Nano-biogenic heavy metals adsorptive remediation for enhanced soil health and sustainable agricultural production.

Hazardous heavy metal (HM) pollution constitutes a pervasive global challenge, posing substantial risks to ecosystems and human health. The exigency for expeditious detection, meticulous monitoring, and efficacious remediation of HM within ecosystems is indisputable. Soil contamination, stemming from a myriad of anthropogenic activities, emerges as a principal conduit for HM ingress into the food chain. Traditional soil remediation modalities for HM elimination, while effective are labor-intensive, susceptible to secondary contamination, and exhibit limited efficacy in regions characterized by low metal toxicity. In response to these exigencies, the eco-friendly paradigm of bioremediation has garnered prominence as a financially judicious and sustainable remedial strategy. This approach entails the utilization of hyperaccumulators, Genetically Modified Microorganisms (GMM), and advantageous microbes. The current review offers a comprehensive elucidation of cutting-edge phyto/microbe-based bioremediation techniques, with a specific emphasis on their amalgamation with nanotechnology. Accentuating their pivotal role in advancing sustainable agricultural practices, the review meticulously dissects the synergistic interplay between plants and microbes, underscoring their adeptness in HM remediation sans secondary contamination. Moreover, the review scrutinizes the challenges intrinsic to implementing bioremediation-nanotechnology interface techniques and propounds innovative resolutions. These discernments proffer auspicious trajectories for the future of agriculture. Through the environmentally conscientious marvels of phyto/microbe bioremediation, an optimistic outlook emerges for environmental preservation and the cultivation of a sustainable, salubrious planet via the conduit of cleaner agricultural production.

Cancer treatment and toxicity outlook of nanoparticles.

Diversified nanosystems with tunable physicochemical attributes have emerged as potential solution to globally devastating cancer by offering novel possibilities for improving the techniques of cancer detection, imaging, therapies, diagnosis, drug delivery and treatment. Drug delivery systems based on nanoparticles (NPs) with ability of crossing different biological barriers are becoming increasingly popular. Besides, NPs are utilized in pharmaceutical sciences to mitigate the toxicity of conventional cancer therapeutics. However, significant NPs-associated toxicity, off-targeted activities, and low biocompatibility limit their utilization for cancer theranostics and can be hazardous to cancer patients up to life-threatening conditions. NPs interact with the biomolecules and disturb their regular function by aggregating inside cells and forming a protein corona, and the formulation turns ineffective in controlling cancer cell growth. The adverse interactions between NPs and biological entities can lead to life-threatening toxicities. This review focuses on the widespread use of various NPs including zinc oxide, titanium oxide, silver, and gold, which serve as efficient nano-vehicles and demonstrate notable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic advantages in cancer therapy. Subsequently, the mechanism of nanotoxicity attached with these NPs, alternate solutions and their prospect to revolutionize cancer theranostics are highlighted. This review will serve as guide for future developments associated with high-performance NPs with controlled toxicity for establishing them as modern-age nanotools to manage cancer in tailored manner.

Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Azilsartan in Adult Patients with Essential Hypertension: A Randomized, Phase-III Clinical Study in India.

