The efficiency of metal, metal oxide, and metalloid nanoparticles against cancer cells and bacterial pathogens: different mechanisms of action

Abstract

various practical their unique properties compared with bulk materials, of for several a combination of physicochemical properties of nanoparticles based on metalloid, metal, and metal oxides such as selenium, silver, gold, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, copper oxide, platinum, and magnesium oxide, have been well known and referred to as anticancer and antimicrobial agents or carriers. The inactivation and eradication of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria may be mainly resulted from the oxidative damages in the bacterial medium. Overall, metalloid, metal and metal oxide NPs can be functionalized by other antibacterial or anticancer agents and biocompatible stabilizers to increase their efficiency in physiological conditions. However, the undesirable cytotoxicity of these nanoparticles in physiological conditions is the major hindrance to their application in the pharmaceutical industry and therapeutics. Nevertheless, it is expected that these problems will be solved in the near future. is to an of the recent signs of in increasing anticancer and antibacterial mechanisms of metal and metal-based nanoparticles.