Novel thymohydroquinone gallate (THQG) derivative loaded ligand Modified quantum dots as pH-Sensitive Multi-Modal theragnostic agent for cancer treatment.

BACKGROUND: Nanomedicine, as the combination of radiopharmaceutical and nanocarrier (QDs), is developed for treating cancer. Gallic acid is antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic. Typical retention time of gallic acid is approximately 4 to 8 h. To increase the retention time gallic acid is converted to prodrug by adding lipophilic moieties, encapsulating in lipophilic nanoparticles, or liposome formation. Similarly, thymoquinone is powerful antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory effect, with reduced DNA damage. METHODS: In this study, a hydrophilic drug (gallic acid) is chemically linked to the hydrophobic drug (thymohydroquinone) to overcome the limitations of co-delivery of drugs. Thymohydroquinone (THQG) as the combination of gallic acid (GA) and thymoquinone (THQ) is loaded onto the PEI functionalized antimonene quantum dots (AM-QDs) and characterized by FTIR, UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, Zeta sizer, SEM and AFM, in-vitro and in-vivo assay, and hemolysis. RESULTS: The calculated drug loading efficiency is 90 %. Drug release study suggests the drug combination is pH sensitive and it can encounters acidic pH, releasing the drug from the nanocarrier. The drug and drug-loaded nanocarrier possesses low cytotoxicity and cell viability on MCF-7 and Cal-27 cell lines. The proposed drug delivery system is radiolabeled with Iodine-131 (131I) and Technetium (99mTc) and its deposition in various organs of rats' bodies is examined by SPECT-CT and gamma camera. Hemolytic activity of 2, 4, 6, and 8 µg/ml is 1.78, 4.16, 9.77, and 15.79 %, respectively, reflecting low levels of hemolysis. The system also sustains oxidative stress in cells and environment, decreasing ROS production to shield cells and keep them healthy. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the proposed drug carrier system can be used as a multi-modal theragnostic agent in cancer.

Doxorubicin encapsulated blend of sitagliptin-lignin polymeric drug delivery system for effective combination therapy against cancer.

In this research, a sitagliptin-lignin biopolymer (SL) containing zinc selenide quantum dots (ZnSe QDs) and doxorubicin (doxo) was synthesized. The fabricated polymeric drug delivery system was characterized via FTIR, XRD, SEM, TGA, IR, and DSC. SLQD-Doxo exhibited an irregular surface with a 32 nm diameter and well-defined surface chemistry. Drug loading efficiency was assessed at different concentrations, pH levels, time intervals, and temperatures, and drug kinetics were calculated. Maximum drug release was observed at 6 µmol concentration after 24 h, pH of 6.5 and 45 °C. The maximum drug encapsulation efficiency was 81.75 %. SLQD-Doxo demonstrated 24.4 ± 1.04 % anti-inflammatory activity, and the maximum lipoxygenase inhibition in a concentration-dependent manner was 71.45 ± 2.02 %, compared to indomethacin, a standard anticancer drug. The designed system was applied to breast cancer MCF-7 cells to evaluate anticancer activity. Cytotoxicity of SLQD-Doxo resulted in 24.48 ± 1.64 dead cells and 74.39 ± 4.12 viable cells. Lignin's polyphenolic nature resulted in good antioxidant activity of LLQD-Doxo. The combination of SLQD-Doxo was appropriate for drug delivery at high temperatures and acidic pH of tumor cells compared to healthy cells.

Synthesis of novel nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory galloyl ß-sitosterol-loaded lignin-capped Ag-based drug.

