The power of Punica granatum: A natural remedy for oxidative stress and inflammation; a narrative review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Pomegranate 'Punica granatum' offers multiple health benefits, including managing hypertension, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and enhancing wound healing and infection resistance, thanks to its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It has been symbolized by life, health, femininity, fecundity, and spirituality. AIM OF THE STUDY: Although laboratory and animal studies have been conducted on the healing effects of pomegranate, there needs to be a comprehensive review on its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects in chronic disorders. We aim to provide a comprehensive review of these effects based on in-vitro, in-vivo, and clinical studies conducted in managing various disorders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive search of in-vitro, in-vivo, and clinical findings of pomegranate and its derivatives focusing on the highly qualified original studies and systematic reviews are carried out in valid international web databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library. RESULTS: Relevant studies have demonstrated that pomegranate and its derivatives can modulate the expression and activity of several genes, enzymes, and receptors through influencing oxidative stress and inflammation pathways. Different parts of pomegranate; roots, bark, blossoms, fruits, and leaves contain various bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and ellagitannins, that have preventive and therapeutic effects against many disorders such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neurological diseases, and cancers without any serious adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: Most recent scientific evidence indicates that all parts of the pomegranate can be helpful in treating a wide range of chronic disorders due to its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. Since the safety of pomegranate fruit, juice, and extracts is established, further investigations can be designed by targeting its active antioxidant and anti-inflammatory constituents to discover new drugs.

Cobalt-based metal-organic framework-functionalized graphene oxide modified electrode as a new electrochemical sensing platform for detection of free chlorine in aqueous solution.

This work reports the profit of using a MOF compound for developing a sensitive electrochemical sensor to free chlorine detection in an aqueous solution. Co-MOF and FGO composites were synthesized and combined with the carbon paste (CP) to prepare an efficient electrochemical sensor with high sensing ability. The fabricated Co-MOF and FGO composites were characterized by SEM, EDX, FT-IR, and XRD techniques. Meanwhile, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were utilized to assess the electrochemical performance of the Co-MOF-FGO/CP modified electrode. Under the optimized condition, the amperometric detection showed that the reduction current of free chlorine increased linearly with a coefficient determination of 0.995 during its wide concentration range of 0.1-700 ppm. Also the detection limit (LOD) (S/N = 3) was 0.01 ppm. The selectivity of the sensor was tested with possible interferences, and satisfactory results were obtained. The proposed sensor was successfully used to determine the free chlorine in tap water and swimming pool water real samples. The results suggested that this proposed sensor could pave the way for developing the electrochemical sensor of free chlorine in aqueous media with MOFs.

Application of polysaccharide biopolymers as natural adsorbent in sample preparation.

Preparing samples for analyses is perhaps the most important part to analyses. The varied functional groups present on the surface of biopolymers bestow them appropriate adsorption properties. Properties like biocompatibility, biodegradability, presence of different surface functional group, high porosity, considerable absorption capacity for water, the potential for modification, etc. turn biopolymers to promising candidates for varied applications. In addition, one of the most important parts of determination of an analyte in a matrix is sample preparation step and the efficiency of this step in solid phase extraction methods is largely dependent on the type of adsorbent used. Due to the unique properties of biopolymers they are considered an appropriate choice for using as sorbent in sample preparation methods that use from a solid adsorbent. Many review articles have been published on the application of diverse adsorbents in sample preparation methods, however despite the numerous advantages of biopolymers mentioned; review articles in this field are very few. Thus, in this paper we review the reports in different areas of sample preparation that use polysaccharides-based biopolymers as sorbents for extraction and determination of diverse organic and inorganic analytes.

The effect of metformin on cognitive function: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Most people are familiar with metformin as a diabetic treatment option. Different positive benefits have been found for it, in addition to its anti-diabetes properties. Cognitive function enhancement is the most recent characteristic that has been studied. This study aimed to look at the evidence on the effects of metformin on cognitive performance. Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases were searched systematically. After eliminating duplicates and irrelevant documents, the findings were screened. The documents that remained were scanned and data were extracted. Nineteen studies were qualified for meta-analysis after evaluating 3827 identified records. There was no significant relationship between metformin therapy and cognitive performance in none of the studies including cross-sectionals, cohorts, and clinical trials (p > 0.05). Results show that metformin has no significant effect on improving cognitive function or protecting against any dementia including vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and cognitive impairment as well.

