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The current investigation highlights the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by the insectivorous plant Drosera spatulata Labill var. bakoensis, which is the first of its kind. The biosynthesized nanoparticles revealed a UV visible surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band at 427 nm. The natural phytoconstituents which reduce the monovalent silver were identified by FTIR. The particle size of the Ds-AgNPs was detected by the Nanoparticle size analyzer confirms that the average size of nanoparticles was around 23 ± 2 nm. Ds-AgNPs exhibit high stability because of its high negative zeta potential (− 34.1 mV). AFM studies also revealed that the Ds-AgNPs were spherical in shape and average size ranges from 10 to 20 ± 5 nm. TEM analysis also revealed that the average size of Ds-AgNPs was also around 21 ± 4 nm and the shape is roughly spherical and well dispersed. The crystal nature of Ds-AgNPs was detected as a face-centered cube by the XRD analysis. Furthermore, studies on antibacterial and antifungal activities manifested outstanding antimicrobial activities of Ds-AgNPs compared with standard antibiotic Amoxyclav. In addition, demonstration of superior free radical scavenging efficacy coupled with potential in vitro cytotoxic significance on Human colon cancer cell lines (HT-29) suggests that the Ds-AgNPs attain excellent multifunctional therapeutic applications.

Background: There is an increasing commercial demand for nanoparticles due to their wide applicability in various areas, such as chemistry, catalysis, energy and medicine. Metallic nanoparticles are traditionally synthesized by wet chemical techniques where the chemicals used are quite often toxic and flammable. Objective: In the present study, we have described a simple, cost-effective and environmentally- friendly technique for green synthesis of silver and iron nanoparticles by using the aqueous extract of leafy vegetable Amaranthus viridis as a reducing agent. Methods: The silver and iron nanoparticles (Av-AgNPs, Av-IONPs) were characterized by different spectral methods. The surface plasmon resonance spectrums of Av-AgNPs, Av-IONPs were recorded at 422nm and 261nm. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis reveals that the Av-AgNPs and Av-IONPs are roughly spherical in shape. Energy dispersive absorption spectroscopy (EDAX) of biosynthesized Av-AgNPs and Av-IONPs indicates the reduction of silver ions to elemental silver and iron ions to elemental iron. Results: The particle size analysis of Av-AgNPs and Av-IONPs was carried out by the dynamic light scattering (DLS) method; the results reveal both Av-AgNPs and Av-IONPs to be polydispersed in nature. The average particle size of Av-AgNPs is 55.8 nm with a polydispersed index (PI) of 0.297; similarly, the average particle size of Av-IONPs is 80.6 nm with a polydispersed index (PI) of 0.469. Zeta-potential of Av-AgNPs was detected at -24.6 mV and Av-IONPs were detected at 28.8 mV; the result reveals that their high stability may be due their high negative charge and positive charge, respectively. The dual synthesized Av-AgNPs and Av-IONPs exhibited excellent antioxidant activity by DPPH, H2O2 and NO methods. DPPH was proven to be the best when compared with the other two methods. The biosynthesized Av-AgNPs and Av-IONPs proved to have very good antimicrobial activity against gram +ve and gram –ve bacteria. Conclusion: Compared with the standard antibiotic, there are several reports on the green synthesis of metal nanoparticles using various plant parts, but here, edible leafy vegetable Amaranthus viridis was used for biosynthesis of both Av-AgNPs and Av-IONPs.

In the present study, green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was performed using flower extracts of Aerva lanata (Al) from Amaranthaceae family. The size, shape, and elemental composition ...

The present study was aimed to evaluate the anti-adipogenic activity of piperine (PIP) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in 3T3-L1 cells. In cytotoxicity studies, PIP and EGCG showed IC50 values of 260 and 218 µM respectively and in combination (20 µM each) did not show cytotoxicity. Treatment with PIP and EGCG (20 µM each) significantly (p

The present work was carried out to green synthesis of silver nanoparticles by using fresh aqueous tuber extract of Jatropha heynei. The Jt-AgNPs are characterized by different spectroscopic techni...

