Green Synthesis And Characterization Of Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Stabilized Silver Nanoparticles With Evaluation Of Antibacterial And Anticancer Activity

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles stabilized by carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-AgNPs) were produced through an environmentally friendly approach and subsequently examined using UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The UV-Visible spectrum revealed a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak at 426 nm, which confirms the successful synthesis of the nanoparticles. The crystalline nature of the synthesized nanoparticles was confirmed by XRD, and diffraction peaks were characteristic of the planes (111), (200), (220), (311), and (222) of face-centered cubic silver. The resultant crystallite sizes were in the range of 2.4–5.3 nm to support nanoscale dimensions. TEM analysis indicated well-dispersed ultrasmall nanoparticles with an average size of ~4 nm, which suggested the effective stabilization of CMC-induced nanoparticle formation and absence of agglomeration. SEM imaging depicted a quasi-spherical morphology with a consistent distribution throughout the CMC matrix. EDS spot analysis confirmed the presence of metallic silver, while area-scan spectra indicated the presence of carbon (C), oxygen (O), and trace elements linked to the polymer stabilizer. The biological effectiveness of CMC-AgNPs was evaluated against Propionibacterium acnes and MCF-7 breast cancer cells. In antibacterial assays, CMC-AgNPs showed no inhibitory effect on P. acnes at concentrations reaching 1000 nmol/well, whereas erythromycin (the positive control) consistently generated inhibition zones of 35 mm. In contrast, cytotoxicity assessments showed a concentration-dependent inhibition of MCF-7 cells, with an IC₅₀ value of 61.20 µg/mL, along with morphological changes indicative of apoptosis or necrosis. These findings suggest that  CMC-AgNPs were not effective against bacteria responsible for acne and they exhibited significant anticancer properties that highlighting the importance of nanoparticle surface chemistry in affecting biological activity.