Revealing the in vitro cytotoxicity potential of chitosan-mediated SiO2/ZnO nanocomposites on the human MCF-7 cell line

In this study, chitosan nanoparticles (CSNP) were composited with silicon dioxide and zinc oxide ( SiO2/ZnO) using the ionic-gelation process and sodium tripolyphosphate ( STPP) as a cross-linking agent. The prepared materials were characterized using XRD, SEM, FTIR, and PSA. The average crystalline sizes were calculated as 23, 22, and 83 nm for CSNP, CSNP-SiO2 NC, and CSNP-SiO2/ZnO NC, respectively. The morphology of CSNP, CSNP-SiO2 NC, and CSNP-SiO2/ZnO NC was observed to be rod, spherical, and prismatic, which can significantly impact on biomedical applications. The FTIR results indicated that SiO2 and ZnO were well incorporated into chitosan, suggesting that SiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles were evenly dispersed throughout the chitosan matrix and chemically bonded into the CSNP. The anticancer efficacy of the prepared samples was tested in MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines at concentrations ranging from 7.8 to 1000 (mu g/mL). The samples revealed a dose-dependent inhibitory effect with the maximum effect occurring at 1000 mu g/mL. Among the three, CSNP-SiO2/ZnO NC showed the most pronounced anticancer efficacy compared to CSNP and CSNP-SiO2 NC.