Quercetin loading CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles as efficient antibacterial and anticancer materials.

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Quercetin (Qe) exhibits anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anticancer properties.
• Low water solubility of Qe limits its bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy.
• Nanoparticle formulation offers a strategy to overcome Qe's solubility issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize quercetin/cadmium selenide/zinc sulfide nanoparticles (Qe/CdSe/ZnS NPs).
• To evaluate the antibacterial and anticancer activities of the synthesized nanoparticles.
• To investigate the mechanism of action for antibacterial and anticancer effects.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of Qe/CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles (QCZ NPs) with an average diameter of 10nm.
• In vitro antibacterial assays against drug-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis).
• In vivo studies for inflammation and lesion treatment.
• In vitro anticancer assays using MTT and RT-CES on BGC-823 cells.

Main Results:

• QCZ NPs demonstrated enhanced antibacterial activity against E. coli and B. subtilis compared to Qe or CdSe NPs alone.
• The nanoparticles disrupted bacterial cell walls and membranes.
• In vivo studies showed QCZ NPs effectively treated E. coli-induced inflammation and lesions.
• Anticancer assays revealed a 2-6 fold increase in cytotoxicity of QCZ NPs compared to Qe and CdSe NPs.
• QCZ NPs affected the migration and proliferation of BGC-823 cells.

Conclusions:

• Qe/CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles (QCZ NPs) represent a promising formulation for enhanced quercetin delivery.
• QCZ NPs exhibit significant antibacterial and anticancer potential.
• This nanoparticle system overcomes quercetin's poor solubility, improving its therapeutic applications.