Development of a versatile biomaterial of chitosan polymer/ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) extract/ZnO bionanocomposite: physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity, and breast cancer therapy

Abstract

In the present study, a versatile biomaterial of chitosan polymer/ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) extract/ZnO bionanocomposite (CS/GE/ZnO) was formulated. The physicochemical characteristics of the CS/GE/ZnO were examined using a variety of techniques, including Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), elemental analysis (CHN), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The elemental analysis indicated that CS/GE/ZnO comprised 22.82% carbon, 4.17% hydrogen, 2.32% nitrogen, and 70.69% oxygen. The BET analysis indicated that CS/GE/ZnO possesses a specific surface area of 11.41 m²/g and a total pore volume of 0.0596 cm³/g. The CS/GE/ZnO exhibits a mesoporous structure with a mean pore diameter (20.91 nm). By analyzing the cytotoxicity and antioxidant properties of the CS/GE/ZnO biomaterial on a breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231), its biological activity was determined. In contrast to the standard ascorbic acid (78.08%), the CS/GE/ZnO biomaterial demonstrated an exceptional DPPH radical scavenging efficiency of 78.66%. An IC50 value of 103 μg/mL was determined through MTT assay research on breast cancer investigations involving CS/GE/ZnO and the MDA-MB-231 cell line. The CS/GE/ZnO biomaterial demonstrates efficacy as a chemotherapeutic agent against breast cancer cells, as evidenced by the results. The performance and structure of the CS/GE/ZnO biomaterial indicate potential advancements in nanomaterials for biomedical applications.