BACKGROUND: Globally, women and men over the age of 25 years suffer from hypertension, the need for new treatment strategies to treat hypertension is due to the multi-faceted nature of the disease. Lack of optimal blood pressure control can lead to multiple complications. Therefore, this phase 3 study was conducted to assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of potential product azilsartan hydrochloride for reduction in blood pressure in Indian patients with essential hypertension. METHODS: This was a prospective, multicentre, randomized, comparative, parallel study of 303 participants over six weeks of treatment period with either azilsartan 40 mg or azilsartan 80 mg or telmisartan 40 mg in adult patients with essential hypertension. The primary endpoint was the change in mean trough sitting clinic systolic blood pressure (scSBP) from baseline to week 6. The secondary endpoints were the change in mean trough sitting clinic diastolic blood pressure (scDBP) from baseline and change in the 24-hour mean ambulatory systolic blood pressure (SBP)and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) from baseline. RESULTS: The change in mean trough scSBP from baseline to week 6 was -27.2 ± 9.99, -28.2 ± 10.06 and -26.7 ± 9.72 (Per Patient (PP) Population) and -27.2 ± 9.93, -28.3 ± 10.01 and -26.7 ± 9.67 (Intent to Treat (ITT) Population) in the azilsartan 40mg, 80mg and telmisartan 40mg groups respectively. The lower limit of 95% CI of difference in change in mean systolic blood pressure was -2.35(Azilsartan 40mg) and 1.32 (Azilsartan 80mg) is less than the non-inferiority margin (i.e. 2.67). The change in mean trough scDBP from baseline to week 6 was -13.1 ± 8.46, -12.9 ± 7.20, and -13.0 ± 7.96 (PP) and -13.1 ± 8.42, -12.9 ± 7.16 and -13.0 ± 7.92 (ITT) in Azilsartna 40 mg, Azilsartan 80 mg and Telmisartan 40 mg respectively. The reduction in trough scDBP in Azilsartan 40 mg (p=0.9461: PP; p=0.9330: ITT) and Azilsartan 80 mg (p=0.9090: PP; p=0.9158: ITT) was not statistically significant compared to Telmisartan 40 mg. The difference in fall in the trough scSBP, scDBP and ambulatory SBP and DBP was similar between the groups from baseline to week 6 (P >0.05). Headache and dizziness were the most frequent treatmentrelated treatment-emergent adverse events. CONCLUSION: Azilsartan is an effective blood pressure lowering drug and well tolerated and was non- inferior to telmisartan in its safety and efficacy.

Pharmacogenomics of Pain Management: The Impact of Specific Biological Polymorphisms on Drugs and Metabolism.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Pain is multifactorial and complex, often with a genetic component. Pharmacogenomics is a relative new field, which allows for the development of a truly unique and personalized therapeutic approach in the treatment of pain. RECENT FINDINGS: Until recently, drug mechanisms in humans were determined by testing that drug in a population and calculating response averages. However, some patients will inevitably fall outside of those averages, and it is nearly impossible to predict who those outliers might be. Pharmacogenetics considers a patient's unique genetic information and allows for anticipation of that individual's response to medication. Pharmacogenomic testing is steadily making progress in the management of pain by being able to identify individual differences in the perception of pain and susceptibility and sensitivity to drugs based on genetic markers. This has a huge potential to increase efficacy and reduce the incidence of iatrogenic drug dependence and addiction. The streamlining of relevant polymorphisms of genes encoding receptors, transporters, and drug-metabolizing enzymes influencing the pain phenotype can be an important guide to develop safe new strategies and approaches to personalized pain management. Additionally, some challenges still prevail and preclude adoption of pharmacogenomic testing universally. These include lack of knowledge about pharmacogenomic testing, inadequate standardization of the process of data handling, questionable benefits about the clinical and financial aspects of pharmacogenomic testing-guided therapy, discrepancies in clinical evidence supporting these tests, and doubtful reimbursement of the tests by health insurance agencies.

Dexmedetomidine in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Protocols for Postoperative Pain.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Effective acute pain management has evolved considerably in recent years and is a primary area of focus in attempts to defend against the opioid epidemic. Persistent postsurgical pain (PPP) has an incidence of up to 30-50% and has negative outcome of quality of life and negative burden on individuals, family, and society. The 2016 American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) guidelines states that enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) forms an integral part of Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) and is now recommended to use a multimodal opioid-sparing approach for management of postoperative pain. As such, dexmedetomidine is now being used as part of ERAS protocols along with regional nerve blocks and other medications, to create a satisfactory postoperative outcome with reduced opioid consumption in the Post anesthesia care unit (PACU). RECENT FINDINGS: Dexmedetomidine, a selective alpha2 agonist, possesses analgesic effects and has a different mechanism of action when compared with opioids. When dexmedetomidine is initiated at the end of a procedure, it has a better hemodynamic stability and pain response than ropivacaine. Dexmedetomidine can be used as an adjuvant in epidurals with local anesthetic sparing effects. Its use during nerve blocks results in reduced postoperative pain. Also, local infiltration of IV dexmedetomidine is associated with earlier discharge from PACU. Perioperative use of dexmedetomidine has significantly improved postoperative outcomes when used as part of ERAS protocols. An in-depth review of the use of dexmedetomidine in ERAS protocols is presented for clinical anesthesiologists.

