Sustainable nanotechnology for combating nosocomial infections and cancer, a dual-action approach.

UNLABELLED: Nosocomial respiratory infections and lung cancer pose significant clinical challenges, prompting the development of sustainable multifunctional materials. This study reports eco-friendly synthesis of elemental Se MNPs, TiO2 MNPs, and Pd–Au BMNPs via aqueous ALE and CE, encapsulated in alginate biopolymer matrices for enhanced stability and bio functionality. Structural integrity was validated using UV–Vis, FTIR, XRD, DLS, TEM, and SEM. Antimicrobial activity was assessed against five bacterial strains, while cytotoxicity and anticancer effects were evaluated on A549 lung adenocarcinoma and L929 fibroblast cells. SeNPs showed strong antibacterial activity (20–21 mm zones), reduced when encapsulated (11–14 mm); TiO2 displayed moderate antibacterial effects (9–18 mm), with composites ranging from 11 to 15 mm. Pd–Au BMNPs demonstrated efficacy against multidrug-resistant strains (13–14 mm) and maintained performance when encapsulated (11–14 mm). MIC assays confirmed dose-dependent inhibition, with > 90% suppression at 100 µg/ml for all nanoparticles. Anticancer tests revealed dose-dependent reductions in cell viability for A549 cells, with high safety profiles observed in L929 cells. Results support green-engineered nanoparticles as promising agents against both multidrug-resistant infections and cancer, providing an eco-friendly approach for biomedical applications.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-026-48760-4.