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Antitumour, antimicrobial and catalytic activity of gold nanoparticles synthesized by different pH propolis extracts

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Abstract

The Romanian propolis was extracted in five different media, respectively, in water (pH 6.8), glycine buffer (pH 2.5), acetate buffer (pH 5), phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) and carbonate buffer (pH 9.2). The extracts presented different amounts of flavonoids and phenolic acids, increasing pH leading to higher concentrations of active compounds. Five variants of gold nanoparticles suspensions based on different pH Romanian propolis aqueous extracts were successfully synthesized. The obtained nanoparticles presented dimensions between 20 and 60 nm in dispersion form and around 18 nm in dried form, and different morphologies (spherical, hexagonal, triangular). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy proved the attachment of organic compounds from propolis extracts to the colloidal gold suspensions and X-ray diffraction certified that the suspensions contain metallic gold. The obtained propolis gold nanoparticles do not exhibit any antibacterial or antifungal activity, but presented different catalytic activities and toxicity on tumour cells.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by NUCLEU-BIODIV-PN 09-360101/2009 under the authority of Romanian Agency for Scientific Research. The authors are grateful to Dr. Gabriela Negroiu from the Institute of Biochemistry of Romanian Academy, who kindly provided us the MEL-JUSO cell line.

Funding

All the funds are provided by Romanian Agency for Scientific Research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre of Bioanalysis, National Institute for Biological Sciences, 296 Spl. Independentei, 060031, Bucharest, Romania

    Florentina Gatea & Eugenia Dumitra Teodor

  2. Cellular and Molecular Biology Department, National Institute for Biological Sciences, 296 Spl. Independentei, 060031, Bucharest, Romania

    Ana-Maria Seciu & Sorin Mănoiu

  3. SARA Pharm Solutions, 266-268 Cal. Rahovei, 050912, Bucharest, Romania

    Ovidiu Ilie Covaci

  4. Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 1-3 Aleea Portocalilor, 060101, Bucharest, Romania

    Veronica Lazăr

  5. Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University “Politehnica” Bucharest, 1-7 Polizu Str., 011061, Bucharest, Romania

    Gabriel Lucian Radu

Authors
  1. Florentina Gatea
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  2. Eugenia Dumitra Teodor
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  3. Ana-Maria Seciu
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  4. Ovidiu Ilie Covaci
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  5. Sorin Mănoiu
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  6. Veronica Lazăr
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Correspondence to Eugenia Dumitra Teodor.

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Gatea, F., Teodor, E.D., Seciu, AM. et al. Antitumour, antimicrobial and catalytic activity of gold nanoparticles synthesized by different pH propolis extracts. J Nanopart Res 17, 320 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-015-3127-x

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