Synthesis of M-Ag₃PO₄, (M = Se, Ag, Ta) Nanoparticles and Their Antibacterial and Cytotoxicity Study

Silver Phosphate, Ag₃PO₄, being a highly capable clinical molecule, an ultrasonic method was employed to synthesize the M-Ag₃PO_4, (M = Se, Ag, Ta) nanoparticles which were evaluated for antibacterial and cytotoxicity activities post-characterization. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were used for antibacterial testing and the effects of sonication on bacterial growth with sub-MIC values of M-Ag₃PO₄ nanoparticles were examined. The effect of M-Ag₃PO₄ nanoparticles on human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT-116) and human cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa cells) was examined by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) assay and DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining. Additionally, we analyzed the effect of nanoparticles on normal and non-cancerous human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293). Ag-Ag₃PO₄ exhibited enhanced antibacterial activity followed by Ta-Ag₃PO_4, Ag₃PO₄, and Se-Ag₃PO₄ nanoparticles against E. coli. Whereas the order of antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus was Ag₃PO₄ > Ag-Ag₃PO₄ > Ta-Ag₃PO₄ > Se-Ag₃PO₄, respectively. Percentage inhibition of E. coli was 98.27, 74.38, 100, and 94.2%, while percentage inhibition of S. aureus was 25.53, 80.28, 99.36, and 20.22% after treatment with Ag₃PO₄, Se-Ag₃PO₄, Ag-Ag₃PO₄, and Ta-Ag₃PO_4, respectively. The MTT assay shows a significant decline in the cell viability after treating with M-Ag₃PO₄ nanoparticles. The IC₅₀ values for Ag₃PO_4, Se-Ag₃PO_4, Ag-Ag₃PO₄, and Ta-Ag₃PO₄ on HCT-116 were 39.44, 28.33, 60.24, 58.34 µg/mL; whereas for HeLa cells, they were 65.25, 61.27, 75.52, 72.82 µg/mL, respectively. M-Ag₃PO₄ nanoparticles did not inhibit HEK-293 cells. Apoptotic assay revealed that the numbers of DAPI stained cells were significantly lower in the M-Ag₃PO₄-treated cells versus control.