article · Polymers
A nanocomposite combining carboxymethyl cellulose with silver nanoparticles was fabricated and evaluated for its biological activities. In laboratory testing, the composite demonstrated antibacterial effectiveness against Gram-negative bacteria, specifically Klebsiella oxytoca and Escherichia coli, as well as Gram-positive bacteria, including Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. It also showed antifungal effects against filamentous fungal species, namely Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus terreus. In tests on HepG2 hepatocellular cancer cells, the nanocomposite displayed strong cytotoxicity, yielding an IC50 value of 7.9 micrograms per millilitre. This antitumour effect was linked to the induction of cell apoptosis and necrosis, marked by elevated caspase-8 and caspase-9 activities alongside reduced levels of VEGFR-2. Overall, the material exhibits combined antimicrobial and anticancer properties with potential utility in the medical and pharmaceutical sectors.
Infectious pathogens and cancer remain major global healthcare challenges. By combining silver nanoparticles with carboxymethyl cellulose into a single material, this study demonstrates a composite that can simultaneously inhibit diverse bacterial and fungal strains while killing liver cancer cells in laboratory models. Such multifunctional materials could help inform future treatments that address infection and malignant cell growth.
The findings suggest potential applications for pharmaceutical and biomedical developers seeking new antimicrobial agents or liver cancer therapies. However, because the study is limited to in vitro laboratory assays on cell lines and microbial cultures, the technology is at an early stage of research and requires extensive further development before clinical or commercial translation.
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Traditional cancer treatments include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. According to medical sources, chemotherapy is still the primary method for curing or treating cancer today and has been a major contributor to the recent decline in cancer mortality. Nanocomposites based on polymers and metal nanoparticles have recently received the attention of researchers. In the current study, a nanocomposite was fabricated based on carboxymethyl cellulose and silver nanoparticles (CMC-AgNPs) and their antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activities were evaluated. The antibacterial results revealed that CMC-AgNPs have promising antibacterial activity against Gram-negative (Klebsiella oxytoca and Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus). Moreover, CMC-AgNPs exhibited antifungal activity against filamentous fungi such as Aspergillus fumigatus, A. niger, and A. terreus. Concerning the HepG2 hepatocellular cancer cell line, the lowest IC50 values (7.9 ± 0.41 µg/mL) were recorded for CMC-AgNPs, suggesting a strong cytotoxic effect on liver cancer cells. As a result, our findings suggest that the antitumor effect of these CMC-Ag nanoparticles is due to the induction of apoptosis and necrosis in hepatic cancer cells via increased caspase-8 and -9 activities and diminished levels of VEGFR-2. In conclusion, CMC-AgNPs exhibited antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activities, which can be used in the pharmaceutical and medical fields.
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DOI: 10.3390/polym14163352
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