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We report an efficient and facile approach to biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using the extract of an agro-waste rice husk generated from rice production. The biosynthesized NPs produced were characterized by UV-Visible absorption, TEM, XRD, EDX, and FTIR methods. The impact of temperature and pH on the stability of the synthesized AuNPs was also studied. The TEM imaging revealed the formation of monodispersed spherical NPs with an average size of ~ 15 nm. The absorption spectrum of AuNPs demonstrated the formation of Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) peak at 530 nm. The XRD pattern suggested the formation of face-centered cubic (FCC) lattice structure of AuNPs. The FTIR analysis displayed characteristic peaks related to various phytochemicals in the plant extract responsible for reducing and stabilizing NPs. In addition, AuNPs showed thermal stability when subjected to various temperature scales. The AuNPs exhibited an efficiency against the pathogenic bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and pathogenic fungi Candida albicans. The AuNPs 18.5% DPPH free scavenging activity, indicating the antioxidant potential for AuNPs. In addition, the AuNPs showed anticancer activity against the colorectal adenocarcinoma carcinoma cell line. Furthermore, AuNPs displayed significant enhancement in photocatalytic degradation of Methylene Blue and 4-Nitrophenol dyes. The results obtained reveal the possible usage of AuNPs produced using rice husk in several biomedical applications.

In this research, we adopt an ecofriendly and sustainable approach to compare the potentiality and efficiency of Phragmites australis aqueous extracts of two different organs to fabricate gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The aqueous extracts of plant roots and rhizome were used as alternative reducing agents to conventional chemicals. Various Characterization techniques were used; UV–Vis spectroscopy, Zeta potential, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) equipped with elemental mapping in order to confirm the formation of zero-valent AuNPs, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Our results demonstrated that both extracts of Phragmites australis are good candidates for the green-synthesis of AuNPs. Zeta potential was used to confirm the stability of AuNPs. The cytotoxic capacities of both AuNPs samples were validated using MTT assay which proved the inhibition of the growth and proliferation of human lung cancer cells (A549 cell line). Antioxidant potentialities were >10%. The phytosynthesized AuNPs exhibited high capacity in removing methylene blue and methyl orange dyes within just one min. This research offers an alternative solution to manage the accumulated unwanted biomass of a widely distributed aquatic macrophyte in aquatic ecosystems.

For the first time in this study, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were biosynthesized by the eco-friendly and cost-effective procedure using Presley leaf (Petroselinum crispum) extract then used as antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial and photocatalytic agents. Different four-volume of the extract 2.5 mL, 5 mL, 10 mL, and 20 ML named AuNPs(A), AuNPs(B), AuNPs(C) and AuNPs(D) were used to module the size and shape of AuNPs. The prepared NPs were characterized by various techniques including UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (EDX), and X-ray diffractometric (XRD). TEM imaging confirmed the formation of spherical, semi-rod aggregates, and flower-shaped NPs. The reduction and stabilization effect of the plant extract to fabricate AuNPs were explained by FTIR analysis. The four AuNPs provided high antioxidant ability, while AuNPs(D) was the best one. The NPs showed an emerging antimicrobial activity against two gram-negative microbes and not effective against the gram-positive microbes. The photocatalytic capacity for degradation of methylene blue dye was achieved after only one minute (the four samples have an equal effect). The AuNPs(D) provide the best anticancer activity on the human cancerous colorectal cell line using MTT assay rather than the other three AuNPs. The results spotlight for using Presley as a common cheap plant for bio-fabricating AuNPs who possess huge multifunctional applications.

BACKGROUND: Coral calcium is a new biomimetic product and dietary supplement which consists mainly of alkaline calcium carbonate. AIM: The aim of the current study is to compare the remineralization effect of coral calcium in different formulations and application methods. METHODS: A total of 35 extracted molars was collected, examined, and sectioned to obtain 70 sound enamel discs, all specimens were examined for calcium mineral content using energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX) coupled with scanning electron microscope. Hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles were synthesized through wet chemical precipitation approach and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis. Teeth specimens were subjected to demineralization, and mineral content was measured, specimens were divided into ten groups according to the remineralizing agent used, where Groups 1–3 used 10, 20, and 30 weight % (wt.%) coral calcium gel, respectively, Groups 4–6 used 10, 20, and 30 wt.% coral calcium and nanohydroxyapatite mix gel, and Groups 7–9 used 10, 20, and 30 wt.% coral calcium with argon laser activation and Group 10 (control group) without a remineralizing agent. All groups were re-examined by EDAX after remineralization. RESULTS: The TEM and FT-IR analysis confirmed the formation of rod shape HA in nanoparticles size range. All groups showed a statistically significant decrease in calcium level after demineralization, all groups showed a statistically significant increase in calcium content after remineralization except for the control group. Moreover, Groups 2 and 8 showed the highest increase in calcium level after remineralization. CONCLUSION: Coral calcium showed a significant remineralizing effect on carious enamel (demineralization) with an optimum concentration of 20 wt.%.

