The Effects of Baicalin-Conjugated Gold Nanoparticles for Inducing Apoptosis of Cervical Cancer Cells

Baicalin (BC), the major flavonoid of Scutellariae baicalensis Georgi, has been shown to inhibit the growth of various human cancer cell lines. We examined the effects of Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) conjugated with thiolated beta cyclodextrin (AuNP-S-beta-CD) as a delivery vehicle in this study. The inhibitory effect of BC on the growth of HeLa cells was measured using a cell counting kit (CCK-8) and LIVE/DEAD cell assay; Hoechst 33342 staining and electrophoresis were used to explore the mechanism underlying cell inhibition. The formation of AuNPs and AuNP-S-beta-CD-BC was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, and ultraviolet visible spectroscopy. The ability of AuNP-S-beta-CD-BC to induce apoptosis of HeLa cells was examined by CCK-8 assay and western blot. BC was shown to significantly inhibit the proliferation of HeLa cells via induction of apoptotic DNA fragmentation. Similar effects were seen following treatment with AuNP-S-beta-CD, including a significant decrease in the proliferation of HeLa cells compared with controls (P < 0.001). According to western blot analysis, there was increased expression of Apaf-1 and cleavage of caspase-3 in response to AuNP-SH-beta-CD-BC relative to controls. Taken together, these findings indicate that AuNP-S-beta-CD-BC inhibited the proliferation of HeLa cells by inducing apoptosis, making AuNP-S-beta-CD-BC could be a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of cervical cancer.