Happy Kurnia Permatasari, Raisha Anis Fatiha, Christian Kencana Ngabdi, Jihan Salwa Azizah, Bayu Lestari, Soon Wei To, Nik Ahmad Nizam Nik Malek
Cervical cancer, primarily caused by persistent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection, is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality due to its propensity for resistance and metastasis. Ficus deltoidea, a medicinal plant rich in flavonoids and polyphenols, has demonstrated promising anticancer properties when formulated into silver nanoparticles. This study aimed to investigate the proapoptotic and antimetastatic effects of Ficus deltoidea-Silver Nanoparticles (FD-AgNPs) in HeLa cervical cancer cells. Cells were treated with FD-AgNPs at concentrations of 2.5, 5, and 10 μg/mL, with cisplatin 2.5 μg/mL as a positive control and a negative control group. Cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated using trypan blue and flow cytometry, while antimetastatic effects were assessed via a wound-healing assay and immunofluorescent detection of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) markers, such as Snail and vimentin. Results showed that FD-AgNPs significantly reduced HeLa cell viability (p = 0.0004) and increased apoptosis (p < 0.0001) in a dose-dependent manner. The highest concentration significantly inhibited cell migration compared to cisplatin (p < 0.001), downregulated Snail (p < 0.0001) and vimentin (p < 0.001), indicating EMT suppression. These findings highlight the dual action of FD-AgNPs in inducing apoptosis and inhibiting EMT-driven metastasis, supporting their potential as a safe and effective complementary therapy for cervical cancer. © 2025 The Author(s)
Biochemistry and Biomolecular Department, Faculty of Medicine, Brawijaya University, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Biomedical Science Master's Program, Faculty of Medicine, Brawijaya University, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Brawijaya University, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor, 81310, Malaysia; Centre for Sustainable Nanomaterials (CSNano), Ibnu Sina Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (ISI-ISIR), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor, 81310, Malaysia