Biocompatible anti-inflammatory lignin-capped Ag (LCAg) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized for the delivery of galloyl ß-sitosterol (Galloyl-BS). ß-Sitosterol (BS) is effective against inflammatory responses, like cancer-induced inflammations. BS was modified via gallic acid esterification to enhance its anti-inflammatory potential. LCAg NPs were synthesized by a green method and loaded with galloyl-BS. For comparison, pure BS was also loaded onto LCAg NPs in a separate assembly. The antioxidant potential of Galloyl-BS was greater (IC50 177 µM) than pure BS. Materials were characterized by FT-IR, SEM, XRD, and Zeta potential. Using UV-Vis spectroscopy, drug release experiments were performed by varying pH, time, concentration, and temperature. Maximum drug release was observed after 18 h at pH 6 and 40 °C. Galloyl-BS showed improved drug loading efficiency, release %age, and antioxidant activity compared to pure BS when loaded onto LCAg NPs. DLCAg exhibited excellent anti-inflammatory activity in rat models. These findings indicate that galloyl-BS (drug)-loaded LCAg (DLCAg) NPs have the potential as an anti-inflammatory agent without any prior release and scavenging in normal cells.

Mapping the low abundant plasma glycoproteome using Ranachrome-5 immobilized magnetic terpolymer as improved HILIC sorbent.

HILIC (hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography) materials enrich glycopeptides. The non-specific interactions because of support material and inadequate hydrophilicity render loss of less abundant glycopeptides in SPE-based enrichments. In this work, magnetic terpolymer (Fe3O4@MAA/DVB/1,2-Epoxy-5-hexene) is functionalized with Ranachrome-5 to generate enhanced hydrophilicity. Amine, carboxylic, and amide groups of ranachrome-5 provide zwitterionic chemistry. Material's magnetic core contributes to ease of operation while higher surface area 97.0711 m2 g-1 immobilizes better quantities of Ranachrome-5. Homogeneous morphology, nano-size, and super hydrophilicity enhance enrichment. Ranachrome-5 functionalized polymeric core-shell beads enrich 25, 18 and 16 N-linked glycopeptides via SPE strategy from tryptic digests of model glycoproteins i.e., immunoglobulin G (IgG), horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and chicken avidin, respectively. Zwitterionic chemistry of ranachrome-5 helps in achieving higher selectivity (1:250, HRP / Bovine Serum Albumin), and lower detection limit (100 attomole, HRP digest) with complete glycosylation profile of each standard digest. High binding capacity (137.1 mg/g) and reuse of affinity material up to seven cycles reduce the cost and amount of affinity material for complex sample analysis. A recovery of 91.76% and relative standard deviation (RSD) values less than 1 define the application of HILIC beads for complex samples like plasma. 508 N-linked intact low abundant glycopeptides corresponding to 50 glycoproteins are identified from depleted human plasma samples via nano-Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (nLC-MS/MS). Using Single Nucleotide Variances (BioMuta) for low abundant plasma glycoproteins, the potential association of proteins to four cancers, i.e., breast, lung, uterine, and melanoma is evaluated. Via the bottom-up approach, HILIC beads can analyze clinically important low-abundant glycoproteins.

Quantification of tramadol and serotonin by cobalt nickel tungstate in real biological samples to evaluate the effect of analgesic drugs on neurotransmitters.

In this work, CoNiWO4 nanocomposite was used as an electrochemical sensor for the simultaneous electrochemical detection of tramadol and serotonin. The nanocomposite was synthesized using a hydrothermal method and characterized via XRD, SEM, TGA, Zeta, UV, and FTIR. The sensor was developed by depositing CoNiWO4-NPs onto the glassy carbon electrode surface. Tramadol and serotonin were detected by employing cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and chronoamperometry. Analytes were detected at different pH, concentrations, and scan rates. The prepared sensor showed a 0-60 µM linear range, with a LOD of 0.71 µM and 4.29 µM and LOQ of 14.3 µM and 2.3 µM for serotonin and tramadol, respectively. Finally, the modified electrode (CoNiWO4-GCE) was applied to determine tramadol and serotonin in biological samples.

Profiling of phosphorylated metabolites from lung cancer by zeolite loaded Mg-Al-Ce ternary hydroxide (Zeolite@MAC) composite.

