Search

In general, the growing resistance to traditional anti-leishmaniasis drugs and the ineffectiveness of appropriate treatment for leishmaniasis have prompted researchers to investigate the antiparasitic properties of plant-mediated synthesized nanomaterials and nanosystems. Potassium (K)-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures with unique physicochemical properties can be employed as attractive candidate against this parasitic disease. In this study, K-doped zinc oxide (KdZ) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized using Artemisia annua extracts via an eco-friendly method with the advantages of simplicity, low cost, and up-scalability. A. annua extracts were deployed due to their antiparasitic effects. The synthesized NPs were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The toxicity of these nanostructures was evaluated on Leishmania tropica and normal macrophage cells. As a result, the K-doped ZnO NPs could inhibit the L. tropica cells growth, in vitro.

In this study, potassium-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles (K-doped ZnO NPs) were green-synthesized using pine pollen extracts based on bioethics principles. The synthesized NPs were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The cytotoxicity of these nanoparticles (NPs) on normal macrophage cells and cancer cell lines was evaluated. In the same concentrations of K-doped ZnO and pure ZnO NPs, K-doped ZnO NPs demonstrated higher toxicity. The results confirmed that the doped potassium could increase cytotoxicity. The IC50 of K-doped ZnO NPs, pure ZnO NPs, and the examined control drug were 497 ± 15, 769 ± 12, and 606 ± 19 µg/mL, respectively. Considering the obtained IC50 of K-doped ZnO NPs, they were more toxic to the cancer cell lines and had less cytotoxicity on normal macrophage cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Nanoparticles are well recognized for their biological applications including tissue-regeneration due to large surface area and chemical properties. In this study, K-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles containing porous hydrogels were synthesized via freeze gelation. The morphology and pore dimensions were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The chemical structural analysis of the synthesized hydrogels was investigated by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. In swelling studies, material containing ZnO nanoparticles with 2% potassium dopant concentration CLH-K 2.0) showed greater degree of swelling as compared to all other materials. The degradation studied was tested in three different degradation media, i.e. phosphate buffer saline (PBS), lysozyme and hydrogen peroxide and relatively higher degradation was seen in hydrogen peroxide. The synthesized hydrogels were implanted on the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) to investigate their angiogenic potential. The CLH-K 2.0 hydrogel stimulated angiogenesis greater than all other materials; blood vessels were attached and grown inside this scaffold, showing its strong angiogenic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]