Search

Breast cancer (BC) has a prevalence rate of 21.8% among Saudi women and ranks as the third leading cause of death in Western nations. Nanotechnology offers innovative methods for targeted BC therapy, and this study explores the use of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) for delivering the senna leaf extract. The study evaluated the effects of increasing dosages of senna leaf extract conjugated to SWCNTs on MCF-7 cells. Cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay, while Giemsa staining revealed morphological changes. Additionally, the comet assay and agarose gel electrophoresis were employed to evaluate the pro-apoptotic potential. The potential of mitochondrial membrane and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were investigated using the JC-1 dye. The results indicated that treated cells exhibited apoptotic characteristics, including elevated ROS levels and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. In summary, the application of nanotechnology to deliver the senna leaf extract shows promise as a herbal treatment for BC, suggesting a potential breakthrough in combating this widespread and deadly disease.

Numerous studies have examined the feasibility of using microalgae as a long-term source of biofuel. This helped us to determine how different amounts of phosphorus changed the growth of lipids in Scenedesmus subspicatus, a freshwater microalga. This study examined the effects of various phosphorus concentrations on the biochemical makeup of algae, particularly the production of proteins and carbohydrates. When there was insufficient phosphorus, the investigation observed a significant increase in lipids and productivity of S. subspicatus. Additionally, gas chromatography was used to examine the fatty acid profiles of the green algae thoroughly. When Scenedesmus species were tested at different cell densities, the highest amount of chlorophyll was found to be 0.89 mg/L. The amounts of fatty acids in algae grown with 0.4 and 0.04 P of phosphorus were strongly correlated, as shown by the Pearson linear correlation coefficients. Gas chromatography analysis revealed that the major saturated fatty acids were stearic acid (C18:0) and palmitic acid (C16:0). In addition, confirming the presence of several unsaturated fatty acids (C16:3, C18:1, C18:2, and C18:3) has helped us learn more about S. subspicatus's complex lipid profile of S. subspicatus and how well it can be used to produce biofuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infectious disease outbreaks are one of the major challenges in aquaculture; therefore, there is an increasing interest in the application of probiotics for sustainable aquaculture practices to minimize the spread of infectious diseases. In this study, bacteria were isolated from Pinctada radiata to examine their probiotic potential. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are potentially good probiotic candidates for aquaculture. Five LAB strains were isolated from the gut contents of the pearl oyster P. radiata (Leach, 1814) on the Jeddah coast of the Red Sea. The LAB were characterized morphologically, biologically, and biochemically, examined for their probiotic properties, and identified using 16S rRNA sequencing. The five selected isolated LAB strains were Gram positive (rods and cocci) and tested negative for catalase and oxidase. The LAB strains were identified as Bacillus valezensis (POR1), B. siamensis (POR2), Staphylococcus epidermidis #1 and S. epidermidis #2 (POR3 and POR5), and S. hominis (POR4). POR1 and POR2 tested negative for gamma-hemolytic activity, while POR3, POR4, and POR5 tested positive for alpha-hemolytic activity. All five strains showed sensitivity to antibiotics, including erythromycin (E10), nitrofuration (F100), and novobiocin (NV5), and four strains showed an acid tolerance up to 2.5 pH . Among the isolates, POR1, 2, 4, 5 tolerated 3-h exposure to 0.3% bile salt. All LAB strains showed an antagonistic activity against clinical strains of S. aureus, Acinetobacter baumanii, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, and Escherichia coli. Therefore, it could be suggested that the five LAB strains isolated from the gut contents of P. radiata could be good candidate probiotics for aquaculture application since those strains showed significance of probiotic selection tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial cellulose (BC), an important biopolymer has received a tremendous application in biomedical and other related fields. Herein, we have tried to cope with its deficiency of lacking bactericidal features via impregnating copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) in the BC matrix. BC-CuO composites were synthesized through an ex-situ composite synthesis strategy and were validated with several analytical tools. Dry weight analysis confirmed 35% NPs attachment in composites while the observed slow release behavior augmented their stability. Field emission-scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis provided a clear view of NPs attachment to the BC surface fibrils and its deep penetration in the matrix. The composite material was tested for two applications. It was noteworthy that synthesized BC-CuO composites provided impressive antibacterial activities against both Escherichia coli and S. aureus and reduced their growth to 96% and 87%, respectively. Moreover, the composite was also used for the treatment of the wastewater as revealed by testing it against simulated wastewater containing Methyl Orange dye. The bactericidal, nontoxic, and catalytic behavior of BC-CuO composites can provide insight for potential biomedical and environmental applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale synthesis and release of nanomaterials in environment is a growing concern for human health and ecosystem. Therefore, we have investigated the cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs), zinc oxide bulk (ZnO-Bulk), and zinc ions (Zn2+) in treated roots of Allium cepa, under hydroponic conditions. ZnO-NPs were characterized by UV-visible, XRD, FT-IR spectroscopy and TEM analyses. Bulbs of A. cepa exposed to ZnO-NPs (25.5 nm) for 12 h exhibited significant decrease (23 ± 8.7%) in % mitotic index and increase in chromosomal aberrations (18 ± 7.6%), in a dose-dependent manner. Transmission electron microcopy and FT-IR data suggested surface attachment, internalization and biomolecular intervention of ZnO-NPs in root cells, respectively. The levels of TBARS and antioxidant enzymes were found to be significantly greater in treated root cells vis-à-vis untreated control. Furthermore, dose-dependent increase in ROS production and alterations in ΔΨm were observed in treated roots. FT-IR analysis of root tissues demonstrated symmetric and asymmetric P=O stretching of >PO2− at 1240 cm−1 and stretching of C-O ribose at 1060 cm−1, suggestive of nuclear damage. Overall, the results elucidated A. cepa, as a good model for assessment of cytotoxicity and oxidative DNA damage with ZnO-NPs and Zn2+ in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]