New Eco-Friendly, Biocompatible, Bactericidal, Fungicidal and Anticancer-Activity-Exhibiting Nanocomposites Based on Bimetallic TiO 2 @Cr 2 O 3 Nanoparticle Core and Biopolymer Shells.

Nanoparticles have attracted substantial attention for their diverse range of applications, particularly in biomedicine applications and drug delivery, owing to their unique properties. However, their tiny size facilitates easy cellular entry, which can also lead to interactions with cellular components, potentially resulting in toxicity and undesirable effects. In this study, a novel nanocomposite formulation was developed using biopolymers, specifically ethylcellulose and collagen, as capping and stabilizing agents to create bimetallic nanoparticles including TiO₂@Cr₂O₃ nanoparticles. Physicochemical and morphological analyses were carried out to validate the formulation's structure. The obtained characteristics emphasized the presence of a nanostructure involving bimetallic nanoparticles. This formulation exhibited excellent biological activity, including high biocompatibility with Vero and WI38 cells at concentrations of 40.4 and 52 µg/mL, respectively, as well as effective anticancer activity with significant selectivity. The IC50 values were determined to be 19 and 22 µg/mL for MCF7 and A549 cells, respectively. The antimicrobial assessment revealed the highest MIC value for A. niger at 50 µg/mL, while the lowest MIC value was observed for Gram-positive bacteria at 3.12 µg/mL. Additionally, the nanocomposite demonstrated antioxidant activity at a low concentration of 1.5 µg/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]