Correction to: Efficacy, tolerability and safety of darbepoetin alfa injection for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing dialysis: a randomized, phase-III trial.

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported errors in the presentation of Tables 2, 4 and 5.

Efficacy, tolerability and safety of darbepoetin alfa injection for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing dialysis: a randomized, phase-III trial.

BACKGROUND: Darbepoetin alfa (DA-α) is a long-acting erythropoiesis-stimulating glycoprotein which has half-life three-fold longer than that of Erythropoietin alfa (EPO). The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of DA-α injection versus EPO for treating renal anemia amongst Indian patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing dialysis. METHODS: Patients of either gender (aged 18-65 years) with ESRD undergoing dialysis who had hemoglobin (Hb) levels < 10 g/dL after receiving EPO were switched to DA-α (0.45 µg/kg) once weekly subcutaneously or EPO 50 IU/kg thrice weekly subcutaneously (centrally randomized 1:1) for 12-24 weeks (correction phase) followed by 12 weeks maintenance phase (for Hb levels ≥10 g/dL). The primary efficacy endpoint was mean change in Hb level from baseline to end of correction phase. RESULTS: In the intention-to-treat population (n = 126), the between group difference in mean Hb change was - 0.01 g/dL (95% CI - 0.68 to - 0.66, p = 0.97). After adjusting for covariates, the difference was - 0.2878 g/dL (95% CI -0.936 to0.360). The lower limit of the two-sided 95% CI of primary endpoint was above the pre-specified non-inferiority margin of - 1.0 g/dL. Similar trend of non-inferiority was observed for per-protocol population. Safety profile of DA-α and EPO were observed to be similar. CONCLUSION: Our study results demonstrated that for patients with ESRD undergoing dialysis, administering DA-α at lower dose frequency, is equally effective and well tolerated as EPO for treating renal anemia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CTRI/2012/07/002835 [Registered on: 27/07/2012]; Trial Registered Prospectively.

Radical polymerization approach for ring opened oxanorbornene anhydride based macromonomers.

In this work, we synthesized end group functionalization of the cis-Norbornene-5-6-endo-dicarboxylic anhydride species via the ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of oxanorbornene derivatives generated a chiseled poly(cis-Norbornene-5-6-endo-Dicarboxylic anhydride) acrylate macromonomer. Further, acrylate oxanorbornene based macromonomer further polymerized via reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization technique. Chain transfer is exhibited in the structure during the radical polymerizations so that free radical polymerization could also be used to comb structure copolymers with a PDI value below 1.2 with the help of acrylate oxanorbornene. Atomic force microscopy reveals the comb shape of branched polymer brushes structure. This method involves polymerizable end-group attachment to a macromonomer, and the backbone of the comb polymer is created in a second step of the polymerization. We believe that this kind of comb structured polymers can be considered for different biological applications.

A Prospective, Randomized, Multiple-Dose, Multi-Center, Comparative Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety, Immunogenicity of a biosimilar Bevacizumab (Test product, Hetero) and Reference Medicinal Product (Bevacizumab, Roche) in Patients of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: :To compare efficacy and safety of a biosimilar, Bevacizumab (Hetero) vs reference medicinal product (Bevacizumab, Roche) as first line therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in combination with chemotherapy. METHODS: Patients of aged 18 to 65 with histologically pre-confirmed mCRC and treatment naïve with unresectable metastatic disease or distant metastases were enrolled and randomized to receive either Hetero-Bevacizumab or RMPBevacizumab along with chemotherapy (XELOX or FOLFOX-4) regimen over a period of 24 weeks (up to 8 cycles of Hetero-Bevacizumab/RMP-Bevacizumab+ XELOX regimen (each cycle of 3 weeks) or up to 12 cycles of Hetero-Bevacizumab/ RMP-Bevacizumab + FOLFOX-4 regimen (each cycle of 2 weeks). Bevacizumab was administered at 7.5 mg/kg as an IV infusion over 60-90 minutes on Day 1 of each treatment cycle. The efficacy endpoints were the overall response rate (CR+PR) and disease control rate (DCR) according to RECIST 1.1. The safety endpoints included assessments of treatment emergent adverse events and immunogenicity. RESULTS: 160 patients were screened; 111 patients were randomized in the study. No statistical significant difference in overall response rate between both the treatment groups (HB-MAB vs. RB-MAB: 35.56 % vs. 20%, P=0.28 at Week 6; 37.50 % vs. 30.77 %, P=0.73 at Week 12). Similar trend was observed for disease control rate (HB-MAB vs. RB-MAB: 100% vs. 96%, P=0.36 at Week 6; 95.83 vs. 100%, P=1.00 at Week 12). CONCLUSIONS: Herero's Bevacizumab was found to be comparable to reference medical product, Bevacizumab in terms of efficacy and tolerability for the Indian patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Efficacy, Safety and Immunogenecitystudy of Intravenous Infusion of Rituximab (Hetero) and Reference Medicinal Product (Rituximab, Roche) in Indian Patients of Follicular Lymphoma Preliminary report (HERILY).

