Search

Nanotechnology provides areas that vary from conventional chemistry innovations to medical and climate technologies with productive applications. In practice, NPs have been synthesized by physical and chemical processes, including hydrothermal pyrolysis, spray pyrolysis, sonochemical, sol-gel, coprecipitation, and so on, using different chemical agents to minimize and maintain the harsh conditions of different chemicals to control the properties of the generated nanomaterials. NPs have been used as toxic agents. Biological synthesis is emerging as a green and safe method for synthesizing metal/metal oxide NPs with precursor materials from plants and microbes. Green synthesis of nanomaterials has emerged as an eco-friendly and alternative approach for the synthesis of novel nano-materials with great potential in medical and pharmaceutical applications. The nanomaterials generated from biomolecules, plant extract, algae, and microorganisms have been given considerable appreciation. It is believed the phytochemicals, alkaloids, flavonoids, and sugar compounds content to act as reducing and stabilization agents to prevent the agglomeration of the nanoparticles.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the fatal causes of global cancer-related deaths. Although surgery and chemotherapy are standard treatment options, post-treatment outcomes often end in a poor prognosis. In the present study, we investigated anti-pancreatic cancer and amelioration of radiation-induced oxidative damage by crocin. Crocin is a carotenoid isolated from the dietary herb saffron, a prospect for novel leads as an anti-cancer agent. Crocin significantly reduced cell viability of BXPC3 and Capan-2 by triggering caspase signaling via the downregulation of Bcl-2. It modulated the expression of cell cycle signaling proteins P53, P21, P27, CDK2, c-MYC, Cyt-c and P38. Concomitantly, crocin treatment-induced apoptosis by inducing the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytosol. Microarray analysis of the expression signature of genes induced by crocin showed a substantial number of genes involved in cell signaling pathways and checkpoints (723) are significantly affected by crocin. In mice bearing pancreatic tumors, crocin significantly reduced tumor burden without a change in body weight. Additionally, it showed significant protection against radiation-induced hepatic oxidative damage, reduced the levels of hepatic toxicity and preserved liver morphology. These findings indicate that crocin has a potential role in the treatment, prevention and management of pancreatic cancer.