Abstract
Nanotechnology and nanoparticles (NPs) have increasingly been studied as an alternative for antibiotics because of the feasibility to be used in implantable devices both for bacterial detection and infection prevention. The low rate of resistance development against NPs because of its multiple mode of action has contributed to its increased acceptance in clinical setting. Further development of NPs and their anticancer activity against many human cancer cell lines including breast and ovarian have been documented. Fe2O3-NPs could be used for antibacterial and anticancer activity assessment. Iron oxide, apart from being available extensively and cheap, also plays a role in multiple biological processes, making it an interesting metal for NPs. The aim of the present study revolves around generation and characterization of iron oxide Fe2O3-NPs, followed by assessment of its antimicrobial and anticancer activities. Synthesis of Fe2O3-NPs was performed by hydrothermal approach, and its characterization was done by UV-visible, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Antimicrobial activity was checked by agar diffusion assay against Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans. Anticancer activity of the NPs was assessed using the human cancer cell lines including cervical carcinoma cell line (HeLa) and MCF7. The developed Fe2O3-NPs exhibited a characteristic absorption curve in the 500-600 nm wavelength range by UV-visible analysis, the XRD peaks were found to index the rhombohedral shape, and the FTIR analysis ascertained the bonds and functional groups at wavenumber from 400 to 4000 cm-1. Antimicrobial assay detected significant effect against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis with zones of inhibition: 21 and 22 mm, respectively. Likewise, Fe2O3-NPs show good activity towards tested fungal strain Candida albicans with zone of inhibition of 24 mm. The 2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay identified significant anticancer activity of the NPs against both cell lines. Our study documents the successful generation and characterization of Fe2O3-NPs having excellent antimicrobial and anticancer activities.
Highlights
Nanotechnology, as a technology-fueled science, has recently gained enormous attention because of the ability to engineer functional systems including drug delivery systems and diagnostic fundamentals in molecular size, which form the pillars of nanomedicine that has designed many successful drug delivery systems to mankind [1]
The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) in the year 2000 by the US National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) facilitated the realization and translation of nanotechnology in clinical settings, and since multiple studies have recorded the significance of NPs in respiratory diseases, kidney diseases, and antibacterial and anticancer agents [6–8]
The association of nanotechnology and NPs is slated to ease many of the biological and healthcare issues as physiological activities do occur in the nanoscale
Summary
Nanotechnology, as a technology-fueled science, has recently gained enormous attention because of the ability to engineer functional systems including drug delivery systems and diagnostic fundamentals in molecular size, which form the pillars of nanomedicine that has designed many successful drug delivery systems to mankind [1]. Nanotechnology has been successfully implemented to design novel drug delivery systems using nanoparticles (NPs) which have today contributed to precision medicine. Advances in nanoparticle designs have ensured the NPs can overcome the heterogenous delivery barriers and can intelligently improve efficacy [2]. NPs have successfully aided in reducing drug toxicity and side effects due to high efficacy delivery that ensures therapeutic potential in minimal dosage, supports sustained drug release, and alters drug distribution, as well as clearance [5]. The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) in the year 2000 by the US National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) facilitated the realization and translation of nanotechnology in clinical settings, and since multiple studies have recorded the significance of NPs in respiratory diseases, kidney diseases, and antibacterial and anticancer agents [6–8]. Research has documented significant strides in application of NPs, the translation at patient levels is low majorly due to patient heterogeneity, as well as difference in physiology between animals and humans [9]
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