The current investigation highlights the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by the insectivorous plant Drosera spatulata Labill var.bakoensis, which is the first of its kind. The biosynthesized nanoparticles revealed a UV visible surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band at 427 nm. The natural phytoconstituents which reduce the monovalent silver were identified by FTIR. The particle size of the Ds-AgNPs was detected by the Nanoparticle size analyzer confirms that the average size of nanoparticles was around 23 ± 2 nm. Ds-AgNPs exhibit high stability because of their high negative zeta potential (-34.1 mV). AFM studies also revealed that the Ds-AgNPs were spherical in shape and average size ranges from 10 to 20 ± 5 nm. TEM analysis also revealed that the average size of Ds-AgNPs was also around 21 ± 4 nm and the shape is roughly spherical and well dispersed. The crystal nature of Ds-AgNPs was detected as a face-centered cube by the XRD analysis. Furthermore, studies on antibacterial and antifungal activities manifested outstanding antimicrobial activities of Ds-AgNPs compared with standard antibiotic Amoxyclav. In addition, demonstration of superior free radical scavenging efficacy coupled with potential in vitro cytotoxic significance on Human colon cancer cell lines (HT-29) suggests that the Ds-AgNPs attain excellent multifunctional therapeutic applications.

In this research article, we present a simple and rapid method for synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) using zinc acetate dehydrate, sodium hydroxide and leaf extract of an important anti-diabetic plant Andrographis serpelifolia (As). The results reveal that UV-visible absorption spectrum indicates peaks at 325 nm which confirms the biosynthesis of ZnONPs. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) results indicate the characteristic peak at 511.93 cm−1 for ZnO nanoparticles. EDX analysis revealed the purity of As-ZnONPs and the particle size was between 70 nm and 80 ± 10 nm by both dynamic light scattering analysis (DLS) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. The As-ZnONPs were moderately stable with negative zeta potential value −11.1 mV. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis also revealed the same results as TEM and DLS. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) data revealed that the particles are facets of face-centered cubic crystal structure of ZnO. The As-ZnONPs have exhibited potential antioxidant activity and effective antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria. The As-ZnONPs have also potential anti-diabetic activity in vivo (rat model). The antidiabetic activity of As-ZnONPs comparable to that of the standard drug glibenclamide was evidenced by various biochemical parameters like HbA1C, serum lipid profiles, liver and renal functional markers.

Purpose: The main aim of the present investigation was to enhance the solubility of poorly soluble Gliclazide by nanocrystallization. Methods: In present investigation gliclazide nanocrystals were prepared by sonoprecipitation using Pluronic F68, Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA), Poly ethylene Glycol 6000 (PEG), Poly Vinyl Pyrrolidine (PVP K30) and Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) as stabilizers. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic study (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and X ray diffraction (XRD) studies were conducted to study the drug interactions. Size and zeta potential of the nanocrystals were evaluated. In vitro and in vivo studies of nanocrystals were conducted in comparison to pure gliclazide. Results: The Gliclazide nanocrystals (GN) showed mean particle size of 131±7.7 nm with a zeta potential of -26.6 mV. Stable nanocrystals were formed with 0.5% of PEG 6000. FTIR, DSC and XRD studies of nanocrystals showed absence of interactions and polymorphism. SEM photographs showed a change in morphology of crystals from rod to irregular shape. There is an increase in the saturation solubility and the percentage drug release from formulation GN5 (Optimized Gliclazide Nanocrystals) was found to be 98.5 in 15 min. In the in vivo study, GN5 nanocrystals have reduced the blood glucose level to 296.4±4.26 mg/dl in 12 hr. The nanocrystals showed lower tmax and higher Cmax values as compared to pure gliclazide. Conclusion: The prepared nanocrystals of gliclazide were stable without any drug polymer interactions. Increase in the dissolution of nanocrystals compared to pure gliclazide and significant reduction in blood glucose level in vivo indicated better bioavailability of the nanocrystals. Therefore, it is concluded that nanocrystal technology can be a promising tool to improve solubility and hence dissolution of a hydrophobic drug.

