Multifaceted Insights into Chitosan Polymer/Pomegranate Peel Extract/ZnO Nanocomposite: Characterization, Hepatocellular Cancer Treatment, and Antioxidant Activity

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Abstract
The search for effective and eco‐friendly organic‐inorganic nanocomposites for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment has driven interest. Here, we introduce a polymeric nanocomposite consisting of chitosan, pomegranate peel extract, and ZnO nanoparticles (CTS/PPE/ZnO) nanocomposite that integrates natural biopolymers and plant‐derived phytochemicals with ZnO nanoparticles, showing promising anticancer and antioxidant activities. The CTS/PPE/ZnO biogenic material was analyzed using various approaches like Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), elemental analysis (CHN), x‐ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The CTS/PPE/ZnO's cytotoxic and antioxidant activities on a liver cancer cell line were used to evaluate its biological effectiveness. Elemental analysis confirmed that CTS/PPE/ZnO contained 23.17% C, 3.32% H, 2.40% N, and 71.11% O. The material exhibited a BET surface area of 18.57 m²/g and an average pore width of 13.48 nm, consistent with a mesoporous structure. The CTS/PPE/ZnO nanocomposite demonstrated significant scavenging efficacy (60.18%) for the DPPH radical, an antioxidant property comparable to that of ascorbic acid (78.08%), which is considered the standard. The MTT test resulted in an IC 50 value of 129 µg/mL for CTS/PPE/ZnO against the HEPG2 cell line. The results show that hepatocellular carcinoma cells respond well to the CTS/PPE/ZnO as a chemotherapeutic agent.

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