Highly antifouling polymer-nanoparticle-nanoparticle/polymer hybrid membranes.

We introduce highly antifouling Polymer-Nanoparticle-Nanoparticle/Polymer (PNNP) hybrid membranes as multi-functional materials for versatile purification of wastewater. Nitrogen-rich polyethylenimine (PEI)-functionalized halloysite nanotube (HNT-SiO2-PEI) nanoparticles were developed and embedded in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membranes for protein and dye filtration. Bulk and surface characteristics of the resulting HNT-SiO2-PEI nanocomposites were determined using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Moreover, microstructure and physicochemical properties of HNT-SiO2-PEI/PVC membranes were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-FTIR. Results of these analyses indicated that the overall porosity and mean pore size of nanocomposite membranes were enhanced, but the surface roughness was reduced. Additionally, surface hydrophilicity and flexibility of the original PVC membranes were significantly improved by incorporating HNT-SiO2-PEI nanoparticles. Based on pure water permeability and bovine serum albumin (BSA)/dye rejection tests, the highest nanoparticle-embedded membrane performance was observed at 2 weight percent (wt%) of HNT-SiO2-PEI. The nanocomposite incorporation in the PVC membranes further improved its antifouling performance and flux recovery ratio (96.8%). Notably, dye separation performance increased up to 99.97%. Overall, hydrophobic PVC membranes were successfully modified by incorporating HNT-SiO2-PEI nanomaterial and better-quality wastewater treatment performance was obtained.

Hyperbranched polyethylenimine functionalized silica/polysulfone nanocomposite membranes for water purification.

Hyperbranched polyethyleneimine functionalized silica (PEI-SiO2) nanoparticles with considerable hydrophilicity were synthesized and incorporated into a polysulfone (PSF)/dimethylacetamide (DMA)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) membrane casting solution in five different ratios to fabricate PEI-SiO2/PSF nanocomposite membranes using nonsolvent-induced phase separation. The hydrophilic PEI-SiO2 nanoparticles were characterized by TEM, FTIR, TGA, and XPS analyses. Morphology, water contact angles, mean pore sizes, overall porosity, tensile strengths, water flux, antifouling and the dye separation performances of the PEI-SiO2/PSF membranes were also studied. The PEI-SiO2 nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed in the PSF-based membranes, where a fall in the water contact angle was observed from 65.4° to 49.7° by addition of 2 wt% nanoparticles. The fouling resistance parameters of the PEI-SiO2/PSF membranes were declined with an increase in the nanoparticle concentration, suggesting the superior hydrophilic nature of the PEI-SiO2 nanoparticles. The permeability of the nanocomposite membranes was increased from 38.5 to 70 L m-2 h-1 bar-1 by incorporation of 2 wt% PEI-SiO2. Finally, improvements were observed in the flux recovery ratio (95.8%), Reactive Green 19 dye rejection (99.6%) and tensile strengths of the PEI-SiO2/PSF membranes over the neat PSF and SiO2/PSF membranes, which were used as controls. The results of this study demonstrate the promising application of PEI-SiO2 nanoparticles in improving the separation and antifouling performances of the PSF membranes for water purification.

Construction of Fe3O4/SiO2/chitosan-grafted-poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) magnetic nanocomposite and their application in simultaneous extraction of Trans-resveratrol and its metabolites from rat plasma.