A bioactive compound, BR-1 was isolated from the methanolic extract of the leaves of Basella rubra L. Compound BR-1 was characterized and structurally elucidated using different spectroscopic techniques like UV–vis, FTIR, NMR and MS-ESI-TOFM. The compound was identified as an isovitexin (C-glycosylflavone). Isovitexin exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity against human colon cancer (HT-29) cells with IC50 value of 29.44 μg/mL. The possible reasons behind the anticancer activity of isovitexin were studied. Morphological observations revealed that isovitexin induces pro-apoptotic changes including warping of cells, clustering, and destructive fragmentation of cancer cells. Further, isovitexin induced the loss of intracellular LDH, loss of membrane integrity and fragmentation of DNA of HT-29 cells. Isovitexin triggered the apoptosis of cancer cells by upregulating the caspase-3 and Bax levels with simultaneous down regulation of procaspase-3 and Bcl-2 protein expression. Molecular docking studies revealed that isovitexin bound at the catalytic cleft of Bcl-2 by the way of six H-bonding interactions by accepting electrons from Arg-109, Glu-136, Leu-137, Arg-146, Ala-149 and Glu-152 and thereby effectively inhibited the Bcl-2. Isovitexin gratifies pharmacokinetic bioavailability parameters as evidenced by Lipinski rule and ADMET profile. The results of the present study support the development of natural bioactive compounds as cancer chemotherapeutics.

We synthesized the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using wedelolactone (WDL) and characterized them using UV-visible spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopic (SEM), transmission electron microscopic (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopic (AFM) studies. The electronic spectrum exhibited an absorption peak at 535 nm. The FT-IR results proved that WDL was stabilized on the surface of AuNPs by acting as a capping or reducing agent. The crystalline structure was affirmed by XRD pattern and the spherical shape of WDL-AuNPs was evidenced by SEM, TEM, and AFM. The synthesized WDL-AuNPS were evaluated for anti-diabetic activity in pancreatic RIN-5F cell lines. In vitro results showed that WDL-AuNPs did not only improve the insulin secretion affected by di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), but also the cell viability in RIN5F cells. WDL-AuNPs treatment modulates the pro-apoptotic proteins and anti-apoptotic proteins expression to prevent the cells undergoing apoptosis in DEHP-exposed RIN-5F cells. The exposure of DEHP causes an increase in ROS production and lipid peroxidation levels. The free radical scavenging and antioxidant properties of WDL-AuNPs increase the deleterious effect caused by DEHP. On the other side, WDL-AuNPs increase mRNA expressions of insulin-signaling proteins in RIN-5F cells. This study concludes that WDL-AuNPs can be successfully used to regulate the expression of Bcl-2 family proteins, reduce lipid peroxidation, and to improve the secretion of antioxidants and insulin through the GLUT2 pathway in RIN-5F cell lines.