Phosphorylated metabolites are linked to metabolism, and the dysregulation of metabolic reactions brings cancer. Dysregulated levels lead to hyperactivation of glycolytic and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation pathways. Abnormal concentrations are the indicators of energy-related disorders. In this work, Zeolite-loaded Mg-Al-Ce hydroxides (Zeolite@MAC) are prepared by co-precipitation and characterized through FTIR, XRD, SEM, BET, AFM, TEM, and DLS. Magnesium-Aluminum-Cerium-Zeolite particles enrich phosphate-containing small molecules. These ternary hydroxides carried out the main adsorption mechanism, which swapped the surface hydroxyl group ligands for phosphate and the inner-sphere complex of CePO4. XH2O. Cerium plays a significant role in the complexation of phosphate, and adding Mg and Al further helps disperse Ce and increase the surface charge on the adsorbent. ΑTP and AMP are the standard molecules for parameter optimization. Zeolite@MAC enriches phosphorylated metabolites followed by their desorption via UV-vis spectrophotometry. MS profiles for healthy and lung cancer serum samples are obtained for phosphorylated metabolites. Characteristic phosphorylated metabolites have been detected in lung cancer samples with high expression. The role of phosphorylated metabolites is explored for abnormal metabolic pathways in lung cancer. The fabricated material is sensitive, selective, and highly enriched for identifying phosphate-specific biomarkers.

Fabrication and employment of cobalt-doped yttrium iron garnets for the electrochemical analysis of anti-diabetic, metformin in serum of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.

Metformin (MET) is an anti-diabetic drug employed as the first-line therapy for patients of type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Overdosage of drugs leads to severe outcomes, and its monitoring in biofluids is vital. The present study develops cobalt-doped yttrium iron garnets and employs them as an electroactive material immobilized on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the sensitive and selective detection of metformin via electroanalytical techniques. The fabrication procedure via the sol-gel method is facile and gives a good yield of nanoparticles. They are characterized by FTIR, UV, SEM, EDX, and XRD. Pristine yttrium iron garnet particles are also synthesized for comparison, where the electrochemical behaviors of varying electrodes are analyzed via cyclic voltammetry (CV). The activity of metformin at varying concentrations and pH is investigated via differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and the sensor generates excellent results for metformin detection. Under optimum conditions and at a working potential of 0.85 V (vs. Ag/AgCl/3.0 M KCl), the linear range and limit of detection (LOD) obtained through the calibration curve are estimated as 0-60 µM and 0.04 µM, respectively. The fabricated sensor is selective for metformin and depicts a blind response toward interfering species. The optimized system is applied to directly measure MET in buffers and serum samples of T2DM patients.

Terpolymeric platform with enhanced hydrophilicity via cysteic acid for serum intact glycopeptide analysis.

A new polymeric (methyl methacrylate/ethylene glycol dimethacrylate/1,2-epoxy-5-hexene) base/matrix has been fabricated and decorated with zwitterionic hydrophilic cysteic acid (Cya) for the enrichment of intact N-glycopeptides from standards and biological samples. Terpolymer-Cya provides good enrichment efficiency, improved hydrophilicity, and selectivity by virtue of better surface area (2.09 × 102 m2/g) provided by terpolymer and the zwitterionic property offered by cysteic acid. Cysteic acid-functionalized polymeric hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) sorbent enriches 35 and 24 N-linked glycopeptides via SPE (solid phase extraction) mode from tryptic digests of model glycoproteins, i.e., immunoglobulin G (IgG) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP), respectively. Zwitterionic chemistry of cysteine helps in achieving higher selectivity with BSA digest (1:200), and lower detection limit down to 100 attomoles with a complete glycosylation profile of each standard digest. The recovery of 81% and good reproducibility define the application of terpolymer-Cya for complex samples like a serum. Analysis of human serum provides a profile of 807 intact N-linked glycopeptides via nano-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (nLC-MS/MS). To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest number of glycopeptides enriched by any HILIC sorbent. Selected glycoproteins are evaluated in link to various cancers including the breast, lung, uterine, and melanoma using single-nucleotide variances (BioMuta). This study represents the complete idea of using an in-house developed strategy as a successful tool to help analyze, relate, and answer glycoprotein-based clinical issues regarding cancers.