A novel magnetic nanocomposite of chitosan-grafted-poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (Fe3O4/SiO2/CHT-g-PNVCL MNC) were synthesized. Chitosan was prepared from shrimp shells Penaeus monodon by a green deacetylation approach. N-vinylcaprolactam was first polymerized on the surface of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles using surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. Then, the Fe3O4 nanoparticles modified with carboxyl-terminated- poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) was grafted onto chitosan. Various techniques were used to characterize of physicochemical properties of synthesized nanomaterials. The application of Fe3O4/SiO2/CHT-g-PNVCL MNC was utilized as a novel adsorbent for the simultaneous extraction of trans-resveratrol and its major phase II metabolites from rat plasma. A qualitative analysis was performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry. Response surface methodology based on central composite design was used to optimize the extraction procedure including pH, amount of adsorbent, extraction time, desorption time, and volume of elution solvent. The established quantitative method succeeded in satisfying FDA requirements regarding biological analysis methods. The results of the validation of the method indicated its acceptable accuracy (-4.4 to 6.9%), linearity (r > 0.995), precision (CV < 6.3%), and stability. The lower limits of quantification of the proposed method achieved were 1.23-1.68 ngmL-1for target analytes. The information obtained from the method validation has been used to estimate the expanded uncertainty for the determination of trans-resveratrol in rat plasma samples following orally administered trans-resveratrol. The method was applied to study the pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and bioavailability of trans-resveratrol in healthy rats following a single oral or intravenous dose.

Au-modified organic/inorganic MWCNT/Cu/PANI hybrid nanocomposite electrode for electrochemical determination of nitrate ions.

A new electrochemical sensor is reported for the based on the application of noble bimetal nanoparticles (gold and copper) to polymeric-carbon-modifiers for the reduction of nitrate. This sensor was designed for nitrate ion measurement at the surface of pencil graphite electrode modified by a nanocomposite. The modification was the electrosynthesis of gold nanoparticles on the MWCNT/copper-polyaniline (Cu-PANI) nanocomposite. Physicochemical properties of the synthesized hybrid nanocomposites and their surface performance efficiency are characterized using microscopic, spectroscopic, and electrochemical techniques. At optimized pH, the nitrate peak current (at working potential of 1084 mV versus Ag/AgCl reference electrode) was linear in the concentration range 0.8-30.0 µM with a detection limit of 0.09 µM using differential pulse voltammetry. Modified sensor was successfully implemented to quantify nitrate ions in wastewater resulting from the production line for industrial barium chromate and an example of aqueduct water with appropriate recovery levels. • Aniline was polymerized in phosphoric acid solution using peroxydisulfate as an initiator. • MWCNT@CuNPs@PANNSs@AuNPs nanocomposite on PGE electrode was revealed specific recognition for NO3-. • The electrochemical sensor displayed high selectivity and sensitivity for the detection of NO3-.

UV and visible-assisted photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceutical pollutants in the presence of rational designed biogenic Fe3O4-Au nanocomposite.

In this study, we designed Fe3O4 nanoparticles and heterogeneous Fe3O4-Au nanocomposites with a mean size of 21 and 27 nm that synthesized by Foeniculum vulgare seed extract to photodegrade organic micropollutants under UV and visible light irradiation. The physiochemical characteristics of biogenic nanoparticles/nanocomposite are described by XRD, FTIR, UV-Vis, SEM, EDX, and X-ray elemental mapping. In the presence of nanoparticles and nanocomposites under UV irradiation, the total degradation of contaminants is about 85-90% after 2100 s, while under visible light irradiation, degradation efficiencies are about 70-85% after 4800-s irradiation. Total organic carbon analysis results confirmed photodegradation efficacies. Also, the scavenger's experiments show that hydroxyl radical is the most important specie in the degradation of pollutant model. It can be concluded clearly that Fe3O4 green nanoparticles and Fe3O4-Au green nanocomposite are very simple and effective photocatalyst for degradation of organic pollutants in very short time under illumination.

Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Pesticides and Insecticides from Food Samples and Plant Materials.

The principal intention of this study is presenting the attempts carried out for extracting, separating, and determining of the pesticide and insecticide residues existing in food and plant samples. In this regard, a set of content, including the explanations about the supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), supercritical fluid chromatography, and various types of pesticides are indicated. Besides, the parameters affecting the pesticides extraction composed of temperature, pressure, modifier, drying agent, and so on are discussed. Also, examples of insecticides extraction by SFE technique as an important subset of pesticides are indicated. Along with these items, some interesting works, concerning the innovations implemented in the field of SFE of pesticide and insecticide residues from foodstuff and plants are depicted.

Rapid photodegradation and detection of zolpidem over ß-SnWO4 and α-SnWO4 nanoparticles: optimization and mechanism.