In the present investigation, here we first report the phytosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using shade dried aqueous leaf extract of Rhynchosia heynei Wight & Arn is a crop wild relatives (CWR) of pigeon peas (Cajanus), beans (Phaseolus) and grams (Vigna). R. heynei is a rare, an endemic and vulnerable category as an according to the IUCN Red list of threatened species (ver.2012.2), a global database of Plant species to track at risk species, it is herbaceous under shrub, an important, indigenous, threatened forestry species of traditional shrub of tribal medicinal plant species belonging to family Fabacaea and it is classified in Tribe phaceoleae and sub-tribe Cajaninae and subfamily papilionoideae and it is found in the forests of seshachalam biosphere reserve in Tirumala hills, Chittoor district, Rayalaseema region, Andhra Pradesh state, Eastern Ghats of India. The shade dried aqueous leaf extract of R. heynei acts as reducing and capping agent that mediates the synthesis and stabilization of RH-AgNPs (R. heynei leaf synthesized AgNPs). Phytosynthesized RH-AgNPs were 5–20 nm in size, face centered cubic crystalline in nature, spherical in shape, and possesses zeta potential value of −31.4 mV. UV-Vis spectroscopy analysis confirmed the formation of silver nanoparticles. FTIR analysis demonstrated that polyhydroxy compounds and proteins respectively involved the bioreduction and capping processes of the particles that prevents agglomeration which in turn gives stability. The stability of RH-AgNPs will be further confirmed through zeta potential measurement by dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis technique. Both X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and SAED results emphasized that the phytosynthesized RH-AgNPs were crystal particles in nature. Particle size distribution showed that RH-AgNPs were 5–20 nm in size with hydrodynamic radius of 11.2 nm. In addition to silvernano particles energy -dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) analysis of the RH-AgNPs showed the elemental composition of colloidal solution of RH-AgNPs. The EDX spectrum of RH-AgNPs exhibit strong signal of silver (Ag) element. The elemental composition of the colloidal solution of RH-AgNPs. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) micrographs showed that the RH-AgNPs formed were polydispersed in nature without agglomeration. Phytosynthesized RH-AgNPs exhibited excellent bactericidal activity against different human pathogens including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli (Gram-ve), Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram +ve). RH-AgNPs exhibited effective antioxidant property by scavenging DPPH and H2O2 radicals with the IC50 values of 77.7 and 88.6 µg/mL respectively. Further RH-AgNPs exhibited dose-dependent anticancer activity with maximum inhibition of 85% and 72% respectively against different cancer cell lines of human colon carcinoma (COLO205) and lung adenocarcinoma (A549). Application of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have revolutionized the medicinal industry. Due to their distinctive properties small size (1–100 nm), shape and electrical properties these nanoparticles are able to cross cell and nuclear membrane and induce cyto/genotoxicity. Phytosynthesized (plant based) AgNPs have targeting biological pathways has become tremendously prominent due to the higher efficiency and fewer side effects as compared to other commercial cancer drugs and have emerged as alternative antimicrobial agent to chemically synthesiszed nanoparticles assume their methods of synthesis is a simple, rapid and single-step bioreduction method which is environment friendly and non toxic and cost effective.

Recent years have witnessed many breakthroughs in graphene including mass production of this material. Most of the work focused on the synthesis and study of the properties of graphene. Herein, we first reported on a successful procedure for the reduction of graphite using Stevia leaf extract which resulted in two-dimensional carbon atomic crystals, graphene. This phytogenic graphene (PG) was characterized by ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and dynamic light scattering technique. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) micrographs showed the variations in surface morphology of the formed graphene which has a stable single-layer structure and was significantly water soluble. AFM data reveals two different sizes 24.9 (G1) and 71.7 nm (G2) of PG. The germination percentage was 19% higher with G1 and G2 treatments than control in peanut a dicot plant, whereas in monocotyledonous plants (rice and maize) the G1 treatment exhibited germination percentage of 50% in maize and 100% in rice. Size-dependent behavior of PG was not noticed in the growth and development of dicot plant (peanut), whereas in monocot plants (maize and rice) size-dependent effects were noticed. These results point to the use of carbonaceous materials in agriculture as bio-efficient plant growth promoting agents.

Biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by exploiting various plant materials is an emerging field and considered green nanotechnology as it involves simple, cost effective and ecofriendly procedure. In the present study AgNPs were successfully synthesized using aqueous callus extract of Gymnema sylvestre. The aqueous callus extract treated with 1nM silver nitrate solution resulted in the formation of AgNPs and the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the formed AgNPs showed a peak at 437 nm in the UV Visible spectrum. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD). FTIR spectra showed the peaks at 3333, 2928, 2361, 1600, 1357 and 1028 cm−1 which revealed the role of different functional groups possibly involved in the synthesis and stabilization of AgNPs. TEM micrograph clearly revealed the size of the AgNPs to be in the range of 3–30 nm with spherical shape and poly-dispersed nature; it is further confirmed by Particle size analysis that the stability of AgNPs is due its high negative Zeta potential (−36.1 mV). XRD pattern revealed the crystal nature of the AgNPs by showing the braggs peaks corresponding to (111), (200), (220) and (311) planes of face-centered cubic crystal phase of silver. Selected area electron diffraction pattern showed diffraction rings and confirmed the crystalline nature of synthesized AgNPs. The synthesized AgNPs exhibited effective antifungal activity against Candida albicans, Candida nonalbicans and Candida tropicalis.

