Chitosan coated Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles forAntimicrobial Activity

Modern cosmetic products, with rich formulations of components, have become an ideal breeding ground for microorganisms. Implementing effective preservative systems is crucial to prevent microbial growth and contamination. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles, a familiar ingredient in cosmetics, can decompose the outer membrane of microbial cells by producing free radicals. Chitosan has shown antimicrobial activities by impairing cell wall integrity by binding to it aiding in the release of cytosolic contents. In line with this, this work was centered on evaluating the antimicrobial efficiency of chitosan-coated titanium dioxide (CS-TiO[Formula: see text] nanoparticles against three bacterial species viz. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) and use them as a self-preservative agent in cosmetic formulations. The growth curve analysis exhibited a dose-dependent delay in bacterial growth. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC[Formula: see text] results revealed that the nanoparticles were effective at 31.25[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g/ml and 62.5[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g/ml concentrations in suppressing S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and E. coli, respectively. The redox imbalance, membrane lipid peroxidation, DNA damage and cell viability analyses showed that the CS-TiO 2 nanoparticles could disrupt the membrane leading to reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and altering the genetic material. Therefore, the conclusions drawn from this research highlight the proficient microbial performance of CS-TiO 2 , proposing its suitability for incorporation into consumer products, especially cosmetics. As far as the authors are aware, this study is believed to be the first to investigate the potential of CS-TiO 2 nanoparticles as a self-preservative.