Green synthesis and characterization of ginger-extract-based oxali-palladium nanoparticles for colorectal cancer: Downregulation of REG4 and apoptosis induction

Colorectal cancer (CRC) continues to pose a significant challenge to healthcare systems, despite considerable advancements in the fields of medicine and pharmaceuticals. Palladium complexes, considered potential alternatives to platinum-based drugs for treating CRC, are being explored. Additionally, green chemistry, which enables the safe, reproducible, and environmentally friendly synthesis of drugs from natural sources, presents a promising avenue for oncological therapy. This study delves into the synthesis, characterization, and physicochemical properties of oxali-palladium nanoparticles (OxPd NPs) as a novel treatment for CRC using a green synthesis approach. Ginger extract, renowned for its antioxidant and anticancer properties, serves as the source material. The obtained results demonstrate that the synthesis and encapsulation of nanoparticles using ginger extract were conducted with an efficiency of 98%. The nanoparticles exhibited a size of approximately 30 nm and displayed a high level of stability. OxPd NPs were more lethal than ginger extract and free oxaliplatin, and this lethality was attributable to the elevated apoptosis rate. Furthermore, the addition of OxPd NPs to CRC cells resulted in significant alterations in the expression of two cancer-related genes, namely catalase and REG4. The pronounced lethal effect on the CRC cell line and the resulting modulation of gene expression highlight OxPd NPs as promising candidates for further investigation as potential drugs in the treatment of CRC.