Quinazolines are heterocyclic compounds with an important place in the field of medicinal chemistry. The quinazoline ring system is present in the structure of approximately 150 naturally occurring pharmacologically active alkaloids, isolated from a number of families of the plant and animal kingdom, as well as various microorga- nisms. 1 Quinazoline derivatives possess diverse biological and therapeutic activities such as antibacterial, 2-4 antifun- gal, 5 anti-inflammatory, 6 anticancer, 2,7 antituberculosis, 8 A series of novel N-aryl-4-(6-(2-fluoropyridin-3-yl)quinazolin-2-yl)-piperazine-1-carboxamide or -carbothioamide derivatives was synthe- sized by cyclization of 5-bromo-2-fluorobenzaldehyde and guanidine carbonate in the presence of dimethylacetamide followed by treatment with isoamylnitrite and diiodomethane in the presence of copper iodide to afford 6-bromo-2-iodoquinazoline. The latter was treated with piperazine in the presence of triethylamine followed by (2-fluoropyridin-3-yl)boronic acid in the presence of Pd(PPh3)2Cl2 to afford 6-(2-fluoropyridin-3-yl)-2-(piperazin-1-yl)quinazoline which was further treated with various substituted arylisocyanates and arylisothio- cyanates to obtain the title compounds. The chemical structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by means of LC-MS, 1 H, 13 C NMR, IR, and mass spectra and elemental analysis. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial activity against two Gram-positive and two Gram-negative bacterial species, as well as two different strains of antibiotic-resistant E. coli and for antifungal activity against two fungal strains. Some of the compounds have shown potential antimicrobial activity.

Herein, the electrochemical sensor was designed based on ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for the sensitive and selective determination of Epinephrine (EP). ZnONPs was decorated on MWCNTs with the help of ultra-sonication to produce a nanocomposite (ZnO/MWCNTs), which was later dispersed on the surface of glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The morphology and characterization of nanocomposite were examined by using HR-TEM, FE-SEM, FT-IR and EDS techniques. The performance of ZnO/MWCNTs/GCE was evaluated by using various electrochemical methods such as CV, DPV and EIS. ZnO/MWCNTs/GCE showed good electrocatalytic activity in terms of EP oxidation by giving much higher peak currents than those obtained at bare GCE and MWCNTs/GCE. The fabricated sensor demonstrated good selectivity, reproducibility and stability. The performance of the fabricated sensor was good in terms of evaluating the kinetic parameters such as heterogeneous rate constant and the number of electrons involved in the reaction. The analytical performance of the developed method towards the determination of EP endowed linear dynamic range from 0.4 μM to 2.4 μM with a detection limit of 0.016 μM. The practical application of the fabricated sensor was demonstrated by determining EP in spiked human blood serum and adrenaline titrate injection samples.

Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with ecofriendly plant extracts contains different phytochemicals act as both reducing and capping agents forming stable and shape-controlled AgNPs. The present study deals with the synthesis of AgNPs using the aqueous leaf extract of Coleus aromaticus and to evaluate the bactericidal activity against three antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli strains. The AgNPs are characterized using UV–Visible Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscope coupled with X-ray Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and Atomic force microscope. The synthesized AgNPs were crystalline in nature, spherical in shape with an average of 48 ± 5 nm in size, and the stability of AgNPs is due to its high negative Zeta potential −65.7 mV. The AgNPs have outstanding bactericidal activity against three antibiotic resistant E. coli strains. This is the first report of antibacterial activity against antibiotic resistant strains using AgNPs by green route.