OBJECTIVE: To compare the antitumor efficacy, safety, and pharmacodynamics (PD) characteristics of Hetero-Rituximab (test) with Reference Medicinal Product (Rituximab, Roche) in Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Total 40 Follicular Lymphoma (FL) patients were randomized to receive intravenous infusion of either test or reference product. Efficacy (best overall response [BOR] rate [primary end point]), safety, PD (CD19), and immunological assessments (secondary end points) were done at the end of cycle 3 and cycle 6. RESULTS: Out of 40 patients randomized, 17 were in test arm while 23 were in reference arm. At the end of 6 cycles, BOR (complete response [CR] and partial response [PR]) rate was 64.71% (n=11) in Hetero Rituximab compared to the 43.48% (n=10) in reference arm. The difference between test and reference proportions of best overall response rate at cycle 6, lies within the pre-specified limit for noninferiority. Anti-Rituximab antibodies were found to be negative at cycle 3 and cycle 6 for all FL patients. The FL patients who were treated with Hetero Rituximab, showed significant depletion in CD19+ cell which was comparable with Reference drug. Safety and Immunogenic potential of the test drug was comparable to the reference drug in the patients of FL. CONCLUSION: Best overall response rate at Cycle 3, Cycle 6 and end of the study lies within the pre-specified limit for non-inferiority which concludes that test product is therapeutically non-inferior to reference medicinal product.

Eicosyl ammoniums elicited thermal reduction alleyway towards gold nanoparticles and their chemo-sensor aptitude.

The construction of dimethylenebis(eicosyldimethylammonium bromide) surfactant-directed gold nanoparticles (NPs) has been accomplished via a one-pot thermal reduction of HAuCl4 with trisodium citrate. The effect of cationic twin-tail surfactants, dimethylenebis(hexadecyldimethylammonium bromide) (16-2-16), dimethylenebis(octadecyldimethylammonium bromide) (18-2-18) and dimethylenebis(eicosyldimethylammonium bromide) (20-2-20), and their concentrations on shape and size of Au nanoparticles was thoroughly investigated. The UV-Vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results show that longer tail length surfactants act as shape-directing agents promoting diversified morphologies. The formation of multiple-shaped Au nanoparticles, such as round, hexagonal, pentagonal, triangular and rod-like, has been confirmed from microstructure analysis; among them, many triangular shapes enhanced at elevated levels of surfactant concentration. In addition, the triangular Au nanoparticles with truncated corners were changed to smooth corners as the hydrocarbon chain length increased from (18-2-18) to (20-2-20). The concentration and hydrocarbon tails of twin-tail surfactants strongly influence the size and structure of Au NPs. In addition, the Au NPs synthesized with the twin-tail surfactant (18-2-18) were found to be highly sensitive towards Hg(2+), which could be because of the preferential adsorption of Hg(0) on the lower energy facets of triangular-shaped Au NPs.

Nanozymes and nanoflower: Physiochemical properties, mechanism and biomedical applications.

