فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

Objective(s): Eugenol, a natural phenolic compound, exhibits diverse biological properties, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. Magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgONPs) have emerged as efficient nanocarriers for drug delivery due to their biocompatibility and stability. This study investigated the anticancer potential of free eugenol and eugenol-loaded MgONPs (MgONPs@Eugenol) against MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells.Methods: MgONPs were synthesized and loaded with eugenol, followed by characterization using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), DLS, ZETA and Electron microscopy. The cytotoxic effects of free eugenol, bare MgONPs, and MgONPs@Eugenol were evaluated using the MTT assay in MDA-MB-231 cells and normal HUVEC cells. A scratch assay assessed cell migration, and gene expression analysis was conducted using qPCR to evaluate the expression of apoptosis-related (CASP3, CASP8, CASP9, Bcl-2) and oxidative stress-related genes (SOD2, CAT, GPx).Results: The nanoparticles exhibited a crystalline structure with an average size of 215.2 nm, a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.089, and a zeta potential of –15.48 mV. The results demonstrated that MgONPs@Eugenol significantly enhanced cytotoxicity, reduced cell migration, and promoted apoptosis compared to free eugenol in MDA-MB-231 cells. These effects were associated with the upregulation of pro-apoptotic genes (CASP3, CASP8, CASP9) and gene expression of antioxidant enzymes (SOD2, CAT, GPx), alongside the downregulation of the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2.Conclusions: Eugenol-loaded MgO nanoparticles exhibited superior anticancer activity compared to free eugenol, suggesting their potential as an effective nanocarrier-based therapeutic strategy for the treatment of breast cancer.