Preparation of sulfur nanoparticles and their antibacterial activity and cytotoxic effect

Sulfur nanoparticles (SNPs) were prepared using sodium thiosulfate and hydrochloric acid, and the UV-visible spectrum showed the formation of nanoparticulate sulfur. The SNPs were characterized by UV-visible spectrophotometer, transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The antibacterial activity and the cytotoxic effects of the SNPs on the human lung carcinoma (A549), mouse colon carcinoma (CT26), Caco-2, and human fibroblast (CCD-986sk) cells were tested. In addition, the inhibitory effect of the SNPs on the cancer cell migration was evaluated. The SNPs capped with chitosan (SNP2) exhibited strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. SNP2 also effectively inhibited the proliferation and migration of cancer cells with minimal toxic effect on normal cells. SNP2 therefore has potential for medical applications, including those used as antibacterial and chemotherapeutic agents.