Novel drug delivery materials: Chitosan polymers conjugated with <i>Spondias pinnata</i> phytocompounds for enhanced anti‐microbial and anti‐cancer properties

Abstract The current study aimed to investigate the drug delivery potential of chitosan‐conjugated Spondias pinnata phytocompounds for anticancer and antibacterial applications. The phytochemical composition of the aqueous extract of S. pinnata plant leaves revealed seven major compounds, including stearic acid, 2H‐Indol‐2‐one, beta amyrin, oleic acid, octadecanoic acid, 7‐hexadecenoic acid, and phytol. Additionally, five minor compounds were identified through GC–MS analysis. SEM analysis of chitosan‐conjugated S. pinnata phytocompounds revealed amorphous particles. This demonstrates the attainment of optimized larger crystallites, which differ in size and shape extensively. The antioxidant potential of both the chitosan‐conjugated S. pinnata phytocompounds and S. pinnata leaf extracts was evaluated via DPPH and ABTS assays, and the results revealed that the chitosan‐conjugated S. pinnata phytocompounds exhibited significant scavenging activity, with IC 50 values of 18.20 and 33.15 μg/mL, respectively. Chitosan‐conjugated S. pinnata phytocompounds also demonstrated antibacterial activity against four clinically significant infections, with zones of inhibition ranging from 16 ± 0.07, 19 ± 0.10, 17 ± 0.09, and 19 ± 0.11 mm against Escherichia coli (MTCC 452), Salmonella typhi (MTCC 733), Klebsiella pneumonia (MTCC 39), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 1688), respectively. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of the chitosan‐conjugated S. pinnata phytocompounds was assessed against A549 lung cancer cells, and the results revealed a significant reduction in cell viability (33.85) at higher concentrations of 150 μg/mL. The IC 50 values of S. pinnata leaf extract (149.2 mg/mL) and chitosan‐conjugated S. pinnata (126.4 mg/mL) toward A549 lung cancer cells were recorded. Overall, the results of the present study highlight the therapeutic applications of chitosan‐conjugated S. pinnata phytocompounds, particularly in the context of their anticancer and antibacterial activities.