New and novel strategies are of recent interest in the development of silver nanoparticles. The plant extracts are eco-friendly, economical and cost effective for synthesis of nanoparticles. In this paper, we represent biofabrication of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Andrographis paniculata and the synthesized AgNPs was monitored by ultra-violet visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis). The morphology and crystalline nature of AgNPs were determined from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The size and the stability were detected by using Nanoparticle analyzer. The average size of the AgNPs was found to be 54 ± 2 nm and the Zeta potential was found to be −50.7 mV. The synthesized AgNPs have very good antifungal activity.

The enhancement of plant secondary metabolite production in cell suspension cultures through biotic or abiotic elicitation has become a potential biotechnological approach for commercialization or large-scale production of bioactive compounds. Gymnema sylvestre R.Br. is an important medicinal plant, rich in a group of oleanane triterpenoid saponins called gymnemic acid, well known for its anti-diabetic activity. Two endophytic fungal strains were isolated from the leaves of G. sylvestre and identified as Polyancora globosa and Xylaria sp. based on the PCR amplification and internal transcribed spacer (ITS 1-5.8S-ITS 2) sequencing of 18S rRNA gene. The process of elicitation of cell suspension cultures of G. sylvestre with dried powder of fungal mycelia (DPFM) and extracellular culture filtrate (ECF) of endophytic fungi consistently enhanced the accumulation of gymnemic acid and the DPFM was proved to be an effective elicitor when compared to the ECF. The DPFM elicited the gymnemic acid content in the range of 2.57–10.45-fold, while the ECF elicited the gymnemic acid content in the range of 2.39–7.8-fold. P. globosa, a novel and a rare endophytic fungal strain, has shown a great influence on the production of gymnemic acid. Cell suspension cultures elicited with DPFM of P. globosa produced higher amount of gymnemic acid content (124.23 mg/g dried cell weight) compared to the cultures elicited with DPFM of Xylaria sp. (102.24 mg/g DCW). But the cultures treated with consortium of DPFM of both fungi showed great influence on the production of gymnemic acid (139.98 mg/g DCW) than the cultures treated with DPFM alone. Similarly, cultures treated with consortium of ECF of both fungi produced more gymnemic acid content (94.86 mg/g DCW) compared with cultures treated with ECF of Xylaria sp. (77.93 mg/g DCW) and ECF of P. globosa (78.65 mg/g DCW) alone.

The present study reports that the biosynthesis of AgNPs using an endophytic fungus isolated from the ethnomedicinal plant Centella asiatica. The endophytic fungus was identified as Aspergillus versicolor ENT7 based on 18S rRNA gene sequencing (NCBI Accession number KF493864). The AgNPs synthesized were characterized by UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), particle size analyzer, and zeta potential measurements. The UV–Vis absorption spectra showed the peak at 429 nm which confirmed the synthesis of AgNPs. TEM analysis revealed that the AgNPs were spherical in shape with 3–40 nm in size; similar results were also obtained by Horiba particle size analyzer with 5–40 nm in size. The synthesized AgNPs were highly stable due to their high negative zeta potential value of −38.2 mV. XRD studies showed (111), (200), (220), (311), and (222) planes of the face-centered cubic (FCC) lattice, indicating the crystalline nature of the AgNPs. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern of the AgNPs showed five circular fringes which were in accordance with XRD data and confirmed the formation of high crystalline nature of AgNPs. FTIR measurements indicated the peaks at 3273, 2925, 1629, 1320, and 1020 cm−1 corresponding to different functional groups possibly involved in the synthesis and stabilization of AgNPs. The synthesized AgNPs exhibited effective free radical scavenging activity with the IC50 value of 60.64 µg/ml. The synthesized AgNPs were found to be highly toxic against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and also showed a very good antifungal activity.

