Microbial Azurin Immobilized on Nano-Chitosan as Anticancer and Antibacterial Agent Against Gastrointestinal Cancers and Related Bacteria

Abstract

Objectives: To discover new natural effective anticancer agents and new antibacterial agents against antibiotic-resistant bacteria which are the most serious public health concern. Another important concern is drug delivery which is the transport of pharmaceutical compounds to have a therapeutic effect in organisms having a disease. Azurin is a promising anticancer agent produced from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This study tried to test the effectiveness of the immobilization of azurin on nano-chitosan to enhance its anticancer and antibacterial activity against gastrointestinal cancer and its related bacteria. Methods: We purified azurin protein from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and then immobilized it on nano-chitosan. The anticancer activity of the free and nano-azurin is tested against a gastric cancer cell line (CLS-145), pancreatic cancer cell line (AsPC-1), colon cancer cell line (HCT116), esophagus cancer cell line (KYSE-410), and liver cancer cell line (HepG2). The antibacterial activity of both free and immobilized azurin also is tested against bacterial species related to the gastrointestinal cancer biopsies: Helicobacter pylori, Bacteroides fragilis, Salmonella enterica, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Results: Both free and nano-azurin showed high anticancer and antibacterial activity. Immobilization significantly increased the anticancer and antibacterial activity of the azurin Conclusion: Nano-azurin can be used as an effective anticancer and antibacterial agent against gastrointestinal cancer and bacterial species related to these cancers.