Title : Investigating the redox activities of antifungal drugs and selected cell lines in the presence of functionalized chitosan nanocomposites
Abstract:
Chitosan a deacetylation derivative of chitin, has several applications in biomedical and healthcare research as a result of being abundant in nature and its unique physicochemical properties such as biocompatibility and biodegradability. Functionalising chitosan improves its properties, thereby making it attractive for further traditional and novel scientific studies. In this study, functionalization of chitosan with acetic acid and tetraethylorthosilicate to explore the composite itself in addition to its biophysical properties, redox behaviour and influences on cell viability is reported. A one- step synthesization of functionalized chitosan beads were prepared using the cross-linking and sol- gel processes. The chitosan beads were characterised using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) to ascertain their biophysical properties. Adsorption studies were then conducted on the beads using methylene blue dye to explore their drug delivery potentials. Selected cell lines:HeLa and S. Cerevisiae were treated with the chitosan beads and their cytotoxicity investigated. The redox potentials of the cells in the presence of these functionalized chitosan beads was measured using cyclic voltammetry to correlate the viability of the cells with the membrane disruption of the cells as a result of the presence of the chitosan beads. The generated voltammogramms were compared with those of some antifungal drugs: Amphotericin B, Fluconazole and Rifampicin to determine their electrochemical behaviour. Afterwards, the redox potentials of the drugs plus cells were determined too. The voltammogramms generated depicted a direct correlation between the electrochemical response and cell viability - with prominent anodic and cathodic peaks which relates to an increase in cell death. Cells treated with nanoparticles were compared with cells treated with drugs. The work hints on the diverse application of the chitosan nanocomposites in biomedical studies and sheds lights on the use of cyclic voltammetry in predicting cell behaviour.
