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Background: The emergence of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria has become a global threat, encouraging the adoption of efficient and effective alternatives to conventional antibiotics and promoting their use as replacements. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 NPs) have been reported to exhibit antibacterial properties. In this study, we synthesized and characterized TiO 2 NPs in anatase and rutile forms with surface modification by geraniol (GER)., Results: The crystallinity and morphology of modified TiO 2 NPs were analyzed by UV/Vis spectrophotometry, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with elemental mapping (EDS). The antimicrobial activity of TiO 2 NPs with geraniol was assessed against Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Escherichia coli. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of modified NPs ranged from 0.25 to 1.0 mg/ml against all bacterial strains, and the live dead assay and fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) supported the antibacterial properties of TiO 2 NPs with GER. Moreover, TiO 2 NPs with GER also showed a significant decrease in the biofilm thickness of MRSA., Conclusions: Our results suggest that TiO 2 NPs with GER offer a promising alternative to antibiotics, particularly for controlling antibiotic-resistant strains. The surface modification of TiO 2 NPs by geraniol resulted in enhanced antibacterial properties against multiple bacterial strains, including antibiotic-resistant MRSA. The potential applications of modified TiO 2 NPs in the biomedical and environmental fields warrant further investigation., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Herein we describe a novel alternative synthesis route of polyvinylpyrrolidone nanoparticles using salting-out method at a temperature close to polyvinylpyrrolidone decomposition. At elevated temperatures, the stability of polyvinylpyrrolidone decreases and the opening of pyrrolidone ring fractions occurs. This leads to cross-linking process, where separate units of polyvinylpyrrolidone interact among themselves and rearrange to form nanoparticles. The formation/stability of these nanoparticles was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, and spectrophotometry. The obtained nanoparticles possess exceptional biocompatibility. No toxicity and genotoxicity was found in normal human prostate epithelium cells (PNT1A) together with their high hemocompatibility. The antimicrobial effects of polyvinylpyrrolidone nanoparticles were tested on bacterial strains isolated from the wounds of patients suffering from hard-to-heal infections. Molecular analysis (qPCR) confirmed that the treatment can induce the regulation of stress-related survival genes. Our results strongly suggest that the polyvinylpyrrolidone nanoparticles have great potential to be developed into a novel antibacterial compound.

Selenium is an essential trace element in the diet, required for maintenance of health and growth; however, its toxicity could cause serious damage depending on dose and chemical form. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) represent what we believe to be a novel prospect for nutritional supplementation because of their lower toxicity and ability to gradually release selenium after ingestion. In this review, we discuss various forms and types of SeNPs, as well as the way they are synthesized. We also discuss absorption and bioavailability of nanoparticles within the organism. SeNPs demonstrate anticancer and antimicrobial properties that may contribute to human health, not only as dietary supplements, but also as therapeutic agents., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Graphene nanoparticles (GNPs) have become increasingly attractive nanomaterials in their application in various biosensing platforms. Several benefits from the size reduction distinguish them from graphene (Gr) and graphene (GO), resulting from the electron confinement to smaller surfaces and increased edge-plane ratio. This allows for higher electrochemical activity due to the increased edge density and introduction of bandgap related photoluminescence even in GNPs that do not contain oxygen functional groups. The oxygenated counterparts, although less electrochemically active, are endowed with improved dispersibility and stability. Few aspects will be discussed in the presented review: a) the advantages and disadvantages of Gr and GO, regarding their electrical and optical properties; b) the properties of GNPs and their oxygen-containing analogs (GONPs) gained by the size reduction and quantum confinement effect; c) a clear distinction of GNPs/GONPs as nanoscale forms compared to the microscale Gr/GO; d) presenting a definition of GNPs and proper classification of the special forms of GNPs, graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) and graphene quantum dots (GQDs); e) summary of the proposed GNP biosensors will be provided, as classified into three main sections: GNPs, GNRs, and GQDs, with separate subsections for their oxygenated equivalents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Development of new nanomaterials that inhibit or kill bacteria is an important and timely research topic. For example, financial losses due to infectious diseases, such as diarrhea, are a major concern in livestock productions around the world. Antimicrobial nanoparticles (NPs) represent a promising alternative to antibiotics and may lower antibiotic use and consequently spread of antibiotic resistance traits among bacteria, including pathogens. Results: Four formulations of zinc nanoparticles (ZnA, ZnB, ZnC, and ZnD) based on phosphates with spherical (ZnA, ZnB) or irregular (ZnC, ZnD) morphology were prepared. The highest in vitro inhibitory effect of our NPs was observed against Staphylococcus aureus (inhibitory concentration values, IC50, ranged from 0.5 to 1.6 mmol/L), followed by Escherichia coli (IC50 0.8–1.5 mmol/L). In contrast, methicillin resistant S. aureus (IC50 1.2–4.7 mmol/L) was least affected and this was similar to inhibitory patterns of commercial ZnO-based NPs and ZnO. After the successful in vitro testing, the in vivo study with rats based on dietary supplementation with zinc NPs was conducted. Four groups of rats were treated by 2,000 mg Zn/kg diet of ZnA, ZnB, ZnC, and ZnD, for comparison two groups were supplemented by 2,000 mg Zn/kg diet of ZnO-N and ZnO, and one group (control) was fed only by basal diet. The significantly higher (P < 0.05) Zn level in liver and kidney of all treated groups was found, nevertheless Zn NPs did not greatly influence antioxidant status of rats. However, the total aerobic and coliform bacterial population in rat feces significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in all zinc groups after 30 d of the treatment. Furthermore, when compared to the ZnO group, ZnA and ZnC nanoparticles reduced coliforms significantly more (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that phosphate-based zinc nanoparticles have the potential to act as antibiotic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, the control of avian influenza virus has experienced many difficulties, which have caused major global agricultural problems that have also led to public health consequences. Conventional biochemical methods are not sufficient to detect and control agricultural pathogens in the field due to the growing demand for food and subsidiary products; thus, studies aiming to develop potent alternatives to conventional biochemical methods are urgently needed. In this review, emerging detection systems, their applicability to diagnostics, and their therapeutic possibilities in view of nanotechnology are discussed. Nanotechnology-based sensors are used for rapid, sensitive and cost-effective diagnostics of agricultural pathogens. The application of different nanomaterials promotes interactions between these materials and the virus, which enables researchers to construct portable electroanalytical biosensing analyser that should effectively detect the influenza virus. The present review will provide insights into the guidelines for future experiments to develop better techniques to detect and control influenza viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]