Advances in cancer nanotechnology aim at improving specificity and effectiveness for tumor treatment. Amalgamation of different treatment modalities is expected to provide better cancer combating. Herein, We developed a long circulating nanocarrier comprising trastuzumab (TZB) surface modified polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) co-encapsulating magnolol (Mag) and gold nanoparticles (GNPs). A modified single step nanoprecipitation method was adopted ensuring particle coating with D-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) while co-encapsulating GNPs. TZB was then anchored on NPs surface using a carbodiimide chemistry. The cytotoxicity of the developed system was evaluated with and without photothermal irradiation. NPs cellular uptake was then followed using confocal microscopical imaging. A hybrid matrix composed of PLGA/TPGS and surface decorated with TZB with a conjugation efficiency of ˃65%, was confirmed via FTIR, 1HNMR. GNPs could only be included in the NPs, when placed in the organic phase as evidenced by the shifted GNPs surface plasmonic resonance and confirmed via imaging coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Optimized NPs (136.1 ± 1.3 nm, −8.2 ± 1 mV and Mag encapsulation efficiency of 81.4 ± 1.8%) were able to boost Mag cytotoxicity on breast cancer cells while providing a selective multifunctional therapy with an added photothermal effect.

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) antibiotic was loaded on silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), which were prepared by three different methods to enhance their antibacterial activity against Gram-negative (Escherichia ...

Objective: The objective of this study is to compare and evaluate the antibacterial activity of modified conventional Glass ionomer restoration (GI) with zinc oxide (ZnO-NPs) and cerium oxide Nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) on the oral Streptococcus mutans (SM).Materials and Methods: one hundred and five disc-shaped specimens were divided into seven groups; GI, GI incorporated with three, five and seven percent ZnO-NPs and CeO2-NPs. Antibacterial activity was assessed by counting of colony forming unit (CFU) of SM after direct contact test and 96 hours biofilm evaluation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to illustrate interaction between different concentrations of Nanoparticles incorporated with GI.Results: Direct contact test showed a significant reduction of CFU of GI incorporated with seven percent ZnO-NPs in relation to GI (P value 0.007). Biofilm evaluation showed significant reduction of CFU of GI incorporated with three, five and seven percent ZnO-NPs and five and seven percent CeO2-NPs (P value 0.000). FTIR showed Peaks at 1405 and 1635 cm–1 related to symmetric and asymmetric vibrations of COO−, those peaks were broader and red shifted in GI incorporated with ZnO-NPs and CeO-NPs.Conclusion: Incorporation of conventional GI with ZnO-NPs and CeO2-NPs enhance its antibacterial activity against oral SM.

Background: Cancer is a progressive disease, its incidence and death rates are rapidly increasing globally. Numerous adverse effects are associated with the available interventions. Hence, the current study was undertaken to explore the anticancer effect of silver nanoparticles conjugated with berberine (AgNPs-BER) against Ehrlich solid carcinoma (ESC) in mice. Methods: Male Swiss albino mice were allocated randomly into ESC, ESC+cisplatin (CP; 5 mg/kg), ESC+AgNPs-BER (20 mg/kg), and ESC+cisplatin and AgNPs-BER groups. Results: AgNPs-BER administration increased significantly the survival rate and decreased body weight and tumor size as compared to ESC group. Additionally, AgNPs-BER enhanced the development of oxidative stress in the tumor tissue as indicated by the increased lipid peroxidation (LPO) and nitric oxide (NO) accompanied by a decrease in the examined antioxidant proteins (glutathione (GSH) and its derived enzymes along with superoxide dismutase and catalase). AgNPs-BER was found also to trigger apoptotic cascade in the tumor cells through upregulating the mRNA expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax and caspase-3) and downregulating the mRNA expression of the anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2). Moreover, AgNPs-BER improved partially the histopathological alterations in the developed tumor tissue as compared to ESC group. Conclusion: Collectively, AgNPs-BER could be applied as an antitumor agent due to its pro-oxidant, pro-apoptotic, and antiangiogenic effects.