Natural enzymes possess several drawbacks which limits their application in industries, wastewater remediation and biomedical field. Therefore, in recent years researchers have developed enzyme mimicking nanomaterials and enzymatic hybrid nanoflower which are alternatives of enzyme. Nanozymes and organic inorganic hybrid nanoflower have been developed which mimics natural enzymes functionalities such as diverse enzyme mimicking activities, enhanced catalytic activities, low cost, ease of preparation, stability and biocompatibility. Nanozymes include metal and metal oxide nanoparticles mimicking oxidases, peroxidases, superoxide dismutase and catalases while enzymatic and non-enzymatic biomolecules were used for preparing hybrid nanoflower. In this review nanozymes and hybrid nanoflower have been compared in terms of physiochemical properties, common synthetic routes, mechanism of action, modification, green synthesis and application in the field of disease diagnosis, imaging, environmental remediation and disease treatment. We also address the current challenges facing nanozyme and hybrid nanoflower research and the possible way to fulfil their potential in future.

Geospatial technology in agroforestry: status, prospects, and constraints.

Agroforestry has an indispensable role in food and livelihood security in addition to its capacity to combat the detrimental effects of climate change. However, agroforestry has not been properly promoted and exploited due to lack of precise extent, geographical distribution, and carbon sequestration (CS) assessment. The recent advent of geospatial technologies, as well as free availability of spatial data and software, can provide new insights into agroforestry resources assessment, decision-making, and policy development despite agroforestry's small spatial extent, isolated nature, and higher structural and functional complexity of agroforestry. In this review, the existing application of geospatial technologies together with its constraints and limitations as well as the potential future application for agroforestry has been discussed. The review reveals that the application of optical remote sensing in agroforestry includes spatial extent mapping, production of tree species spectral signature, CS assessment, and suitability mapping. Simultaneously, the recent surge in the use of synthetic aperture radar in conjunction with algorithms based on vegetation photosynthesis and optical data enables a more accurate estimation of gross primary productivity at different scales. However, unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with sensors, such as multispectral, LiDAR, hyperspectral, and thermal, offer a considerably higher potential and accuracy than satellite-based datasets. In the future, the health monitoring of agroforestry systems can be a key concern that may be addressed by utilizing hyperspectral and thermal datasets to analyze plant biochemistry, chlorophyll fluorescence, and water stress. Additionally, current (GEDI, ECOSTRESS) and future space agency missions (BIOMASS, FLEX, NISAR, TRISHNA) have enormous potential to shed fresh light on agroforestry systems.

Constructing α-Fe2O3/g-C3N4/SiO2 S-scheme-based heterostructure for photo-Fenton like degradation of rhodamine B dye in aqueous solution.

This work successfully fabricated graphitic carbon nitride and magnetically recoverable α-Fe2O3/g-C3N4/SiO2 photo-Fenton catalysts using thermal polycondensation and in situ-simple precursor drying-calcination process, respectively, was examined for model synthetic rhodamine B (RhB) dye in the presence of H2O2 and acidic pH under simulated visible light irradiation. An aqueous suspension of the reaction mixture of dye-containing wastewater was fully degraded and reached 97% of photo-Fenton degradation efficiency within 120 min followed by the production of hydroxyl radical (•OH). The dominant hydroxyl radical position generated surface charge, electrostatic potential distribution, and average local ionization potential, which contributed to the complete mineralization of RhB dye, according to the density functional theory (DFT) calculations. HPLC and GCMS experiments were performed to examine the degradation fragments of RhB and draw a plausible mechanistic pathway which showed that RhB degradation generated a series of N-deethylated products, followed by a one-time ring-opening, which indicated that photosensitization induced a photocatalysis reaction mechanism.