We reported the tin (II) tungstate nanoparticles as the photocatalyst and sensor modifier that were synthesized via chemical precipitation reaction and optimized thru the Taguchi design method. The method predicted the best synthesis conditions that led to smaller particles and desired morphologies. Different techniques were used to characterize the chemical structure, morphology, and purity of the nanoparticles. The photocatalytic behavior of different crystalline forms of the SnWO4 nanoparticles (α and ß) was considered by photodegradation of methylene orange and zolpidem under UV light irradiation, while the average size of ß-SnWO4 and α-SnWO4 nanoparticles prepared in optimum conditions is about 17 nm and 20 nm, respectively. Efficiencies of degradation of methyl orange and zolpidem on ß-SnWO4, in the presence of UV irradiation, were 93% and 98% and in the presence of α-SnWO4 were 73% and 82% after 2100 s, respectively. Voltammetric sensing of zolpidem was designed by modification of carbon paste electrode via ß-SnWO4 nanoparticles and investigated for determination of the drug in aqueous solution.

Green-photodegradation of model pharmaceutical contaminations over biogenic Fe3O4/Au nanocomposite and antimicrobial activity.

A simple biogenic approach for synthesis of Fe3O4/Au nanocomposite with 31 nm size using aqueous extract of Carum carvi L. seeds has been reported. Phytochemicals of Carum carvi L. seeds extract play three roles, including reducing, capping, and stabilizing agents during the nanocomposite fabrication process. Resulting nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential reflectance spectroscopy, vibrating-sample magnetometer, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray elemental mapping. Differential reflectance spectroscopy investigated optical property and absorption spectra display a sharp absorption agreeing to a bandgap of 1.6 eV. Photocatalytic activity of biogenic Fe3O4/Au nanocomposite has been investigated for degradation of imatinib and imipenem drugs under UV and visible light irradiation, due to pharmaceuticals have shown to be recalcitrant in wastewater and conventional wastewater treatments do not remove them, often. Degradation efficiency of imatinib, and imipenem are about 92% and 96% after 1200 s exposure UV light and about 82% and 84% after 3600s exposure visible light in the concentration of 10 ppm drugs. Also, antimicrobial activity of biogenic Fe3O4/Au nanocomposite was investigated on three human pathogens and best result can see in 25 mg/mL of nanocomposite versuse Bacillus subtilis that inhibition zone is about 27 mm. Design of nanocomposites capable of simultaneously removing pharmaceutical and microbial contaminations is important in environments such as hospitals wastewater treatment.

Green and Simple Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles by Aqueous Extract of Perovskia abrotanoides: Characterization, Optimization and Antimicrobial Activity.

BACKGROUND: Herein, we report the biosynthesis procedure to prepare silver nanoparticles as reduction and capping agents with the aqueous plant extract of Perovskia abrotanoides. METHODS: The therapeutic application of silver nanoparticles entirely depends on the size and shape of the nanoparticles therefore, their control during the synthesis procedure is so important. The effects of synthesis factors, for example, silver ion concentration, the mass of plant extract, reaction time and extraction temperature, on the size of silver particles were considered and optimized. Several analytical methods were used for the characterization of silver NPs including FT-IR and UV-Vis spectrophotometer, XRD and SEM. RESULTS: The results showed that the mean size of the silver particles was about 51 nm. Moreover, the antibacterial properties of biosynthesized silver NPs were investigated by the minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal concentration, and Well-diffusion tests. The minimum inhibitory concentration/ minimum bactericidal concentration values of silver NPs and aqueous plant extract versus Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli) were 3.03/0.00, 1.20/0.01, 3.06/0.00, 0.98/1.04, 1.00/0.05 and 1.30/0.03 (mg/mL), respectively. CONCLUSION: The antimicrobial activity study displayed that the synthesized silver nanoparticles by plant extract have better antimicrobial properties compared to aqueous plant extract of Perovskia abrotanoides.

Chitosan grafted onto Fe3O4@poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) as a new sorbent for detecting Imatinib mesylate in biosamples using UPLC-MS/MS.

