Assessment of the cytotoxicity of silver-graphene oxide nanocomposites on Escherichia coli and glioblastoma cancer cells

Abstract

In this research, we examined the toxicity of Ag-graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites against both the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli and Glioblastoma cancer cells (U87MG). Our findings reveal that Ag-GO possesses bactericidal properties, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 160 µg/mL. The antibacterial efficacy of Ag-GO is contingent on contact time and concentration, making it a potential candidate for integration into materials designed to combat microbial infections. The bactericidal effect of Ag-GO can be attributed to the release of silver ions and the physical damage inflicted by the sharp edges of GO sheets. Furthermore, our study demonstrates that Ag-GO exhibits anticancer activity against U87MG cells, with an IC₅₀ value of 270 µg/mL. The mechanism underlying the anticancer activity of Ag-GO likely involves cell membrane disruption and apoptosis induction. These findings signify the promising medical and biological applications of Ag-graphene oxide nanocomposites.