Efficient anticancer properties of cerium doped zinc chromite nanoparticles over cisplatin for breast cancer cells.

In the present work, host and cerium-doped Zinc chromite nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesized by solution combustion method using Aloe Vera gel extract. The synthesized samples are characterized with different techniques. The Bragg reflections of ZnCr2O4:Ce (0–9 mol%) NPs confirms the formation of pure spinel cubic structure. The crystallite size, lattice strain, crystallinity, dislocation density were determined using Scherrer's and W–H plot method. The direct energy band gap was tuned from 3 to 2.8 eV. The direct energy band gap was found to decrease with increase in the dopant concentration. The cytotoxic properties of ZnCr2O4:Ce (0–9 mol%) NPs were tested against breast cancer cell (MDA-MB-231) and compared with that of Cisplatin, a standard drug. From the MTT assay, it is confirmed that the MDA-MB-231 cells are more sensitive to doped ZnCr2O4: Ce (1–9 mol%) NPs than the host matrix as well as with the standard drug Cisplatin. Compared to other dopant concentrations, the efficiency of ZnCr2O4: Ce (9 mol%) is more than that of the cisplatin and hence this can be used as the substitute for the cisplatin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]