This article reports the toxicological effects of synthesized
cadmium oxide (CdO) nanostructures via a simple green route using a Polygala tenuifolia root extract on normal and renal
tumor cells. First, the formation of
cadmium oxide nanostructures were confirmed structurally by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The
powder was crystallized in a cubic structure with a space group of Fm-3m. The mean crystallize size was approximately 40 and 44nm from the Scherrer and size-strain plots, respectively. The surface states of the
cadmium oxide nanostructure using the O 1s and Cd 3d spectra were analyzed by XPS. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the simple green route resulted in various morphologies of synthesized
cadmium oxide, such as trigonal-, tetrahedron-, and sheet-like structures. Finally, the toxic effects of the
cadmium oxide nanostructures on Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial cells (MDCK cells), as well as the human
renal cancer cell line (Caki-2 cells) were investigated using a SRB assay and two-color flow cytometry analysis. The
cadmium oxide nanostructures showed significant cell growth inhibition in normal and also
tumor cells in a dose-dependent manner. On the other hand, the inhibition was higher in the
cancer cells compared to the normal cells.