Fe3O4 nanoparticles with chitosan grafted onto poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) copolymers are synthesized and showed dual sensitivity to temperature and pH. The nanoparticles were characterized by different techniques and two aspects of their applications were evaluated using Imatinib mesylate drug as a model. The first studied application of these nanoparticles was the extraction and pre-concentration of Imatinib mesylate from biological samples. Parameters such as sorbent dosage and extraction and desorption time can affect Imatinib mesylate extraction and were studied by Box-Behnken design and response surface methodology, while the one-factor-at-a-time approach was used to assessed the sample pH and elution solvent type and amount. The determination and quantification were accomplished by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The limit of quantification of the approach was 1.0 ng mL-1. Inter/intraday precision was obtained as 3.4-6.7% and 5.1-7.7%, respectively. Also, the modified nanoparticles were studied in basic in vitro drug delivery research which led to satisfactory results.

Personalized Medicine: Pharmacogenomics and Drug Development.

Personalized medicine aims is to supply the proper drug to the proper patient within the right dose. Pharmacogenomics (PGx) is to recognize genetic variants that may influence drug efficacy and toxicity. All things considered, the fields cover a wide area, including basic drug discovery researches, the genetic origin of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, novel drug improvement, patient genetic assessment and clinical patient administration. At last, the objective of Pharmacogenomics is to anticipate a patient's genetic response to a particular drug as a way of presenting the best possible medical treatment. By predicting the drug response of an individual, it will be possible to increase the success of therapies and decrease the incidence of adverse side effect.

Effect of PEGylated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) under magnetic field on amyloid beta fibrillation process.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) with specific surface coatings have been shown appropriate potential in the diagnosis and treatment of various brain diseases such as Alzheimer's. Comprehensive understanding of SPIONs interactions with amyloid beta (Aß) and other amyloidogenic proteins is essential for their clinical application. SPIONs could be delivered to the target tissue under the magnetic field, while they might be influenced by the applied field. In this work, we exhibit the effect of different SPIONs (magnetized or non-magnetized with different surface charges) on the kinetics of Aß fibrillation in aqueous solution by the aid of ThT assay. The results showed that applying of magnetic field to the SPIONs influences on the Aß fibrillation because of its effect on the size due to surface charge. It was found that under magnetic field and high concentrations of nanoparticles (SPIONs-PEG-NH2), the Aß fibrillation process accelerates, while at lower concentrations the fibrillation is inhibited. Furthermore, the coating charge has a considerable role in fibrillation process and the positively charged SPIONs/magnetized, at lower particle concentrations, accelerate the fibrillation compared with the negatively charged or uncharged SPIONs. This hints that SPIONs with a positive charge have dual effects on the Aß fibrillation process. They influence on the concentration of monomeric protein in solution and thereby the nucleation time. Also, SPIONs have an effect on binding during the protein conformation.

Protein corona composition of gold nanoparticles/nanorods affects amyloid beta fibrillation process.

Protein fibrillation process (e.g., from amyloid beta (Aß) and α-synuclein) is the main cause of several catastrophic neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson diseases. During the past few decades, nanoparticles (NPs) were recognized as one of the most promising tools for inhibiting the progress of the disease by controlling the fibrillation kinetic process; for instance, gold NPs have a strong capability to inhibit Aß fibrillations. It is now well understood that a layer of biomolecules would cover the surface of NPs (so called "protein corona") upon the interaction of NPs with protein sources. Due to the fact that the biological species (e.g., cells and amyloidal proteins) "see" the protein corona coated NPs rather than the pristine coated particles, one should monitor the fibrillation process of amyloidal proteins in the presence of corona coated NPs (and not pristine coated ones). Therefore, the previously obtained data on NPs effects on the fibrillation process should be modified to achieve a more reliable and predictable in vivo results. Herein, we probed the effects of various gold NPs (with different sizes and shapes) on the fibrillation process of Aß in the presence and absence of protein sources (i.e., serum and plasma). We found that the protein corona formed a shell at the surface of gold NPs, regardless of their size and shape, reducing the access of Aß to the gold inhibitory surface and, therefore, affecting the rate of Aß fibril formation. More specifically, the anti-fibrillation potencies of various corona coated gold NPs were strongly dependent on the protein source and their concentrations (10% serum/plasma (simulation of an in vitro milieu) and 100% serum/plasma (simulation of an in vivo milieu)).