Synthesis of M-Ag(3)PO(4), (M = Se, Ag, Ta) Nanoparticles and Their Antibacterial and Cytotoxicity Study

Silver Phosphate, Ag(3)PO(4), being a highly capable clinical molecule, an ultrasonic method was employed to synthesize the M-Ag(3)PO(4,) (M = Se, Ag, Ta) nanoparticles which were evaluated for antibacterial and cytotoxicity activities post-characterization. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were used for antibacterial testing and the effects of sonication on bacterial growth with sub-MIC values of M-Ag(3)PO(4) nanoparticles were examined. The effect of M-Ag(3)PO(4) nanoparticles on human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT-116) and human cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa cells) was examined by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) assay and DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining. Additionally, we analyzed the effect of nanoparticles on normal and non-cancerous human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293). Ag-Ag(3)PO(4) exhibited enhanced antibacterial activity followed by Ta-Ag(3)PO(4,) Ag(3)PO(4), and Se-Ag(3)PO(4) nanoparticles against E. coli. Whereas the order of antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus was Ag(3)PO(4) > Ag-Ag(3)PO(4) > Ta-Ag(3)PO(4) > Se-Ag(3)PO(4), respectively. Percentage inhibition of E. coli was 98.27, 74.38, 100, and 94.2%, while percentage inhibition of S. aureus was 25.53, 80.28, 99.36, and 20.22% after treatment with Ag(3)PO(4), Se-Ag(3)PO(4), Ag-Ag(3)PO(4), and Ta-Ag(3)PO(4,) respectively. The MTT assay shows a significant decline in the cell viability after treating with M-Ag(3)PO(4) nanoparticles. The IC(50) values for Ag(3)PO(4,) Se-Ag(3)PO(4,) Ag-Ag(3)PO(4), and Ta-Ag(3)PO(4) on HCT-116 were 39.44, 28.33, 60.24, 58.34 µg/mL; whereas for HeLa cells, they were 65.25, 61.27, 75.52, 72.82 µg/mL, respectively. M-Ag(3)PO(4) nanoparticles did not inhibit HEK-293 cells. Apoptotic assay revealed that the numbers of DAPI stained cells were significantly lower in the M-Ag(3)PO(4)-treated cells versus control.