Physiochemical characterization, antioxidative, anticancer cells proliferation and food pathogens antibacterial activity of chitosan nanoparticles loaded with Cyperus articulatus rhizome essential oils.

Essential oil of Cyperus articulatus have known bioactivities, the qualitative chemical composition analysis of the Essential Oils (EOs) by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed the presence of new compounds not previously known to the plant rhizome which includes, sesquiterpenes, monoterpenes, nootkatone, 6-methyl-3,5-heptadien-2-one, retinene, nopinone, cycloeucalenol, anozol, toosendanin, furanone, ethanone and vitamin A. Cyperus articulatus Essential Oils (CPEOs) loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles (CSNPs) was successful synthesized using an oil-in-water mixture and ionic gelation method and were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. CPEOs had more radical-scavenging bioactivity in vitro than CSNPs and CPEO-CSNPs at initial storage times. CPEO-CSNPs showed the highest (P < 0.05) antioxidant activity over a prolonged period of time. Antimicrobial activity of two strains of bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC6538), and Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739) showed that all CPEO-loaded chitosan nanoparticle inhibited bacterial growth at lower (P < 0.05) CPEO-CSNP concentration (5 mg/mL MIC) compared to free CPEOs (10 mg/mL MIC). Trypan blue in vitro exclusion assay showed CPEO-CSNPs to be more cytotoxic against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells after 48 h. The bioactivity and physiochemical properties of CPEO-CSNPs have shown promising applications in food and pharmaceutical industries.