t-Cinnamaldehyde-Driven Fe2O3 NPs: Activity Against Resistant Salmonella, Gallbladder Cancer, and Molecular Docking Focused on Bacterial Targets

Iron oxide nanoparticles (t-CA-Fe₂O₃ NPs) were synthesized in this study using a green preparation method with trans-cinnamaldehyde (t-CA) as a reducing agent. After observing the first sign of successful preparation, namely the color change, the properties were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. All characterization results were satisfactory, indicating the success of the preparation process and the purity of the prepared nanoparticles (NPs). The molecular docking process of several proteins important in antibiotic resistance and virulence in target bacteria was also studied. The highest binding affinity was -7 kcal/mol with the A9N5G2 protein. When studying the inhibitory activity of t-CA-Fe₂O₃ NPs against the tested bacteria, they showed excellent inhibitory activity, with the highest activity recorded at a concentration of 100 mM, resulting in an inhibition rate of 25.60 ± 0.56 mm. The effects of the t-CA-Fe₂O₃ NPs on the WRL-68 and GBC-X1 cell lines were also evaluated: the viability of cancer cells decreased compared to normal cells, with an IC50 of 125.3 µg/mL for normal cell lines versus 42.11 µg/mL for cancer cell lines. The objective of this research is to rapidly produce t-CA-Fe₂O₃ NPs by an eco-friendly method and evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of t-CA-Fe₂O₃ NPs against S. enterica serovar Paratyphi B, isolated from gallbladders removed from patients with gallstones, as well as their anticancer effects against a gallbladder cancer cell line; their potential mechanism of action against a selected group of bacterial proteins was assessed using molecular docking analysis.