Synthesis of Silver Nanocomposite Based on Carboxymethyl Cellulose: Antibacterial, Antifungal and Anticancer Activities

Traditional cancer treatments include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. According to medical sources, chemotherapy is still the primary method for curing or treating cancer today and has been a major contributor to the recent decline in cancer mortality. Nanocomposites based on polymers and metal nanoparticles have recently received the attention of researchers. In the current study, a nanocomposite was fabricated based on carboxymethyl cellulose and silver nanoparticles (CMC-AgNPs) and their antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activities were evaluated. The antibacterial results revealed that CMC-AgNPs have promising antibacterial activity against Gram-negative (<i>Klebsiella oxytoca</i> and <i>Escherichia coli</i>) and Gram-positive bacteria (<i>Bacillus cereus</i> and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>). Moreover, CMC-AgNPs exhibited antifungal activity against filamentous fungi such as <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i>, <i>A. niger</i>, and <i>A. terreus.</i> Concerning the HepG2 hepatocellular cancer cell line, the lowest IC₅₀ values (7.9 ± 0.41 µg/mL) were recorded for CMC-AgNPs, suggesting a strong cytotoxic effect on liver cancer cells. As a result, our findings suggest that the antitumor effect of these CMC-Ag nanoparticles is due to the induction of apoptosis and necrosis in hepatic cancer cells via increased caspase-8 and -9 activities and diminished levels of VEGFR-2. In conclusion, CMC-AgNPs exhibited antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activities, which can be used in the pharmaceutical and medical fields.