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The biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was performed using crude rosmarinic acid (RA) from plants as a reducing agent and coated with chitosan biopolymer. The prepared particles were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A surface plasmon resonance peak at 430 nm indicates the emergence of AgNPs. XRD showed that the AgNPs were crystalline with an average crystalline size of 30 nm and TEM studies revelad that AgNPs were spherical without aggregation. The prepared CS-AgNPs exhibited good bactericidal properties against foodborne pathogens, such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. In particular, 100 μg/mL CS-AgNPs inhibited the growth of the selected bacteria and controlled their biofilm-forming ability. Band-aid cloth assay confirmed that the CS-AgNPs could be used in the medical field to prevent bacterial infections. The prepared CS-AgNPs increased the survival rate of Artemia species and exhibited antioxidant activity in conjunction with bactericidal properties against selected foodborne pathogens., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The synthesis of metal nanoparticles through bio-reduction is environmentally benign and devoid of impurities, which is very important for biological applications. This method aims to improve ZnO nanoparticle's antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity while reducing the amount of hazardous chemicals used in nanoparticle production. The assembly of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) is presented via bio-reduction of an aqueous zinc nitrate solution using Echinochloacolona (E. colona) plant aqueous leaf extract comprising various phytochemical components such as phenols, flavonoids, proteins, and sugars. The synthesized nano ZnO NPs are characterized by UV-visible spectrophotometer (UV-vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (X-RD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and elemental composition by energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The formation of biosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles was confirmed by the absorbance at 360-370 nm in the UV-vis spectrum. The average crystal size of the particles was found to be 15.8 nm, as calculated from XRD. SEM and TEM analysis of prepared ZnO NPs confirmed the spherical and hexagonal shaped nanoparticles. ZnO NPs showed antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae with the largest zone of inhibition (ZOI) of 17 and 18 mm, respectively, from the disc diffusion method. Furthermore, ZnO NPs exhibited significant anti-biofilm activity in a dose-dependent manner against selected bacterial strains, thus suggesting that ZnO NPs can be deployed in the prevention of infectious diseases and also used in food preservation., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The synthesis of nanometer-sized metallic nanoparticles utilizing bio-sources is one of the most cost-effective and ecologically friendly approaches. Nano-zinc oxide particles (N-ZnO Ps) were made using a simple green synthesis method using an aqueous zinc nitrate salt and Perilla frutescens crude protein as a protecting and reducing agent in the current work. UV-visible (UV-vis) spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), (energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy) EDX and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) were used to characterize the synthesized N-ZnO Ps. A distinctive UV-vis absorption peak was observed at 370 nm due to N-ZnO Ps. The SEM and HR-TEM pictures revealed N-ZnO Ps with a triangular form. The XRD pattern indicated the wurtzite structure of N-ZnO Ps. Nanoparticles exhibited a zeta potential of -11.3 mV. The antibacterial activity of N-ZnO Ps was tested against Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) and Klebsiella pneumoniae ( K. pneumonia ) microorganisms. The N-ZnO Ps were non-toxic to HMC-3 human normal brain microglia cells; however, they exhibited a potential cytotoxic effect on the LN-18 human brain glioblastoma cell line. These results indicate that N-ZnOPs can act as promising antibacterial and anticancer treatments in the prevention of Glioblastoma.

The therapeutic application of microRNA(s) in the field of cancer has generated significant attention in research. Previous studies have shown that miR-205 negatively regulates prostate cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance. However, the delivery of miR-205 is an unmet clinical need. Thus, the development of a viable nanoparticle platform to deliver miR-205 is highly sought. A novel magnetic nanoparticle (MNP)-based nanoplatform composed of an iron oxide core with poly(ethyleneimine)-poly(ethylene glycol) layer(s) was developed. An optimized nanoplatform composition was confirmed by examining the binding profiles of MNPs with miR-205 using agarose gel and fluorescence methods. The novel formulation was applied to prostate cancer cells for evaluating cellular uptake, miR-205 delivery, and anticancer, antimetastasis, and chemosensitization potentials against docetaxel treatment. The improved uptake and efficacy of formulations were studied with confocal imaging, flow cytometry, proliferation, clonogenicity, Western blot, q-RT-PCR, and chemosensitization assays. Our findings demonstrated that the miR-205 nanoplatform induces significant apoptosis and enhancing chemotherapeutic effects in prostate cancer cells. Overall, these study results provide a strong proof-of-concept for a novel nonviral-based nanoparticle protocol for effective microRNA delivery to prostate cancer cells.

Herein, the authors developed a new and potential semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) hydrogels of poly vinyl alcohol (PVA), acryl amide and diallyldimethyl ammonium chloride employing chemical cross-linker N, N'-methylene bisacrylamide (NNMBA) and ammonium persulphate as an initiator by radical polymerisation. To analyse the copolymer formation between two monomers and IPN cross-linking reaction, the resulting hydrogel was characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the surface morphology was analysed using scanning electron microscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction studies were also carried out for investigating drug loading and distribution and swelling experiments were carried out for the uptake of water. In vitro release of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride from hydrogel was performed at intestinal conditions. The amount of PVA, NNMBA and total monomer concentration was found to strongly control the drug release behaviour from the hydrogels.

Docetaxel (Dtxl) is currently the most common therapeutic option for prostate cancer (PC). However, adverse side effects and problems associated with chemo-resistance limit its therapeutic outcome in clinical settings. A targeted nanoparticle system to improve its delivery to and activity at the tumor site could be an attractive strategy for PC therapy. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop and determine the anti-cancer efficacy of a novel docetaxel loaded, prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) targeted superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (SPION) (J591-SPION-Dtxl) formulation for PC therapy. Our results showed the SPION-Dtxl formulation exhibits an optimal particle size and zeta potential, which can efficiently be internalized in PC cells. SPION-Dtxl exhibited potent anti-cancer efficacy via induction of the expression of apoptosis associated proteins, downregulation of anti-apoptotic proteins, and inhibition of chemo-resistance associated protein in PC cell lines. J591-SPION-Dtxl exhibited a profound uptake in C4-2 (PSMA(+)) cells compared to PC-3 (PSMA(-)) cells. A similar targeting potential was observed in ex-vivo studies in C4-2 tumors but not in PC-3 tumors, suggesting its tumor specific targeting. Overall, this study suggests that a PSMA antibody functionalized SPION-Dtxl formulation can be highly useful for targeted PC therapy., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest exists in this work. However, SCC, MJ and MMY have filed a patent for MNPs., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)