Gold nanocages co-assembled with Spinacia oleracea extract combined photothermal/photodynamic therapy in 4T1 breast cancer cell line

Abstract Photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) have been emerging as potential alternatives to conventional cancer treatment modalities. Gold nanoparticles, owing to their surface plasmon resonance properties, have been promising in cancer phototherapies, and extracts from potentially medicinal plants are commonly employed for the green synthesis of various nanoparticles. Some researchers also have been using chlorophyll as the photosensitizer for reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. In this research, the photothermal ability of gold and the photon-absorbing capability of chlorophyll are combined to achieve the optimum results. Herein, we have synthesized the gold nanocages co-assembled with Spinacia oleracea extract (AuSP NCs; 70±10 nm) to be employed as a PTT and PDT agent to treat triple-negative breast cancer. This study found that AuSP NCs are promising PTT and PDT agents against breast cancer cell lines (4T1).