Colorectal cancer is a very prevalent diagnosed cancer. The current study was performed in order to examine the role of BRAE (Basella rubra aqueous extract) in regulating aberrant crypt foci (ACF) formation, cell proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis in a colon carcinogenesis model in male Wistar rats. Rats were randomly allocated into six groups. Group I served as control, and group II acted as a drug control administered BRAE (250mg/kg b.w.) orally for 30 weeks. Rats in group III-VI were given subcutaneous injections of DMH (25mg/kg b.w. weekly) for 15 weeks to initiate colon carcinogenesis. Those in group IV and VI were administered BRAE along with DMH injections. Rats in group V were administered with BRAE after cessation of DMH injection. After 30 weeks of experimental period colons were obtained from experimental groups and analyzed for ACF incidence, argyrophilic nucleolar organizing region- associated proteins (AgNOR) count, histopathological and immunohistochemical changes. Only in DMH exposed groups were ACF and AgNOR numbers increased. Administration of BRAE appreciably decreased the numbers of ACF and AgNOR in BRAE treated groups. Histopathological findings revealed a high level of dysplastic changes with decreased number of goblet cells found only in only DMH injected rats. Administration of BRAE in treated group rats reversed these changes. Expression markers for cell proliferation (PCNA and Ki67) were elevated in DMH treated rats, but reduced with BRAE treatement. This expression was reversed with apoptosis markers (p53 and Caspase-3). Thus the results results of the present study were found to be significant and confirmed the potential efficacy of BRAE against colon carcinogenesis.

Chronic inflammation contributes to many prevalent diseases worldwide, and it is widely accepted that inflammatory molecules contribute to DNA damage. In this ancillary study, we investigated the influence of an encapsulated fruit and vegetable juice powder concentrate on peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) DNA damage. Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled approach, subjects were randomly assigned capsules containing placebo, or one of two formulations of the juice powder. Blood was drawn at baseline and after 60 days of capsule consumption. We found DNA damage in isolated PBL is suppressed after consumption of the encapsulated juice powder, and damage was correlated with the level of systemic inflammation. These data suggest a potential health benefit by consuming the juice concentrate capsules through their ability to suppress DNA damage as measured in surrogate tissues (PBL).

Chronic inflammation contributes to an increased risk for developing chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. A high "inflammatory load" is defined as elevated inflammation markers in blood or other tissues. We evaluated several markers of systemic inflammation from healthy adults and tested the hypothesis that two formulations of encapsulated fruit and vegetable juice powder concentrate with added berry powders (FVB) or without (FV) could impact markers of inflammatory load. Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled approach, 117 subjects were randomly assigned to receive placebo, FV, or FVB capsules. Blood was drawn at baseline and after 60 d of capsule consumption. We measured inflammatory markers (high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein, Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1, Macrophage Inflammatory Protein 1-β, and Regulated upon Activation, Normal T cell Expressed and Secreted), superoxide dismutase, and micronutrients (β-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E). Results showed Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1, Macrophage Inflammatory Protein 1-β, and RANTES levels were significantly reduced and superoxide dismutase and micronutrient levels were significantly increased in subjects consuming both FV and FVB, relative to placebo. Data suggest a potential health benefit by consuming either formulation of the encapsulated juice concentrates through their anti-inflammatory properties.

Ulcerative colitis is a dynamic, chronic inflammatory condition of the colon associated with an increased colon cancer risk. Ginkgo biloba is a putative antioxidant and has been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments. The aim of this study was to test whether the standardized G.biloba extract, EGb 761, is an antioxidant that can be used to prevent and treat colitis in mice. Here, we show that EGb 761 suppresses the activation of macrophages and can be used to both prevent and treat mouse colitis. Markers of inflammation (iNOS, Cox-2 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha) and inflammatory stress (p53 and p53-phospho-serine 15) are also downregulated by EGb 761. Furthermore, we show that EGb 761 reduces the numbers of CD4+/CD25-/Foxp3- effector T cells in the colon. Interestingly, EGb 761 drives CD4+ effector T cell apoptosis in vitro and in vivo, providing a mechanistic explanation to the reduction in numbers of this cell type in the colon. This current study is in agreement with previous studies supporting a use of EGb 761 as a complementary and alternative strategy to abate colitis and associated colon cancer.

