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Throughout history, the utilization of plant products as medicinal remedies has been widespread, with numerous modern drugs finding their origins in the plant kingdom. Taxol, derived from Taxus species, stands out as an exceptional and highly potent anticancer medication. In this study, we present a rapid one-pot synthesis method for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the leaves of Taxus wallichiana Zucca in the presence of sunlight. The synthesized AgNPs were comprehensively characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and HPLC Q-TOF. The AgNPs were further investigated for their antioxidative, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antiurolithi properties. The anticancer activity was assessed through a sulforhodamine B assay conducted on the MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma cell line and SiHa human cervical cancer cell line. The findings of this study reveal the impressive antioxidative, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antiurolithi characteristics exhibited by AgNPs synthesized from leaf extracts. This research highlights an environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach to producing AgNPs by utilizing plant extracts as reducing agents, underscoring the immense potential of natural resources in advancing nanotechnology and its applications.

Antibiotic-resistant microorganisms are a rising issue when it comes to human health. Microbial pathogens that cause harmful infections are quickly becoming resistant to the antimicrobial action of traditional antibiotics. Nanotechnology, an innovative sector being an indispensable part of healthcare and research, has in-depth and extensive applications. Nano-compounds have been promising antimicrobial agents, anti-cancerous mediators, vehicles for drug delivery, formulations for functional foods, identification of pathogens, food and drug packaging industry, and many more. However, the chemical synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) has certain drawbacks such as causing toxicity and other adverse effects. For more than a decade, the use of NPs that are conjugated or green-synthesized has gained popularity due to the two-fold action of metallic NPs mixed with biological sources. In contrast, NPs synthesized using plant or microbial extracts, conjugated with biologically active components, appear to be a safe alternative approach as they are environmentally friendly and cost-effective. Such environmentally safe techniques are referred to as “green nanotechnology” or “clean technology” and are feasible alternatives to chemical methods. Furthermore, NPs conjugated with natural biomolecules have improved bioavailability and have minimal side effects, as they are smaller in size and have higher permeability in addition to being reducing and stabilizing agents possessing excellent antioxidant activity. NPs serve as potential antimicrobial agents due to their affinity towards sulphur-rich amino acids, adhere to microbial cell walls by means of electrostatic attraction, and disrupt the cytoplasmic membrane along with the nucleic acid of microbes. They possess anticancer activity owing to oxidative stress, damage to cellular DNA, and lipid peroxidation. The green-synthesized NPs are thus a promising and safe alternative for healthcare therapeutic applications.

Polymer-based nanocarriers are created from natural or synthetic polymers that are modified to form submicroscopic particles. The polymer matrix can be customized to provide specific properties, such as surface chemistry and flexibility. This allows the particles to be designed and used in different fields. They are promising nanomaterials that are used as therapeutic and diagnostic agents, and they have potential biomedical and environmental applications. These nanocarriers are polymers that can be engineered with other types of nanomaterials with different sizes, shapes, and compositions. They can deliver drugs or their cargo to a specific site with precisely controlled release. They have many advantages compared to traditional drug delivery carriers, including improved biocompatibility, reduced toxicity, and increased efficacy. In biomedical applications, polymer nanocarriers have been used as drug delivery carriers, cancer therapy, and gene therapy. In environmental applications, polymer nanocarriers are able to remove heavy metals and other contaminants from air and water bodies. In this review, a summary of recent fabrication, design, synthesis, characterisation, and various applications in the biomedical and environmental fields has been provided. The review also highlights the current challenges and prospects of evolving polymer nanocarriers.

Background: Antibiotic-resistant (AR) bacteria are rapidly spreading worldwide, posing a serious threat to antibiotic efficacy. Bacterial infections have emerged as a persistent threat following decades of antibiotic use. Sulfhydryl variable (SHV) is a well-known bacterial enzyme linked to AR. SHV has a high degree of genetic diversity, resulting in the existence of numerous distinct variants. Methods: The PyRx AutoDock VINA was used to conduct in-silico screening of a natural compound library to assess their interaction with the SHV-1 protein. SwissADME web tools were used to predict the physicochemical, drug-likeness, and ADMET properties of the selected compounds. Result: The compounds PSCdb00708, PSCdb00149, PSCdb00698, and PSCdb00175 bind strongly to the SHV-1 protein and interact strongly with the SHV-1 active site residues, as well as having several amino acid residue interactions in common with avibactam. These compounds exhibited higher binding affinity values than avibactam. Furthermore, these compounds demonstrated no violation of drug-likeness. Conclusion: The compounds PSCdb00708, PSCdb00149, PSCdb00698, and PSCdb00175 can be employed as SHV-1 inhibitors in the management of AR. However, experimental validation is required to optimize them as SHV-1 inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microbial desalination cell (MDC) is a bio-electrochemical system that exhibits the ability to oxidize organic compounds, produce energy, and decrease the saline concentrations within the desalination chamber. The selective removal of ions from the desalination chamber is significantly influenced by the anion and cation exchange membranes. In this study, a three-chamber microbial desalination cell was developed to treat seawater using a synthesize Fe3O4 magnetite nanoparticle (MNP)-modified anode. The impact of different performance parameters, such as temperature, pH, and concentrations of NPs, has been investigated in order to assess the performance of three-chamber MDCs in terms of energy recovery and salt removal. The evaluation criteria of the system included multiple factors such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), Coulombic efficiency (CE), desalination efficiency, as well as system aspects including voltage generation and power density. The highest COD% removal efficiency was 74% at 37 °C, pH = 7, and 30 g/L salt concentration with an optimized NPs concentration of 2.0 mg/cm2 impregnated on anode. The maximum Coulombic efficiency was 10.3% with the maximum power density of 4.3 W/m3. The effect of the nanoparticle concentration impregnated on the anode was clarified by the primary factor of analysis. This research has revealed consistent patterns in the enhancement of voltage generation, COD, and Coulombic efficiencies when incorporating higher concentrations of nanoparticles on the anode at a certain point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]