Quercetin loading CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles as efficient antibacterial and anticancer materials

Quercetin (Qe) plays an important role in inflammation, antibacterial, anticancer, and aging. However, Qe has extremely low water solubility, which is a major challenge in drug absorption. In this study, we described a simple method for synthesis of Qe/CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles (QCZ NPs). The QCZ NPs had an average diameter of 10 nm and prominent yellow emission under UV irradiation. We investigated the antibacterial activity of QCZ NPs against drug-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) in vitro. Results showed that QCZ NPs had considerably more effective antibacterial activities than Qe or CdSe nanoparticles (CdSe NPs). Antibacterial experiment results showed that QCZ NPs acted against E. coli and B. subtilis by disrupting the bacterial cell wall and membrane. In vivo study, the QCZ NPs could cure inflammation and lesion which caused by E. coli. In anticancer assays, the MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] cell proliferation assays exhibited the cytotoxicity of QCZ NPs increased approximately 2–6 fold compared to raw Qe and CdSe NPs. Moreover, by using RT-CES (real-time cell electronic sensing) studies, we had demonstrated QCZ NPs have also an effect on migration and proliferation of BGC-823 cells. CdSe NPs loaded with Qe, these QCZ NPs exhibited excellent antibacterial (E. coli and B. subtilis) and anticancer (BGC-823) activities.