Design and characterization of SrO₂-CMC-Dcar nanocomposite with enhanced antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant...

HeLa cervical cancer cells exhibit high aggressiveness and proliferation, highlighting the need for novel therapies. Nanocomposite synthesis offers a promising approach due to its enhanced bioavailability, targeted delivery, and selective cytotoxicity. Thus, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and D-carvone (Dcar)-coated strontium oxide (SrO₂) (SrO₂-CMC-Dcar) nanocomposite were synthesized using a wet chemical method. Structural and morphological characterization using XRD, FTIR, PL spectroscopy, DLS, HRTEM, and XPS confirmed the successful synthesis of the nanocomposite. XRD analysis revealed that the crystallite sizes of SrO₂ and SrO₂-CMC-Dcar were 38 nm and 29 nm, respectively. PL spectra revealed prominent green emission at 516, 524, and 535 nm, indicating that oxygen vacancies are associated with ROS generation. DLS analysis revealed that pure SrO₂ exhibited a particle size distribution of 128.7 nm, while the SrO₂-CMC-Dcar nanocomposite showed an increased size of 244.80 nm. The nanocomposite demonstrated an enhanced antimicrobial activity against MRSA and Candida albicans when compared to SrO₂ alone. Furthermore, MTT assay results revealed that the SrO₂-CMC-Dcar composite significantly decreased HeLa cell viability to 11.94%, and the IC₅₀ value was found to be 50.2 and 39.7 for SrO₂ and nanocomposite SrO₂-CMC-Dcar, respectively, confirming it enhanced anticancer potential. In addition, the SrO₂-CMC-Dcar nanocomposite exhibited enhanced antioxidant properties demonstrated by DPPH free radical scavenging assays. These findings suggest that the SrO₂-CMC-Dcar nanocomposite holds promise for therapeutic applications in combating cancer, microbial infections, and oxidative stress.