Supramolecular nanogels based on gelatin–cyclodextrin-stabilized silver nanocomposites with antibacterial and anticancer properties

An effective method for reducing silver ions using gelatin (Gel) and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) hydrogels, which stabilize silver at various concentrations is described. The formation of AgNPs in solution, as well as Gel-HPCD nanogels, is confirmed by the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band at 420–440 nm in the UV–Vis spectrum. The resulting Gel-HPCD and Gel-HPCD/AgNPs composites are characterized using various techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). SEM images showed that the porous structure and the AgNPs are homogeneously dispersed throughout the Gel-HPCD/AgNP composites network. The AgNPs in the Gel-HPCD/AgNPs composite is crystalline, with spherical particles having an average size of 7.0 ± 2.5 nm, as determined by TEM. The Gel-HPCD/AgNPs composites are strongly effective against both gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. The assembled antibacterial Gel-HPCD/AgNPs composites are also assessed for their cytotoxic and anticancer activities using HCT-116 cancer cells. The results suggest that Gel-HPCD/AgNPs composites could be used as effective therapeutics in the future in tissue engineering applications, as their bactericidal properties and low toxicity make them ideal for clinical use.