GREEN SYNTHESIS OF CHITOSAN-MEDIATED SILVER NANOCOMPOSITE USING PIPER BETEL STEM EXTRACT: EVALUATING ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTICANCER ACTIVITY

Objective: The integration of herb-based nanomedicine has gained significant attention, aiming to improve therapeutic outcomes while minimizing drug toxicity. Piper betel is a medicinal herb widely used in traditional therapy due to its potent anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Methods: P. betel stem extract is used to synthesize chitosan-mediated silver nanocomposite (AgNC). Characterization was done using UV-visible spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering with Zeta potential, and FESEM with energy dispersive X-ray. Its antibacterial activity was evaluated in Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli, as well as antioxidant diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and anti-inflammatory assays (egg albumin and bovine serum albumin) were performed. Further, its anticancer activity was evaluated in A549 and Henrietta Lacks (HeLa) cell lines. Results: AgNC exhibited a sharp surface plasmon resonance peak at 450 nm. FTIR analysis revealed various peaks. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed a soft-fibrous sheet-like morphology. In antibacterial activity, a significant zone of inhibition was observed against P. aeruginosa and E. coli (16 mm). In addition, AgNC exhibited inhibition of free radicals and protein denaturation. In anticancer activity, it showed greater activity against A549 (66.7±5.9 μg/mL) than HeLa (85.7±7.8 μg/mL), and reduced cell migration within 48 h at 80 μg/mL in A549 cell lines. Conclusion: These findings highlight AgNCs as the most promising candidates for biomedical applications, particularly for antibacterial and anticancer therapy. However, further investigations are required to elucidate the precise molecular mechanisms of therapeutic efficacies and modifications to enhance their anticancer activity.