This study aimed to evaluate the potential cytotoxic effect of oral administration of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) on adult albino rats’ pulp tissue; due to the enormous uses of Ag-NPs in the medical and dental field. The Ag-NPs were synthesized via the green process using peels of pomegranate extract. The pomegranate-mediated Ag-NPs were subjected to morphological and spectral analysis through ultraviolet visible absorption spectra, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transforms infrared, Zeta-potential measurements, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The structural and morphological characterization techniques confirmed the proper synthesis of biosynthesized Ag-NPs with a size around 20 ​nm and the surface plasmon resonance peak within 400–450 ​nm. The oral cytotoxic effect of Ag-NPs was assessed through detecting the histological (hematoxylin & eosin, Masson’s trichrome) and immunohistochemical (vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), Caspase-3 proteins) variations. The data was analyzed statistically through using the SPSS software. Dental pulp tissues of albino rats-treated with Ag-NPs revealed that most of the odontoblasts with marked hydropic degeneration, vacuolization of their cytoplasm, loss of organization and apoptosis. Marked vasodilatation and cognition of blood vessels were detected. There was weak to moderate positive reactivity to Masson’s trichrome stain. There was statistically significant decrease in the expression of VEGF in the treated group and highly statistically significant increase in the expression of Caspase-3 in comparison with the control group. Conclusion Oral administration of Ag-NPs induced size and dose-dependent structural changes in the pulp tissue of adult male albino rats.

Abstarct Objectives Evaluation of degree of conversion (DC), flexural properties, micro-hardness and color change (ΔE00) of dental resin composite after modification with two types of organo-modified Montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclay; an experimentally synthesized polymethyl-methacrylate modified MMT nanoclay (PMMA/MMT), and a commercially available one (Cloisite20A). Methods MMT was synthesized by sol-gel technique, organo-modified with polymethyl-methacrylate and characterized using EDX, XRD and FTIR. PMMA/MMT and Cloisite20A nanoclay were added to flowable resin composite in 0.5, 1 and 1.5 wt% concentrations. Unmodified resin composite was used as control group. DC was assessed by FTIR, flexural properties were tested by three-point bending test using a universal testing machine, micro-hardness was analyzed by Vickers micro-hardness tester and color change (ΔE00) was evaluated using a reflective spectrophotometer. SEM and elemental mapping assessment were performed to evaluate nanoclay distribution in resin composite. Data were analyzed using One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc test, in addition to Two-way ANOVA (p ≤ 0.05). Weibull analysis was used to analyze flexural strength results. Results Characterization results revealed successful preparation of PMMA/MMT. DC results showed insignificant difference up to 1 wt% of nanoclay concentration. Addition of 0.5 wt% of PMMA/MMT significantly increased flexural properties, while addition of 1.5 wt% of PMMA/MMT significantly decreased flexural properties. Micro-hardness results revealed a significant increase in PMMA/MMT groups in all tested concentrations. ΔE00 results showed that color change was clinically acceptable on adding 0.5 wt% nanoclay. Conclusion PMMA/MMT in 0.5 wt% is a promising nanofiller for resin composite that significantly enhanced flexural strength and micro-hardness without compromising DC and color.

The presence of antibiotic traces in the aquatic system due to the inefficient treatment of the pharmaceutical wastewater represented threats, such as bioaccumulation and antibiotic-resistance, to the environment and human health. Accordingly, for the first time, the current work utilized the photocatalytic degradation and the adsorption approach for Levofloxacin (LEVO) in pharmaceutical wastewater using new designed nano aspects. Therefore, spherical Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONP) sized 17 nm and ultrathin sheet-like structure graphene oxide nanosheets (GONS) with layer thickness ~5 nm were fabricated separately or in a combination between them then characterized via Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transforms Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), absorption spectra (UV-Vis) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). Additionally, several parameters were investigated to evaluate the potential of the removal process, such as pH, the exposure time to UV radiation, the type and concentration of the nanoparticles (NPs) and the initial concentration of the drug using a mixed fractional factorial design. The most effective parameter for LEVO removal was the NPs type followed by the initial drug concentration. Furthermore, an RP-HPLC/UV method was developed and validated for measuring the percentage of removal for LEVO drug. The highest percentage removal for both 50 and 400 µg mL−1 LEVO was 99.2% and 99.6%, respectively, which was achieved using ZnONP/GONS combination at pH 9 ± 0.05 and UV light exposure time 120 min. In addition, the negative antibacterial activity of the treated wastewater sample confirmed the drug removal. The established protocol was successfully applied on wastewater samples collected from a pharmaceutical company that encouraged researchers to mainstream this design to be applied on other pharmaceutical wastewater drugs.

