Anthocyanin enhancement of pitaya-induced callus via green synthesized selenium nanoparticles for lung anticancer activity

Heikal, Alaa; Ahmed, Eman A.M.; Elsheikh, Mai S.; Taha, Hussein S.

doi:10.21608/epj.2025.413869

Anthocyanin enhancement of pitaya-induced callus via green synthesized selenium nanoparticles for lung anticancer activity

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Plant Biotechnology, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt

² Department of Complementary Medicine, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt

10.21608/epj.2025.413869

Abstract

Background
Lung cancer has the highest mortality rates and is a major public health concern. It is the primary cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Patients at various stages of lung cancer urgently need access to natural experimental therapies that do not cause any negative side effects.
Objective
The present study increased the anthocyanin content in the induced callus of Pitaya species Hylocereus polyrhizus and Hylocereus costaricensis. It positively affected the viability and proliferation/migration of wi38 lung cells, resulting in lung anticancer activity in in vitro bioassay evaluation.
Materials and methods
For induction of callus of pitaya plant spp. (H. polyrhizus, and H. costaricensis), different combinations of growth regulators combined with Selenium nanoparticles were experimented. Anthocyanin accumulation in the selected callus was enhanced through bio-synthesized selenium nanoparticles at different concentrations (10, 20, 30, and 40) ppm.
Results and conclusion
High-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed the presence of the two active compounds; Delphinidin-3-O-glycosides and Pelargonidin-3-O-glycosides at (3.18, 6.54 μg/gm), respectively from pitaya callus sp. H. polyrhizus and three active compounds; Delphinidin-3-O-glycosides, Peonidin-3-O-glycosides, and Cyanidin-3-O-glycosides at (4.66, 10.85 and13.79 μg/gm), respectively from pitaya callus sp. H. costaricensi. The lung anticancer activity was observed with sp’s highest growth inhibition activity. H. polyrhizus extract on lung cancer cells (wi38) with IC50 of 309.54±2.69 μg/ml. and the highest growth inhibition activity of the sp. H. costaricensis extract was with IC 50 of 348.2±6.71 μg/ml.

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