Chromium chelated carrageenan: An investigation of physicochemical properties, toxicity, and antimicrobial potential through a computational and experimental approach

Carrageenan (car-) was extracted from Eucheuma isoforme and chelated with chromium ions (Cr³⁺) to evaluate its physicochemical properties, antimicrobial potential, and toxicity through both experimental and computational approaches. The antimicrobial activity of car- was assessed using agar-well diffusion and direct counting assays against bacterial and leishmanial pathogens. Computational tools, including PatchDock, SwissADME, Molinspiration, and GUSAR, were employed to analyze its interaction with microbial proteins, predict toxicity, and assess its medicinal properties. Adsorption studies revealed covalent bonding of Cr³ ⁺ to car-, with the best fit observed in the Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich models, confirming the adsorption mechanism. Molecular docking results demonstrated strong inhibitory activity of car- components against bacterial and leishmanial proteins. Furthermore, toxicity and prediction analyses indicated high biocompatibility with the human body. These findings establish car- as a promising candidate for antibacterial and antileishmanial applications.