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Published on: June 13, 2014
Seaweed polysaccharide derived bioaldehyde nanocomposite: Potential application in anticancer therapeutics
Faisal Kholiya1, Shruti Chatterjee2, Gopal Bhojani3
1Natural Products & Green Chemistry Division, CSIR-Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute, G. B Marg, Bhavnagar, 364002, Gujarat, India.
Seaweed polysaccharides were used to create agar aldehyde-mediated solid silver nanocomposites (Aald-AgNPs) with significant anticancer and antibacterial properties. These novel nanoparticles effectively reduced tumor volume in mice and showed no toxicity to normal cells, offering a promising new avenue for cancer therapeutics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Seaweed polysaccharides offer a sustainable source for novel biomaterials.
- Developing effective and non-toxic cancer therapeutics is a critical challenge in medicine.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize agar aldehyde (Aald) from seaweed polysaccharides.
- To prepare and characterize Aald-mediated solid silver nanocomposites (Aald-AgNPs).
- To evaluate the in vitro and in vivo anticancer and antibacterial activities of Aald-AgNPs.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of agar aldehyde from seaweed polysaccharide.
- Preparation of Aald-AgNPs and characterization using FTIR, XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, and UV-vis spectroscopy.
- In vitro cytotoxicity assays against cancer cell lines and normal mesenchymal stem cells.
- In vivo anticancer efficacy assessment in ME-180, Colon-26, and HL-60 xenograft mouse models.
Main Results:
- Aald-AgNPs demonstrated significant in vitro anticancer activity against three cancer cell lines by inducing cell death mechanisms.
- In vivo studies showed substantial tumor volume reduction (64%, 27.3%, 51%) in xenograft models with high survival rates (83-100%).
- Aald-AgNPs exhibited potent antibacterial activity and showed no significant toxicity to normal bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.
Conclusions:
- Aald-AgNPs are effective anticancer and antibacterial agents derived from sustainable seaweed resources.
- The study highlights the potential of seaweed-derived polymers in developing novel nanocomposite therapeutics.
- Aald-AgNPs represent a promising, non-toxic alternative for cancer treatment development.

