Unveiling the cytotoxicity of phytosynthesised silver nanoparticles using Tinospora cordifolia leaves against human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cell line

Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using plant extract is a cheap, easily accessible and natural process in which the phyto‐constituents of the plants act as capping, stabilising and reducing agent. The present study explored the biosynthesis of AgNPs using aqueous leaf extract of Tinospora cordifolia and characterised via various techniques such as Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X‐ray analysis and X‐ray diffraction. Here, TEM confirmed the spherical morphology with 25–50 nm size of synthesised AgNPs. Further, anticancer efficiency of AgNPs synthesised using T. cordifolia leaves were evaluated against human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 by MTT, trypan blue assay, apoptotic morphological changes using Annexin V‐FITC and Propidium iodide (PI), nuclear morphological changes by DAPI (4, 6‐diamidino‐2‐phenylindole dihydrochloride) staining, reactive oxygen species generation and mitochondrial membrane potential determination. Results confirmed the AgNPs synthesised using T. cordifolia leaves are found to be highly toxic against human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549.Inspec keywords: toxicology, cellular biophysics, cancer, silver, biomembranes, drugs, nanofabrication, nanoparticles, transmission electron microscopy, drug delivery systems, nanomedicine, lung, biomedical materials, antibacterial activity, X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectra, scanning‐transmission electron microscopyOther keywords: cytotoxicity, phytosynthesised silver nanoparticles, A549 cell line, biosynthesis, aqueous leaf, transmission electron microscopy, TEM, X‐ray analysis, X‐ray diffraction, spherical morphology, human lung adenocarcinoma cell line, nuclear morphological changes, 4, 6‐diamidino‐2‐phenylindole dihydrochloride, Tinospora cordifolia leaves, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, energy dispersive X‐ray analysis, Ag, size 25.0 nm to 50.0 nm, anticancer efficiency, trypan blue assay, propidium iodide, Annexin V‐FITC, DAPI staining, reactive oxygen species generation, mitochondrial membrane potential determination