Synthesis of Nanocapsules Based on Biosynthesized Nickel Nanoparticles and Potato Starch: Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Anticancer Activity

Biogenic fabrication of nanoparticles (NPs) by fungi becomes a promising protocol due to effective and environmentally friendly bioprocess. The capsulation of nanoparticles into biopolymer has received considerable attention owing to improve stability. The nickel nanoparticles (Ni‐NPs) are synthesized using Penicillium chrysogenum and capsulated into potato starch to produce nanocapsules (Ni‐NPs@st) for enhancing their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. Physicochemical properties of Ni‐NPs and Ni‐NPs@st are carried out using UV‐vis, FTIR, dynamic light scattering (DLS), TEM, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Results reveal that Ni‐NPs@st has antimicrobial activity more than Ni‐NPs against Escherichia coli ATCC25922, Bacillus subtilis ATCC605, Candida albicans ATCC90028, Cryptococcus neoformans ATCC 14116, Aspergillus niger RCMB 02724, and A. fumigatus RCMB 02568. Moderate antioxidant activity is recorded using Ni‐NPs@st and Ni‐NPs with IC50 60 and 97 µg mL−1, respectively, in contrast to IC50 (7 µg mL−1) of ascorbic acid. Cytotoxicity test of Ni‐NPs@st and Ni‐NPs against Vero cell line indicated that IC50 of Ni‐NPs@st and Ni‐NPs is 204 and 238 µg mL−1, respectively. Likewise, moderate anticancer activity of Ni‐NPs@st and Ni‐NPs toward cancerous cell lines MCF7 is observed with IC50 118 and 217 µg mL−1, respectively. This study shows prospective biological activities for Ni‐NPs@st nanocapsule which can be treat the chronic infections. The nanocapsules based on biosynthesized nickel nanoparticles and potato starch were synthesized. The characterization of nanocapsules was performed using UV‐vis, FTIR, DLS, TEM and TGA. The nanocapsules exhibited promising antimicrobial activity as well as antioxidant activity. Eventually, nanocapsules exhibited anticancer activity within non‐toxic concentration.