Tin derived antimony/nitrogen-doped porous carbon (Sb/NPC) composite for electrochemical sensing of albumin from hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

An electrochemical sensor based on an antimony/nitrogen-doped porous carbon (Sb/NPC) composite has been developed for the quantitative detection of albumin from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Sb/NPC is hydrothermally synthesized from Sn/NPC precursors. The synthesized precursor (Sn/NPC) and the product (Sb/NPC) are characterized by XRD, FTIR, TGA, UV/Vis, SEM, and AFM. Cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and electrochemical impedance studies are used to investigate the electrochemical performance of Sb/NPC-GCE. Sb/NPC-GCE detects albumin at physiological pH of 7.4 in the potential range 0.92 V and 0.09 V for oxidation and reduction, respectively. LOD and recovery of Sb/NPC-GCE for the determination of albumin are 0.13 ng.mL-1 and 66.6 ± 0.97-100 ± 2.73%, respectively. Chronoamperometry of the modified working electrode demonstrates its stability for 14 h, indicating its reusability and reproducibility. Sb/NPC-GCE is a selective sensor for albumin detection in the presence of interfering species. The electrode has been applied for albumin detection in human serum samples of HCC patients. A negative correlation of albumin with alpha-fetoprotein levels in HCC patients is observed by statistical analysis.

Graphene oxide-metal oxide nanocomposites for on-target enrichment and analysis of phosphorylated biomolecules.

The surface of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry target is modified for improved signal strength and detection of analytes. The developed method includes on-target enrichment and detection of phosphopeptides/phospholipids using graphene oxide-lanthanide metal oxides (samarium, gadolinium, dysprosium, and erbium) nanocomposites. Enriched phosphopeptides are detected using material enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry and phospholipids by laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry. Nanocomposites are prepared using graphene oxide with respective metal salts at high pH. They are characterized for nano-morphology, chemistry, porosity, composition, crystallinity, and thermal stability. Phosphopeptides enrichment protocol is developed and optimized for tryptic ß-casein digest and that of phospholipids by phosphatidylcholine standard. Statistical analyses of phosphopeptides and phospholipids from milk show overlapping results for gadolinium, dysprosium, and erbium oxide nanocomposites. GO-Gd2 O3 has better enrichment efficiency and application as LDI material. Selectivity for GO-Dy2 O3 is 1:2500, for GO-Sm2 O3 is 1:3500, and 1:4000 for GO-Gd2 O3 . GO-Er2 O3 has a sensitivity of 25 fmol, whereas the highest sensitivity is down to 0.5 fmol for GO-Gd2 O3 . On-target enrichment is batch to batch reproducible with a standard deviation of <1, reduced time of enrichment to 10 min, and ease of operation compared to solid-phase batch extraction. The developed method enriches serum phosphopeptides characteristic of cancer-related phosphoproteins.

Quantitative determination of creatinine from serum of prostate cancer patients by N-doped porous carbon antimony (Sb/NPC) nanoparticles.

Creatinine is an indicator of hindrance in urination and renal insufficiency. Creatinine levels are the marker of the late stages of prostate cancer. Early and sensitive detection of creatinine can reduce deaths associated with prostate cancer. In this work, nitrogen-doped porous carbon antimony (Sb/NPC) nanoparticles are fabricated to be employed as a non-enzymatic biosensor. Sb/NPC has promising redox activity and is synthesized by a two-step reaction using low-cost precursors. Electrochemical sensing by Sb/NPC is conducted for standard creatinine solutions on a three-electrodes system. Cyclic voltammetry, amperometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy are used to sense creatinine. LOD and LOQ of the Sb/NPC modified electrode are 0.74 µM and 2.4 µM, respectively. This electrode system analyzes creatinine in the serum of prostate cancer patients who have elevated PSA levels. More than 90% creatinine is recovered from a spiked serum sample of a prostate cancer patient. A direct relation is observed between PSA levels and creatinine levels in prostate cancer. The developed cyclic voltammetric setup detects trace concentrations of creatinine in serum.

