Abstract:
Globally, cancer is the biggest cause of mortality. Currently, breast cancer ranks fifth in terms of
cancer-related mortality and is one of the most often diagnosed cancers. Conventional therapies
have their limits. Drug delivery systems and many other approaches have been developed to
address challenges such as hormone therapy, stem cell therapies, micelles, and nanoparticles.
Specifically, nanoparticles engineered with multiple functionalities stand out as a promising
solution to overcome various barriers associated with targeted delivery. Gold nanoparticles with a
diameter of around 4 nm were synthesized using a two-phase method. The nanoparticle surface
was subsequently modified with Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) to facilitate the loading of the
hydrophobic drug Betulinic Acid. UV visible spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and FTIR
analysis confirm the surface modification. We introduce these nanoparticles into the mitochondria
of cancerous cells and initiate apoptosis. The outcomes of the MTT assay revealed that gold
nanoparticles, modified with Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) and loaded with Betulinic Acid (BA),
exhibited greater toxicity toward MDA-MB-231 cells as compared to HEK-293 cells. The
modification of gold nanoparticles enhanced the suppressive impact of BA on MDA-MB-231
cells, primarily attributed to increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and caused
change in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP)
