Tehran University of Medical Sciences Nanomedicine Research Journal 2476-3489 11 2 2026 06 01 Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized from Rhamnus persica Induce Apoptosis and Transcriptional Changes in ECM-Associated Genes 177 187 741400 10.22034/nmrj.2026.02.008 EN Amir Mohammad Bayat Department of Biology, ET.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Mahsa Kavousi Department of Biology, ET.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2025 11 17 Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive breast cancer subtypes and is associated with limited therapeutic options and poor clinical outcomes. The development of green nanotechnology-based delivery systems has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance the biological performance of plant-derived bioactive compounds. In the present study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesized from Rhamnus persica leaf extract using an environmentally friendly precipitation approach and characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and electron microscopy.<br>The biological activity of the synthesized AgNPs was investigated in MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cells. Cell viability was determined using the MTT assay, apoptotic cell death was quantified by Annexin V-FITC/PI flow cytometry, and the transcriptional expression of apoptosis-related genes (Caspase-3 and Caspase-9) together with extracellular matrix-associated genes (MMP2 and MMP9) was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR.<br>Compared with the crude plant extract, R. persica-mediated AgNPs demonstrated markedly enhanced cytotoxic activity, yielding an IC₅₀ value of 9.45 μg/mL. Flow cytometric analysis confirmed a substantial increase in apoptotic cell populations following nanoparticle treatment, whereas only a limited proportion of cells underwent necrosis.<br>Gene expression analysis revealed significant transcriptional upregulation of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 accompanied by reduced expression of MMP2 and MMP9. Because these measurements were confined to mRNA expression, they should be interpreted as molecular findings and not as evidence of functional changes in cell migration or invasion. Collectively, these results indicate that biosynthesized R. persica AgNPs enhance the cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic effects of the plant extract against TNBC cells while providing preliminary molecular evidence to support future mechanistic and translational investigations. https://www.nanomedicine-rj.com/article_741400_0e8aa38004747000b5b100b3dbfee6f8.pdf