A Real-World Study of Safety, Immunogenicity and Efficacy of Bevacizumab in Patients With Solid Malignancies: A Phase IV, Post-Marketing Study in India.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the post-marketing safety, tolerability, immunogenicity and efficacy of Bevacizumab (manufactured by Hetero Biopharma) in a broader population of patients with solid tumors. Patients And Methods: This phase IV, prospective, multi-centric clinical study was carried out in Indian patients with solid malignancies (metastatic colorectal cancer, non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer, metastatic renal cell carcinoma) treated with Bevacizumab between April 2018 and July 2019. This study included 203 patients from 16 tertiary care oncology centers across India for safety assessment, of which a subset of 115 patients who have consented were also evaluated for efficacy and immunogenicity. This study was prospectively registered in the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI), and was commenced only after receiving approval from the competent authority (Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, CDSCO). Results: Out of the 203 enrolled patients, 121 (59.6%) patients reported 338 adverse events (AEs) during this study. Of 338 reported AEs, 14 serious adverse events (SAEs) were reported by 13 patients including 6 fatal SAEs, assessed as unrelated to the study medication and 7 non-fatal SAEs, 5 assessed as related, and 3 unrelated to Bevacizumab. Most AEs reported in this study (33.9%) were general disorders and administration site conditions, followed by gastrointestinal disorders (29.1%). The most frequently reported AEs were diarrhea (11.3%), asthenia (10.3%), headache (8.9%), pain (7.4%), vomiting (7.9%), and neutropenia (5.9%). At the end of the study, 2 (1.75%) of 69 patients reported antibodies to Bevacizumab without affecting safety and efficacy. However, at the end of 12 months, no patient had reported antibodies to Bevacizumab. Complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), and progressive disease (PD) were reported in 18.3%, 22.6%, 9.6%, and 8.7% of patients, respectively. The overall response rate (CR + PR) was reported in 40.9% of patients at the end of the study. Disease control rate (DCR), also known as the clinical benefit rate (CBR) was reported in 50.4% of patients. Conclusions: Bevacizumab (Cizumab, Hetero Biopharma) was observed to be safe, well tolerated, lacking immunogenicity, and efficacious in the treatment of solid tumors. The findings of this phase IV study of Bevacizumab, primarily as a combination therapy regimen suggest its suitability and rationality for usage in multiple solid malignancies. Clinical Trial Registry Number: CTRI/2018/4/13371 [Registered on CTRI http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/advsearch.php : 19/04/2018]; Trial Registered Prospectively.

Approaches to Preceramic Polymer Fiber Fabrication and On-Demand Applications.

The demand for lightweight, high-modulus, and temperature-resistant materials for aerospace and other high-temperature applications has contributed to the development of ceramic fibers that exhibit most of the favorable properties of monolithic ceramics. This review demonstrates preceramic-based polymer fiber spinning and fiber classifications. We discuss different types of fiber spinning and the advantages of each. Tuning the preceramic polymer chemical properties, molar mass, functional chemistry influences, and incorporation with fillers are thoroughly investigated. Further, we present the applications of preceramic-based polymer fibers in different fields including aerospace, biomedical, and sensor applications. This concise review summarizes recent developments in preceramic fiber chemistry and essential applications.

Prospects of Biosensors Based on Functionalized and Nanostructured Solitary Materials: Detection of Viral Infections and Other Risks.

Advances in nanotechnology over the past decade have emerged as a substitute for conventional therapies and have facilitated the development of economically viable biosensors. Next-generation biosensors can play a significant role in curbing the spread of various viruses, including HCoV-2, and controlling morbidity and mortality. Pertaining to the impact of the current pandemic, there is a need for point-of-care biosensor-based testing as a detection method to accelerate the detection process. Integrating biosensors with nanostructures could be a substitute for ultrasensitive label-free biosensors to amplify sensing and miniaturization. Notably, next-generation biosensors could expedite the detection process. An elaborate description of various types of functionalized nanomaterials and their synthetic aspects is presented. The utility of the functionalized nanostructured materials for fabricating nanobiosensors to detect several types of viral infections is described in this review. This review also discusses the choice of appropriate nanomaterials, as well as challenges and opportunities in the field of nanobiosensors.

Exploring phytochemical composition, photocatalytic, antibacterial, and antifungal efficacies of Au NPs supported by Cymbopogon flexuosus essential oil.