Tellurium doped zinc imidazole framework (Te@ZIF-8) for quantitative determination of hydrogen peroxide from serum of pancreatic cancer patients.

The tellurium doped zinc imidazole framework (Te@ZIF-8) is prepared by a two-step hydrothermal strategy for the electrochemical sensing of hydrogen peroxide. Material is characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The electrochemical characterization of the MOF modified electrode is done by a three-electrode system. Electrochemical sensing of hydrogen peroxide is made by cyclic voltammetry, amperometry, and impedance measurements. Results demonstrate that Te@ZIF-8 shows a detection limit of 60 µM with linearity up to 0.98855. Material is stable to 1000 cycles with no significant change in electrochemical response. Amperometry depicts the recovery of hydrogen peroxide from human serum up to 101%. Impedance curve reveals the surface of Te@ZIF-8-GCE (glassy carbon electrode) as porous and rough and an interface is developed between analyte ions and the sensing material. Finally, the modified electrode is used for the quantitative determination of hydrogen peroxide from serum samples of pancreatic cancer patients, diagnosed with CA 19-9.

Highly porous terpolymer-ZIF8@BA MOF composite for identification of mono- and multi-glycosylated peptides/proteins using MS-based bottom-up approach.

A hydrophilic terpolymer MOF composite is designed with high surface area and porosity to enrich mono- and multi-glycosylated peptides facilitating a bottom-up approach. Terpolymer@ZIF-8 is synthesized using free radical polymerization followed by layer by layer ZIF-8 fabrication. Subsequent surface modification was made by aminophenylboronic acid (AMBA). The enrichment ability of terpolymer@ZIF-8@BA is evaluated by using tryptic digest of IgG and HRP to exemplify mono- and multi-glycosylated protein samples. Improved selectivity of 1:200 for spiked HRP in BSA digest and sensitivity down to 1 fmol µL-1 is achieved. Batch to batch reproducibility is better 1% RSD which favors the adoption of the developed method for routine N-linked glycopeptide/protein determination. Cost-effective nature of given approach is given by regeneration of the material up to four cycles. Total 318 N-linked glycopeptides have been identified from 1 µL human serum digest after subjecting the enriched and PNGase-treated deglycosylated peptides to LC-MS. Thus, terpolymer@ZIF-8@BA holds the potential both for mono- and multi-glycosylated peptides from complex biological sample. Graphical abstract.

Catalase immobilized antimonene quantum dots used as an electrochemical biosensor for quantitative determination of H2O2 from CA-125 diagnosed ovarian cancer samples.

A selective and cost-effective biosensor based on catalase immobilized antimonene quantum dots modified glassy carbon electrode (Cat@AMQDs-GCE) is designed for the first time to determine hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Antimonene quantum dots (AMQDs) are synthesized by a single step method, characterized by various analytical techniques and applied to the electrochemical sensing of hydrogen peroxide. Catalase enzyme specific for H2O2 reduction is immobilized onto AMQDs to facilitate its detection by cyclic voltammetry and amperometry. Concentration, scan rate, pH, stability and selectivity are optimized. Linearity of Cat@AMQDs-GCE is determined as 0.989 with limit of detection as 4.4 µM. Amperometric measurements show recovery of 95 to 103.4% for H2O2 from human serum samples. Cat@AMQDs-GCE is electrochemically stable up to 30 cycles, reducing the cost of analysis. Cat@AMQDs-GCE shows good selectivity in presence of ascorbic acid, dopamine, leucine and glucose. Prepared electrode is also applied for the quantitative determination of H2O2 from ovarian cancer serum. CA 125 concentration is previously determined by Elecsys CA 125 II Assay. Results demonstrate that concentration of H2O2 increases with increasing levels of CA125 in serum.

