Discussion
This study highlights promising biomedical applications of bakuchiol-mediated GNPs. This green synthesis approach using bakuchiol provides a sustainable method for producing nanoparticles with enhanced biological activities. Further exploration of the pharmacological properties and mechanisms of Bak-GNPs is required to optimize their therapeutic efficacy for clinical use.
Methods
Protein-protein interaction networks were analyzed to identify effective protein targets for bakuchiol in lung and liver cancers. A molecular docking study was performed to validate the efficacy of the target protein against lung and liver cancer. Furthermore, Bak-GNPs were synthesized using bakuchiol and characterized by various techniques such as UV-visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and their potential against pathogens and lung and liver cancers.
Results
GNAI3 emerged as the most promising target, with a binding energy of -7.5 kcal/mol compared to PTGER3's -6.9 kcal/mol, different characterization techniques revealed the successful synthesis of Bak-GNPs. Bak-GNPs exhibited potent antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as confirmed by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values. Bak-GNPs demonstrated significant anticancer effects on A549 (lung cancer) and HepG2 (liver cancer) cells, with IC50 values of 11.19 μg/mL and 6.6 μg/mL, respectively. Induction of apoptosis and inhibition of cell proliferation were observed in both the cell lines. The increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) contributes to its anticancer effects.