Biofabrication of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using the aromatic essential oils is highlighted due to its simple, economical, low toxicity, and eco-friendly nature. Essential oil of Cymbopogon flexuosus (CF), an economically valuable medicinal plant, exhibits anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities. For the first time, this research accounts for the biosynthesis, physicochemical, photocatalytic, antifungal, antibacterial properties of biogenic AuNPs, fabricated using CF essential oil collected from different altitudes (S1-Palampur, S2-Haryana, S3-Dehradun). The altitudinal disparity in the phytochemical composition of essential oils is highlighted. The average crystallite size ranged from 10 to 32 nm and was influenced by CF samples used in the synthesis. The spectroscopic outcomes revealed the involvement of bioactive reagents from CF essential oil in the fabrication and stabilization of AuNPs. The fabricated AuNPs exhibited excellent antimicrobial activities against all tested strains (Staphyloccucs aureus, Escherichia coli, Fusarium oxysporum), showing their efficacy as an antimicrobial agent to treat infectious diseases. Moreover, AuNPs exhibited excellent photocatalytic efficacy of around 91.8% for the degradation of methylene blue under exposure of direct sunlight for 3 h without the assistance of an external reducing agent. The outcomes highlight a potential economic and environmentally friendly strategy to fabricate biogenic AuNPs for diversified industrial applications where antimicrobial and photocatalytic efficacies are the key requirements.

Essential oil-mediated biocompatible magnesium nanoparticles with enhanced antibacterial, antifungal, and photocatalytic efficacies.

Emergent application of antimicrobial strategies as symptomatic treatment in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and linkage of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus2 with microbial infections, has created colossal demand for antimicrobials. For the first time, this communication explore the physicochemical, antifungal, antibacterial, and photocatalytic properties of biogenic magnesium nanoparticles (MgNPs), synthesized using essential oil of Cymbopogon flexuosus's as an efficient multifunctional reducing and stabilizing/capping reagent. It is observed that MgNPs (ranging in size: 8-16 nm) of varying phytochemical compositions (MgS1, MgS2, MgS3) exhibited various useful physicochemical, antimicrobial, and photocatalytic properties. FTIR outcomes highlight the functional biomolecules-assisted reduction of Mg from Mg+ to Mg0. Among all, MgS3-Nps owing to the smallest particle size exhibited superior photocatalytic efficacy (91.2%) for the methylene blue degradation upon direct exposure to the sunlight for 3 h without using any reducing agents. Fabricated MgNPs also exhibited excellent antifungal (against Fusarium oxysporum) and antibacterial (versus Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli) efficacies compared to state-of-the-art antimicrobial agents deployed for the treatment of infectious diseases. Based on this investigated greener approach, imperative from economic and environmental viewpoint, such essential oil based-MgNPs can be a potential nanosystem for various industrial applications where photocatalytic, and biomedical attributes are the key requirements.

Efficacy and Safety of Molnupiravir in Mild COVID-19 Patients in India.

Background At the peak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the need for an orally administered agent to prevent the progression of acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection became increasingly evident, which was the impetus behind our investigations with molnupiravir. Molnupiravir has been shown to be effective in preventing hospitalizations and/or clinical complications in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. In this study, we evaluate the efficacy and safety of molnupiravir in Indian patients with mild SARS-CoV-2 infection and at least one risk factor for disease progression (CTRI/2021/05/033739). Methodology This was a phase III, multicenter, randomized, open-label, controlled study conducted in Indian adults aged 18-60 years with mild SARS-CoV-2, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-positive within 48 hours of enrollment in the study, and within five days of first symptom onset. Enrolled patients were randomized to treatment arms in a 1:1 ratio to receive molnupiravir or placebo in addition to the standard of care (SoC) for SARS-CoV-2 infection. The SoC was in compliance with Government of India guidelines that were in force at the time. The primary endpoint was the rate of hospitalization up to day 14. Safety endpoints included incidence of adverse events (AEs). Results Eligible patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive molnupiravir in addition to SoC treatment (n = 608) or SoC alone (n = 610). In the molnupiravir group, nine (1.48%) patients required hospitalization versus 26 (4.26%) patients in the control group (risk difference = -2.78%; 95% CI = -4.65, -0.90; p = 0.0053). Overall, 45 (3.70%) patients reported 47 AEs during the study, most of which were mild and resolved completely. The molnupiravir group reported 30 AEs compared to 17 AEs in the control group. Headache and nausea were the two most commonly reported AEs. Conclusions The molnupiravir arm showed a lower rate of hospitalization and a shorter time for the improvement of clinical symptoms coupled with early RT-PCR negativity. Molnupiravir was well tolerated, and AEs were mild and rare. The addition of molnupiravir to standard therapy has the potential to prevent the progression of mild COVID-19 disease to the severe form.