Application of Biofunctionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles Based-Sensing in Abused Drugs Diagnostics.

Real-time detection of substance use is an approach of high interest leading to the optimization of behavioral interventions and drug abuse intervention. The current methods in use suffer many limitations and need high logistical and laboratory requirements. Biosensors have shown a great potential in overcoming these limitations. In the present study, the electrochemical biosensor composed of a screen-printed electrode (SPE) was designed for the detection of synthetic cannabinoid (SC). Antibody-immobilized magnetic nanoparticles were also used to create a surface on the transducer with magnetic interactions in order to detect JWH-073 as a SC model. The use of immobilized magnetic nanoparticles to create working surfaces makes the electrode a reusable SPE which can be reutilized after the cleansing. To examine and observe any possible changes on the surface due to its interaction with the analyte, different electrochemical techniques such as differential pulse voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectrometry were applied. Based on the obtained results, the linearity of the biosensor was found between 5 and 400 ng/mL, and the detection limit was calculated as 22 ng/mL (n = 6) using the 3 Sb/m formula. The biosensor functionality was studied in the presence of some related interferents that showed lower responses than JWH-073, thus demonstrating the good selectivity of the prepared biosensor. Finally, the sensory platform was used to test synthetic urine sample, and the results were compared with obtained results from liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF/MS), which showed that the proposed method could be utilized to identify abuse drugs.

Metal Binding Antimicrobial Peptides in Nanoparticle Bio-functionalization: New Heights in Drug Delivery and Therapy.

Peptides are considered very important due to the diversity expressed through their amino acid sequence, structure variation, large spectrum, and their essential role in biological systems. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) emerged as a potent tool in therapy owing to their antimicrobial properties but also their ability to trespass the membranes, specificity, and low toxicity. They comprise a variety of peptides from which specific amino acid-rich peptides are of interest to the current review due to their features in metal interaction and cell penetration. Histidine-rich peptides such as Histatins belong to the metal binding salivary residing peptides with efficient antibacterial, antifungal, and wound-healing activities. Furthermore, their ability to activate in acidic environment attracted the attention to their potential in therapy. The current review covers the current knowledge about AMPs and critically assess the potential of associating with metal ions both structurally and functionally. This review provides interesting hints for the advantages provided by AMPs and metal ions in biomedicine, making use of their direct properties in brain diseases therapy or in the creation of new bio-functionalized nanoparticles for cancer diagnosis and treatment.