Biogas production from plant biomass (Pharagmites australis and Eichornia crassipes) inoculated with fresh digestate from Daqahliyah Sugar Beet factory - Egypt bioreactors in the presence of iron oxide nanoparticles capped with ascorbic acid were investigated. The substrate was charged into batch digesters (syringes 20 ml) and 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 ppm of iron nanoparticles capped with ascorbic acid working suspension were added further and subjected to anaerobic conditions. The produced biogas was collected by the water displacement method and subsequently measured (ml). Results obtained showed that, maximum biogas production from Pharagmites australis was (31.10 ml/3.4 g P. australis) with 100 ppm of Fe3O4 NPs compared to control (18.07 ml/3.4 g P. australis), with enhancement percentage 72.11%. While maximum biogas production from Eichornia crassipes was (16.33 ml/3.4 g E. crassipes) compared to control (10.83 ml/3.4 g E. crassipes), with enhancement percentage 50.78%, after 25 days of incubation at temperature 35 °C and pH 7.2. It could be concluded that, biogas production from P. australis and E. crassipes in the presence of iron oxide nanoparticles capped with ascorbic acid have an important role and efficacy in the biogas generation quantity, unwanted biomass recycling and in terms of environmental pollution control and management that might have resulted from the domestic disposal of these unwanted plant biomass.

This study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of synthesized selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) capped with glucose and polyvinyl-pyrrolidone (PVP) on the hyperglycemia and prooxidants/antioxidants imbalance present in model streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. SeNPs were synthesized and characterized. Twenty-four albino male rats were grouped into four different groups. After the rats were induced to have type 2 diabetes by STZ, the SeNPs-treated groups received a dose of 0.5 mg/ml of SeNPs for seven days. Plasma glucose and insulin levels, pancreatic insulin expression, the levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO), nitric oxide (NO), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione (GSH) were evaluated. TEM images revealed the formation of semispherical particles with average size between 40 and 50 nm. SeNPs administration successfully reduced the hyperglycemia, raised the levels of insulin in both the pancreas and the plasma and restored the damaged pancreatic tissue. SeNPs also showed enhancement of the elimination of the diabetes-induced oxidative stress injuries by decreasing the pancreatic LPO and NO levels. Furthermore, the activities of the antioxidant enzyme GPx and GSH levels of the diabetic rats were increased. In conclusion, SeNPs capped with PVP could be used in the future as an agent that could manage Diabetes mellitus., Biochemistry; Diabetes; selenium; nanoparticles; polyvinyl-pyrrolidone; hyperglycemia; oxidative stress; Hypoglycemic; Streptozotocin; Materials Science; Chemistry; Biological Sciences; Veterinary Medicine; Health Sciences.

Reaction of 5-Methyl-4-(2-nitro-phenylazo)-2-phenyl-2H-pyrazol-3-ylamine (H2L) with Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) salts affords complexes of the type [M(HL)2], which were characterized by elemental analysis, FT IR, UV–Vis, magnetic susceptibility, conductance measurements and single crystal X-ray diffraction. H2L crystallizes in a monoclinic space group C2/c, while the Cu(II) complex crystallizes in the triclinic P 1 ¯ (2) space group. H2L behaves as a mono-negatively bidentate ligand via N N and NH−. Comparison between the crystal and the optimized data at DFT/B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory was discussed. Time-dependent DFT calculations were performed to assign the electronic spectra. The natural charge of NiII is more reduced than CoII and CuII, which suggests the higher complexation ability of H2L toward the former ion.

Loading 5- Fluorouracil (5-FU) into gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) could enhance its activity as anticancer drug hugely by enhancing its ability for penetration through the cell membrane. Accordingly, this work is devoted to loading 5-FU into AuNPs surface and studying the binding mechanism of the drug to the surface of the gold nanoparticles. Our finding indicates that new absorption band appears at longer wavelength upon loading 5-FU into gold nanospheres capped with citrate. This near IR band is due to induced surface plasmon coupling via hydrogen bonding between 5-FU and surface capping AuNPs. This leads to great enhancement of the drug action as chemotherapeutic as well as photothermal agents. Factors which affect the binding between 5-FU and the AuNPs such as pH, time after mixing the drug with AuNPs, concentration of the 5-FU, have been studied in detail. Accordingly, the binding interaction is proven to be via hydrogen bonding. Upon the investigation of thermal and photo satiability, the formed composite 5-FU@ AuNPs showed high stability towards these factors. The spectral and morphological studies were measured via UV-VIS spectroscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM). Remarkable increases in the drug anticancer activity upon loading into AuNPs were observed for the cell viability test of human colon cancer (HCT16).