Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are considered beneficial in the field of biomedicine and in the development of therapeutic nanomedicine products. In the present study, Vitis vinifera. L (grapes) peel polyphenols were utilized as reducing and stabilizing agents for the biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles, and their cytotoxicity and apoptotic effects were assessed. The synthesized gold nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Visible spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Particle size distribution, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and zeta potential analysis. TEM analysis confirmed that the nanoparticles were spherical with similar to 20-40 nm in size. Particle size distribution revealed similar to 50 +/- 5 nm nanoparticles and FTIR confirmed the presence of polyphenols capped onto the peel gold nanoparticles. The V. vinifera peel gold nanoparticles were studied for their antiproliferative activities and induction of apoptosis at the inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 23.6 mu M. A431 cell lines incubated with V. vinifera peel gold nanoparticles for 24 h exhibited cytotoxicity activity mediated by increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, apoptotic morphological changes and loss of membrane potential significantly (p < 0.01). Thus, the cytotoxicity of the gold nanoparticles could be attributed to the synergistic effects of the phenolic moieties of the V. vinifera peels and the efficiency of the bioconjugated gold nanoparticles causing apoptosis and secondary necrosis. (C) 2017 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. and The Society of Powder Technology Japan. All rights reserved.