shown inFIGS. 3A and 3B, respectively. The EDX peak of the bio-silver nanoparticles confirmed the presence of Ag as a major component, as well as others elements such as C, O and Cl, which indicates presence of these organic molecules, likely contributed by theP. caimitoextract so that the silver nanoparticles are a silver nanocomposite. The EDX peak of core-shell nanospheres indicates that silicon is a significant surface component and also indicates Ag, suggesting formation of a silica coat around the bio-silver nanoparticles.

FTIR and ATR-FTIR spectroscopic analyses were performed on the exemplary bio-silver nanoparticles and core-shell nanospheres, respectively. These results are shown inFIG. 4AandFIG. 4B, respectively.

The FTIR peaks evident inFIG. 4Aindicate biomolecules fromPouteria caimitofruit extract are involved in the synthesis of the bio-silver nanoparticles. The absorption band at 3429 cm−1is likely due to N—H stretch of amino groups and possibly O—H stretch of a bound hydroxyl group. Absorption bands at 2919 and 2856 cm−1are indicative of C—H stretch in —CH3and —CH2functional groups. Absorption bands at 1715, 1610, and 1509 cm−1are attributed to protein amide groups or to C═O stretching vibrational groups. The absorption band at 1367 cm−1is attributed to O—H stretch. Absorption bands at 1012 and 1230 cm−1are likely due to the C—O groups. The absorption band at 609 cm−1is attributed to the presence of aromatics. The FTIR spectrum of the bio-silver nanoparticles inFIG. 4Asupports amine (N—H), carboxyl (—C═O) and hydroxyl (—OH) groups ofPouteria caimitofruit extract are primarily involved in reducing Ag+ ions to Ag in the nanoparticles.

The ATR-FTIR peaks inFIG. 4Bindicate primarily silicon forming an outer layer around the bio-silver nanoparticles in the core-shell nanospheres. The ATR-FTIR spectrum of the core-shell nanospheres does not include measurable (N—H), carboxyl (—C═O) and hydroxyl (—OH) bands, which indicates the silicon coated the outer layer of the biogenic synthesized silver nanoparticles. A 1071 cm−1band represents asymmetric and symmetric stretching of Si—O—Si bond vibration. 957 cm−1and 795 cm−1bands are due to Si—OH band vibration.

The XRD patterns of dry bio-silver nanoparticles and core-shell nanospheres are showed inFIG. 5AandFIG. 5B, respectively. The XRD pattern inFIG. 5Aof bio-silver nanoparticles is consistent with a typical XRD pattern of face-centered cubic (fcc) silver, including signals indicating planes such as (111), (200), (220) and (311). Moreover, the residual peaks in the pattern inFIG. 5Aare likely due to crystallization of biomolecules present inPouteria caimitofruit extract. The XRD pattern inFIG. 5Bof silica coated bio-silver nanoparticles evinces a broad peak at an angle of 20°-30°, which indicates the presence of a silica shell on the surface of the bio-silver nanoparticles.

The above-discussed data confirm the presently proposed method of producing core-shell nanospheres from silver nanoparticles reduced usingPouteria caimitofruit extract and subsequent silica coating. The present method produced bio-silver nanoparticles and core-shell nanospheres with consistently small size, high stability and no significant impurities.

The anticancer activity of the core-shell nanospheres, synthesized as disclosed herein, was evaluated against 7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-caused buccal pouch carcinogenesis as described below.

7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-caused buccal pouch carcinogenesis in hamster models is an ideal model for evaluating tumor-inhibiting activities of drugs from natural sources or nanomedicines. The core-shell nanospheres of the present disclosure were evaluated against DMBA-caused buccal pouch carcinogenesis in hamster models by evaluating the histopathological changes of buccal pouch and oral neoplasm incidence.

Forty hamsters were divided into 4 groups of 10 animals each. Group I animals received a normal pellet diet only and served as a control. In group II, the left buccal pouch of each animal was painted with 0.5% DMBA in liquid paraffin solution three times per week for 14 weeks. In group III, the left buccal pouch of each animal was painted with DMBA as in group II, and each animal received oral administration of BAg@SiO2(2 mg/kg body weight; in 0.5% DMSO) beginning 1 week before carcinogen exposure until the end of the experiments, continuing on days alternate to the DMBA painting. In group IV, each animal received oral administration of BAg@SiO2(4 mg/kg body weight; in 0.5% DMSO) throughout the experiments as a control to exclude toxic effects of the core-shell nanospheres. After the experimental period, all animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation. Tumor volume and histopathological studies were conducted in buccal pouch tissues, which were excised and fixed with 10% formalin and embedded in paraffin. The embedded paraffin tissue samples were cut by rotary microtome into 2-3 μm sections and stained with hematoxylin and eosin.

Table 1 shows the tumor prevalence, tumor amount and tumor burden of normal control, BAg@SiO2treated, and untreated carcinogenesis animals. DMBA alone animals (Group 2) showed 100% tumor formation with mean tumor volume of 386.17 mm3and tumor burden of 1340.53 mm3. The tumor incidence and volume were significantly decreased by administration of BAg@SiO2(orally at dose of 2 mg/kg).

FIGS. 6A-6Dshow the buccal pouch histopathological appearance of normal, treated and carcinogenesis-alone animals. A well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the epithelium, severe hyperkeratosis and hyperplasia were shown in DMBA-alone animal buccal pouches (FIG. 6B). Only a mild dysplasia was discerned in DMBA+BAg@SiO2treated animals (FIG. 6C). Normal animals treated with BAg@SiO2and normal control animals (not exposed either to DBMA or to fruit-derived core-shell nanospheres) each showed normal epithelial layers (FIG. 6DandFIG. 6A, respectively). The core-shell nanospheres, therefore, show preventive potential against DMBA-induced oral carcinogenesis.

Table 1 shows that the BAg@SiO2treatment prevented tumor formation. Tumor volume was calculated by used the following formula, v=(4/3)π [D1/2][D2/2][D3/2] where D1, D2and D3are the three dimensional measurements (mm) of the tumor. Tumor burden was calculated by a multiplying tumor volume and the number of tumors/animal.