Graphene quantum dots as cysteine protease nanocarriers against stored grain insect pests.

Storing grains remain vulnerable to insect pest attack. The present study developed a biopesticide using biomolecules and their encapsulation in nanoparticles. A 25 kDa cysteine protease extracted from seeds of Albizia procera (ApCP) was encapsulated in graphene quantum dots (GQDs). The insecticidal activity of ApCP, with or without GQDs, against two stored grain insect pests, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) and Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius) was explored. Insects were exposed to three concentrations 7.0, 3.5 and 1.7 mg of ApCP per a gram of wheat flour and grains. The insecticidal activity of ApCP encapsulated with GQDs was improved compared to that of ApCP without GQDs for both insect pests. The number of eggs and larvae of T. castaneum was reduced by 49% and 86%, respectively. Larval mortality was increased to 72%, and adult eclosion of T. castaneum was reduced by 98% at a 7.0 mg/g concentration of ApCP with GQDs compared to that of ApCP without GQDs. Exposure to 7.0 mg/g ApCP with GQDs, the number of R. dominica eggs and larvae was reduced by 72% and 92% respectively, larval mortality was increased by 90%, and eclosion was reduced by 97%. The extraction, purification, characterization, quantification and encapsulation of ApCP with GQDs were also studied. Cysteine protease nanocarriers have the potential to control stored grain insect pests.

Effective plant-endophyte interplay can improve the cadmium hyperaccumulation in Brachiaria mutica.

Soil contamination due to cadmium (Cd) is a ubiquitous environmental problem for which inexpensive remediation alternatives are required. Phytoaccumulation, the use of plants to extract and accumulate heavy metals from the contaminated environment, is such an alternative. In this study, we aimed at establishing effective plant-bacteria interplay between Brachiaria mutica and Cd-resistant endophytic bacteria eventually leading to improved phytoremediation. B. mutica was grown in a Cd-contaminated soil and inoculated with three Cd-tolerant endophytic bacteria individually as well as in combination. Plant physiological parameters, biomass production, bacterial colonization, and Cd-accumulation were observed at four different Cd exposures, i.e., 100, 200, 400 and 1000 mg kg-1 of soil. The combined application of endophytic bacteria was more effective as compared to their individual applications at all concentrations. Nevertheless, highest performance of consortium was seen at 100 mg Cd kg-1 of soil, i.e., root length was enhanced by 46%, shoot length by 62%, chlorophyll content by 40%, and dry biomass by 64%; which was reduced with the increase in Cd concentration. The bacterial population was highest in the root interior followed by rhizosphere and shoot interior. Concomitantly, plants inoculated with bacterial consortium displayed more Cd-accumulation in the roots (95%), shoots (55%), and leaves (44%). Higher values of BCFroot (> 1), and lower values for BCFshoot and TF (< 1) indicates capability of B. mutica to accumulate high amounts of Cd in the roots as compared to the aerial parts. The present study concludes that plant-endophyte interplay could be a sustainable and effective strategy for Cd removal from the contaminated soils.

Gallic acid functionalized UiO-66 for the recovery of ribosylated metabolites from human urine samples.

Early diagnosis of disease biomarkers has been focused in recent years through Omics sciences. Nucleosides are the biomarkers of cancers including lung cancer, colorectal cancer, thyroid cancer, bladder cancer, cervical cancer and breast cancer. Nucleosides are directly excreted in the urine of diseased states whereas they are decomposed into other forms as modified nucleosides in healthy conditions. A dual affinity probe (gallic acid modified UiO-66) is prepared and reported for the first time in selectively enriching the ribosylated metabolites and modified nucleosides. Material is characterized by SEM, EDX, FTIR and Nitrogen adsorption porosimetry. The enrichment is benefitted from the interaction ability of zirconium towards glycosylated molecules, rich surface chemistry (3 terminal hydroxyl groups) on gallic acid and high surface area (384 m2/g) of 3-dimensional porous structure of metal organic frameworks (MOFs). Material shows selectivity of 1:500, recovery up to 137.1% and binding capacity of 2340.9 µg/g. Forty-three (43) nucleosides are enriched from human urine samples and 12 potential nucleoside biomarkers from colorectal cancer samples are quantified and their concentration is found higher than in the healthy controls.

