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Free radicals, mostly consist of reactive oxygen species, are generated in human body by several exogenous and endogenous systems. Overproduction of free radicals is known to cause several degenerative disorders including cancer. The aim of this study is to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using root extract of Reynoutria japonica and to investigate its antioxidant and cytotoxic potential. AgNPs were synthesized by green approach and subsequently characterized using UV–vis spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, FTIR, XRD, EDS and DLS. The antioxidant activity was investigated using DPPH, FRAP, H2O2, and ABTṠ+ radical scavenging assays while the cytotoxic effect was assessed using different human cancer cell lines including lung (A549), liver (Hep-G2) and breast (MDA-MB-231) by MTS assay. Moreover, the specificity of NPs was assessed against two normal human cell lines e.g. alveolar and renal primary epithelial cells (HPAEpiC and HRPTEpiC). The UV–vis spectra confirmed the synthesis of AgNPs by producing a characteristic peak at 410 nm. Further analysis confirmed that AgNPs were crystalline in nature, predominantly spherical in shape, with an average width and area of 17.34 nm and 164.46 nm2, respectively. DLS analysis revealed that NPs possess a high negative zeta potential value (−28.5 mV), thus facilitating its electrostatic stabilization. AgNPs showed dose dependent antioxidant activity against DPPH, FRAP, H2O2 and ABTS with IC50 values 19.25, 22.45, 24.20 and 18.88 µg/ml, respectively. The AgNPs depicted significant cytotoxic effects against A549, Hep-G2 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines with IC50 values of 4.5, 5.1 and 3.46 µg/ml, respectively. Moreover, the NPs exhibited highest selectivity index (>2.0) for A549, Hep-G2 and MDA-MB-231, confirming its specificity towards cancer cell lines. In conclusion, AgNPs prepared from root extract of R. japonica possess strong antioxidant and cytotoxic potential which suggests that they should be investigated further in order to develop safe and effective antioxidant and/or cytotoxic formulations.

Traditionally, Natural Organic Matter (NOM) derived from cretaceous rocks has been used for treatment of various ailments such as diabetes, inflammation and skin infections. This study evaluated the antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of natural organic matter obtained from cretaceous shales. The shales were collected from Lumshiwal formation; located north of the main Kala Chitta range in district Nowshera-Pakistan. Isolation was done by sonicating crushed rock sample with chloroform, methanol and acetone (70: 15: 15 v/v, respectively). Antibacterial and antifungal activity of sample was determined by agar well diffusion and Agar slanting methods, respectively. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity was performed using cyclooxygenase-2 and 5-lipoxygenase enzymes. Antioxidant activity was assessed for scavenging of DPPH, superoxide anions, hydroxyl radicals, and hydrogen peroxide. In vivo anti-inflammatory activity was performed using “Carrageenan-induced paw edema model”. The sample showed significant antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli with MIC values 0.82, 0.87 and 0.79 mg/ml, respectively. Considerable inhibition was observed against Bacillus subtilis (MIC; 0.93 mg/ml) and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC; 1.12 mg/ml) when compared with Imipenem as a standard. Moreover, the sample displayed significant antifungal activity against Alternaria alternata and Fusarium solani with MIC values of 0.60 and 0.68 mg/ml, respectively. Both COX-2 (IC50 31.34 µg/ml) and 5-LOX (IC50 38.45 µg/ml) enzymes were inhibited by NOM in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, the NOM exhibited significant free radical scavenging, especially against DPPH and superoxide anions; and a moderate effect on hydroxyl and hydrogen peroxide scavenging. In vivo anti-inflammatory activity revealed that the edema volume was significantly (P

Resistance to antimicrobial agents are rendering therapies ineffective around the globe, leading to increased mortality and treatment cost. Likewise, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and analgesics possess several side effects particularly peptic ulcer and gastrointestinal problems. Metallic nanoparticles significantly enhances the therapeutic efficacy of natural extracts owing to improved bioavailability thereby lowering the dose and side effects. The purpose of this research was to investigate the efficacy of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). In this study, Sambucus wightiana whole plant aqueous extract was used for rapid and eco-friendly synthesis of AuNPs. They were characterized by various analytical techniques including UV–Visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM and SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Zetasizer, X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR). The UV–Vis spectra revealed a distinct absorption peak at 539 nm; TEM and SEM images confirmed the formation of heterogeneously dispersed AuNPs with an average area of 152.77 nm2 and width of 15.96 nm. The AuNPs showed significant inhibitory zones against Escherichia coli (25 mm), Staphylococcus epidermis (23 mm) and Salmonella enteritidis (18 mm) with MIC values 0.13, 0.11 and 0.16 mg/ml, respectively. Among fungal strains it showed highest percent inhibition against Fusarium solani (90%) and Microsporum canis (80%) with MIC values 0.02 and 0.01 mg/ml, respectively. It showed maximum anti-inflammatory activity (43.70, 48.80 and 57.08%) at 20 mg/kg dose at both early and late hours of inflammation. Likewise, in vitro models depicted concentration dependent inhibition of 5-LOX and COX-2 enzymes. AuNPs showed highest antioxidant activity (68.7% inhibition) at 1000 µg/ml, compared to ascorbic acid that showed 77.8% inhibition at the same concentration. Similarly, it exhibited significant (P ≤ 0.001) dose dependent analgesic effect with maximum inhibition (56.22%) at 20 mg/kg. In conclusion, the above findings suggest that AuNPs should be studied further in order to develop safe and effective formulations.

Treatment of microbial infections and inflammatory conditions have many challenges in terms of efficacy and safety issues. Novel approaches such as nanoparticles based drug delivery system have shown promising results to solve some of these problems. The aim of this study was to exploit the efficacy of the synthesized silver nanoparticles. In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesized using root extract (aqueous) of Duchesnea indica. They were characterized using different techniques such as, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectrophotometry, transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM and SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and zetasizer. The UV–Vis spectra gave a characteristic peak at 423 nm; XRD confirmed its crystalline structure; FTIR confirmed the involvement of phytochemicals in their capping and reduction; TEM images confirmed their spherical shape with average width of 20.49 nm and average area of 319.25 nm2. Various biological activities were performed on these NPs, such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and muscle relaxant, which showed significant results as follow. Among bacterial strains, Salmonella typhi (MIC: 0.01 mg/ml) and Escherichia coli (MIC: 0.01 mg/ml), while among that of fungal Microsporum canis (MIC: 0.53 mg/ml) and Alternaria alternata (MIC: 0.51 mg/ml) were most susceptible. The AgNPs showed maximum anti-inflammatory activity (46.15 and 56.85%) at 20 mg/kg after 3 and 5 h of drug administration, comparable to that of standard. In-vivo model exhibited concentration dependent inhibition of both COX-2 and 5-LOX enzymes. Similarly, it exhibited maximum analgesic activity (54.24%) at 20 mg/kg dose after 60 min. of pain induction. Furthermore, they depicted maximum muscle relaxation (P