Total Bio-Based Material for Drug Delivery and Iron Chelation to Fight Cancer through Antimicrobial Activity

Bacterial involvement in cancer's development, along with their impact on therapeutic interventions, has been increasingly recognized. This has prompted the development of novel strategiesto disrupt essential biological processes in microbial cells. Among these approaches, metal-chelatingagents have gained attention for their ability to hinder microbial metal metabolism and impedecritical reactions. Nanotechnology has also contributed to the antibacterial field by offering variousnanomaterials, including antimicrobial nanoparticles with potential therapeutic and drug-deliveryapplications. Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) are naturally occurring tubular clay nanomaterials composed of aluminosilicate kaolin sheets rolled multiple times. The aluminum and siloxane groups onthe surface of HNTs enable hydrogen bonding with biomaterials, making them versatile in various domains, such as environmental sciences, wastewater treatment, nanoelectronics, catalytic studies, andcosmetics. This study aimed to create an antibacterial material by combining the unique propertiesof halloysite nanotubes with the iron-chelating capability of kojic acid. A nucleophilic substitutionreaction involving the hydroxyl groups on the nanotubes' surface was employed to functionalizethe material using kojic acid. The resulting material was characterized using infrared spectroscopy(IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and scanningelectron microscopy (SEM), and its iron-chelating ability was assessed. Furthermore, the potential fordrug loading--specifically, with resveratrol and curcumin--was evaluated through ultraviolet (UV)analysis. The antibacterial assay was evaluated following CLSI guidelines. The results suggested thatthe HNTs-kojic acid formulation had great antibacterial activity against all tested pathogens. Theoutcome of this work yielded a novel bio-based material with dual functionality as a drug carrier andan antimicrobial agent. This innovative approach holds promise for addressing challenges related tobacterial infections, antibiotic resistance, and the development of advanced therapeutic interventions