A simple, convenient synthetic route for the synthesis of novel dialkyl heteroaryl phosphonates by a reusable and green nano-BF3.SiO2 solid catalyst under solvent-free conditions through Michaelis–...

A series of new linezolid-based phosphoramidate derivatives 5(a-j) were synthesized in high yields from a linezolid intermediate, [3-(3-fluoro-4-morpholinophenyl)-5-(hydroxymethyl) oxazolidin-2-one] to develop new antibacterial agents. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were elucidated by mass, 1H, 13C & 31P NMR, IR and Elemental analysis spectral characterization data. All the synthesized compounds were screened for their antibacterial activity against recipient (Streptomycin resistant), donor (Rifampin resistant) and mutant (Streptomycin resistant) Gram –Ve E. coli strains using Amoxiclav as a standard.

Nanoparticles have been used to alter and improve the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of various types of drug molecules. The plant extracts are eco-friendly, economical and cost effective for synthesis of large scale of nanoparticles. In this paper we represent the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from room dried leaves of Vinca rosea. The AgNPs were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy. The AgNPs are crystalline in nature, were determined from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), and also the size of the NPs was calculated by using Hariba Nanoparticle analyzer and the stability was calculated by using the Zetapotential. The nanoparticles obtained from leaf extracts were of size 27±2 and 30±2 respectively and Zetapotential of AgNPs was found to be -63.1 mV, so it indicates the dispersion and stability. The synthesized AgNPs have very good antimicrobial activity.

A simple method for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous extract of Lakshmi tulasi (Ocimum sanctum) leaf as a reducing and stabilizing agent. AgNPs were rapidly synthesized using aqueous extract of tulasi leaf with AgNO(3) solution within 15 min. The green synthesized AgNPs were characterized using physic-chemical techniques viz., UV-Vis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Characterization data reveals that the particles were crystalline in nature and triangle shaped with an average size of 42 nm. The zeta potential of AgNPs were found to be -55.0 mV. This large negative zeta potential value indicates repulsion among AgNPs and their dispersion stability.

One-dimensional composite nanofibres with narrow dispersity, high aspect ratio and high processibility have been fabricated by head-to-tail self-assembly of rod-like tobacco mosaic virus assisted by aniline polymerization, which can promote many potential applications including electronics, optics, sensing and biomedical engineering.

The present study reports the simple and eco-friendly approach for biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous callus extract as reducing agent for the first time. The formation of AgNPs was initially confirmed by characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak 453 nm by UV–Visible spectroscopy. FTIR spectrum shows different functional groups which probably involved in the synthesis and stabilization of AgNPs. TEM analysis determined the well-dispersed AgNPs with roughly spherical shape and size ranging 5–40 nm. XRD patterns revealed the crystalline nature of AgNPs with face-centered cubic (fcc) lattice. The synthesized AgNPs were found to have strong inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Biosynthesis of green nanomaterials and their characterization comprise an emerging field of nanotechnology, due to their wide range of applications. The present study deals with the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using an aqueous leaf extract of Cassia alata. The AgNPs are characterized using UV–Visible spectroscopy. The surface plasmon resonance spectrum of AgNPs was obtained at 434 nm, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) data revealed that AgNPs were uniformly spherical in shape. EDX data show very strong silver signal and weak signals to other elements, and X-ray diffraction patterns reveal that the particles are crystalline in nature with face-centered cubic structure. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy reveals that the carbonyl group (C = O, 1637.07 cm−1) is involved in the reduction of Ag+ to Ag. The synthesized AgNPs were crystalline in nature and spherical in shape, with an average of >41 nm size. The stability of AgNPs is due to its high negative zeta potential, which is –50.7 mV. Further, atomic force microscopy studies also revealed that the average particle size was 47 nm which correlates with the above result of particle size analysis. The present study also indicates that AgNPs have considerable antibacterial activity and exceptionally superior antifungal activity, in comparison with standard antimicrobial drugs.