Alumina nanocomposites: a comparative approach highlighting the improved characteristics of nanocomposites for phosphopeptides enrichment.

The work is based on the comparative study of metal oxide nanocomposites based on alumina in combination with two transition metal oxides (zirconia and titania) and two lanthanide oxides (ceria and lanthanum oxide). The choice is based on specific aims, i.e. to improve the limitations of individual metal oxides in phosphopeptide enrichment. The nanocomposites have shown improved phosphopeptide enrichment efficiency in comparison to the individual metal oxides. Alumina-zirconia show enhanced mono-phosphorylated peptide enrichment than ZrO2 whereas alumina-titania has better recovery of mono- and multi-phosphorylated peptides in comparison to individual TiO2. Alumina-ceria and alumina-lanthanum oxide overall enrich higher number of phosphopeptides. The alumina nanocomposites show higher selectivity and sensitivity for spiked ß-casein in BSA (1:1000) and diluted ß-casein digest (10 femtomole), respectively. Through the transition metal oxide nanocomposites, number of phosphoproteins from human serum are identified while this number is highest in case of alumina-lanthanum oxide nanocomposite. Thus the enrichment is affected by the choice of metal oxide in the nanocomposite based enrichment strategies.

Newly fabricated magnetic lanthanide oxides core-shell nanoparticles in phosphoproteomics.

Metal oxides show high selectivity and sensitivity toward mass spectrometry based enrichment strategies. Phosphopeptides/phosphoproteins enrichment from biological samples is cumbersome because of their low abundance. Phosphopeptides are of interest in enzymes and phosphorylation pathways which lead to the clinical links of a disease. Magnetic core-shell lanthanide oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2-La2O3 and Fe3O4@SiO2-Sm2O3) are fabricated, characterized by SEM, FTIR, and EDX and employed in the enrichment of phosphopeptides. The nanoparticles enrich phosphopeptides from casein variants, nonfat milk, egg yolk, human serum and HeLa cell extract. The materials and enrichment protocols are designed in a way that there are almost no nonspecific bindings. The selectivity is achieved up to 1:8500 using ß-casein/BSA mixture and sensitivity down to 1 atto-mole. Batch-to-batch reproducibility is high with the reuse of core-shell nanoparticles up to four cycles. The enrichment followed by MALDI-MS analyses is carried out for the identification of phosphopeptides from serum digest and HeLa cell extract. Characteristic phosphopeptides of phosphoproteins are identified from human serum after the enrichment, which have the diagnostic potential toward prostate cancer. Thus, the lanthanide based magnetic core-shell materials offer a highly selective and sensitive workflow in phosphoproteomics.

Au-nanomaterials as a superior choice for near-infrared photothermal therapy.

Photothermal therapy (PPT) is a platform to fight cancer by using multiplexed interactive plasmonic nanomaterials as probes in combination with the excellent therapeutic performance of near-infrared (NIR) light. With recent rapid developments in optics and nanotechnology, plasmonic materials have potential in cancer diagnosis and treatment, but there are some concerns regarding their clinical use. The primary concerns include the design of plasmonic nanomaterials which are taken up by the tissues, perform their function and then clear out from the body. Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) can be developed in different morphologies and functionalized to assist the photothermal therapy in a way that they have clinical value. This review outlines the diverse Au morphologies, their distinctive characteristics, concerns and limitations to provide an idea of the requirements in the field of NIR-based therapeutics.