Iron oxide nanoparticles functionalised thyme oil topical gel for anticancer and antibacterial therapies: fabrication and characterization

Abstract Iron oxide nanoparticles modified with thyme oil (TYO-FeONPs) offer a promising strategy for integrated anticancer and antibacterial treatments. Thyme oil, known for its inherent antibacterial and anticancer characteristics, is frequently constrained by its low water solubility and high volatility. The present study aimed to fabricated and characterized the thyme oil loaded iron oxide nanoparticles topical gel (TYO-FeONPs) and scrutinized its anticancer and antibacterial activity. The physicochemical features of the TYO-FeONPs, were meticulously characterised using FT-IR, FESEM and EDX electron microscopy techniques. GC-MS study exhibited the presence of ρ-Methyl salicylate (10.10), p-Cymene-2,5-diol (13.51), Caryophyllene (6.71), and Camphor (7.25). in the oil. Fe-SEM spectroscopy showed the dispersed the particle of TYO-FeONPs in clusters form with good drug encapsulation of 76.4 ± 3.127%. TYO-FeONPs gel and TYO-FeONPs demonstrated higher drug release and zone of inhibition against P.aerogeniosa and Bacillus subtilis . HaCaT cell lines were chosen to assess the cytotoxicity of TYO-FeONPs gel and 75% alive cells. This work emphasises the promise of TYO-FeONPs gel as a dual-purpose therapeutic agent for cancer treatment and bacterial infection control.