Green‐Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles on Mesoporous Silica‐Coated Carbon Nanotubes: Enhanced Dual Antibacterial and Anticancer Efficacy

This study reports the synthesis and evaluation of novel nanohybrids comprising multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) coated with mesoporous silica CNTs (MSCNTs) to facilitate uniform silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) formation. The extract of <i>Angelica gigas</i> Nakai processed by hot-melt extrusion (HAE) was employed as a green stabilizing and reducing agent for AgNP synthesis. The resulting MSCNT formulations were comprehensively characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) mapping, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). We investigated the influence of HAE concentration on AgNPs formation and distribution on MSCNTs and subsequently evaluated their synergistic effects against methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA). Antibacterial activity was assessed through minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), alongside biofilm formation inhibition and disruption activities. Our findings revealed that higher concentrations of HAE significantly improved the uniform distribution of AgNPs on MSCNTs, leading to enhanced antimicrobial activity against MRSA. Furthermore, the MSCNT-HAE formulations effectively inhibited and disrupted MRSA biofilm formation, a key mechanism of antibiotic resistance. Beyond their antibacterial properties, the cytotoxicity of these nanohybrids was evaluated against both normal human keratinocytes (HaCaT) and triple-negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cells. Further investigations into apoptosis, utilizing cell staining and flow cytometry (FACS), were conducted on MDA-MB-231 cells. The results demonstrated that the incorporation of HAE significantly enhanced the selective cytotoxic effects against cancer cells, promoting apoptosis. This research highlights the potential of green-synthesized AgNPs on MSCNTs as a promising dual-action therapeutic strategy for combating antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections and cancer.