Dual Functions of a Hybrid Magnetic Magnesium Oxide Nanocomposite as a Fungicide and Plant Growth Promoter in Agriculture Applications.

The use of nanometal oxides in nanoagronomy has garnered considerable attention due to their excellent antifungal and plant growth promotion properties. Hybrid nanometal oxides, which combine the strengths of individual nanomaterials, have emerged as a promising class of materials. In this study, nanomagnesium oxide (n-MgO) and hybrid magnetic nanomagnesium oxide (m/n-MgO) were successfully synthesized via the ultrasound-mediated sol-gel method. Characterization results, including TGA, XRD, VSM, and FTIR, confirmed the successful synthesis of m/n-MgO. Both n-MgO and m/n-MgO underwent antifungal assays and plant growth promotion ability studies, benchmarked against the conventional fungicide-copper oxychloride. This study bridges a significant gap by simultaneously reporting the antifungal properties of both n-MgO and m/n-MgO and their impact on plant growth. The disc diffusion assay suggested that the antifungal activity of n-MgO and m/n-MgO against F. oxysporum was inversely related to the particle size. Notably, n-MgO exhibited superior antifungal performance (lower minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)) and sustained efficacy compared with m/n-MgO, owing to distinct antifungal mechanisms. Nanorod-shaped MgO, with a smaller size (8.24 ± 5.61 nm) and higher aspect ratio, allowed them to penetrate the fungal cell wall and cause intercellular damage. In contrast, cubical m/n-MgO, with a larger size (20.95 ± 9.99 nm) and lower aspect ratio, accumulate on the fungal cell wall surface, disrupting the wall integrity, albeit less effectively against F. oxysporum. Moreover, in plant growth promotion studies, m/n-MgO-treated samples exhibited a 15.7% stronger promotion effect compared to n-MgO at their respective MICs. In addition, both n-MgO and m/n-MgO outperformed copper oxychloride in terms of antifungal and plant growth promoting activities. Thus, m/n-MgO presents a promising alternative to conventional copper-based fungicides, offering dual functionality as a fungicide and plant growth promoter, while the study also delves into the antifungal mechanisms at the intracellular level, enhancing its novelty.

Ultrasonic­assisted molten salt hydrates pretreated Eucheuma cottonii residues as a greener precursor for third-generation l-lactic acid production.

This study aims to establish an efficient pretreatment method that facilitates the conversion of sugars from macroalgae wastes, Eucheuma cottonii residues (ECRs) during hydrolysis and subsequently enhances l-lactic acid (L-LA) production. Hence, ultrasonic-assisted molten salt hydrates (UMSHs) pretreatment was proposed to enhance the accessibility of ECRs to hydrolyze into glucose through dilute acid hydrolysis (DAH). The obtained hydrolysates were employed as the substrate in producing L-LA by separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF). The maximum glucose yield (97.75 %) was achieved using UMSHs pretreated ECRs with 40 wt% ZnCl2 at 80 °C for 2 h and followed with DAH. The optimum glucose to L-LA yield obtained for SHF was 90.08 % using 5 % (w/w) inoculum cell densities of B. coagulans ATCC 7050 with yeast extract (YE). A comparable performance (89.65 %) was obtained using a nutrient combination (lipid-extracted Chlorella vulgaris residues (CVRs), vitamin B3, and vitamin B5) as a partial alternative for YE.

Insights into the release mechanisms of antioxidants from nanoemulsion droplets.

The therapeutic effects of antioxidant-loaded nanoemulsion can be often optimized by controlling the release rate in human body. Release kinetic models can be used to predict the release profile of antioxidant compounds and allow identification of key parameters that affect the release rate. It is known that one of the critical aspects in establishing a reliable release kinetic model is to understand the underlying release mechanisms. Presently, the underlying release mechanisms of antioxidants from nanoemulsion droplets are not yet fully understood. In this context, this review scrutinized the current formulation strategies to encapsulate antioxidant compounds and provide an outlook into the future of this research area by elucidating possible release mechanisms of antioxidant compounds from nanoemulsion system.

Synthesis approach-dependent antiviral properties of silver nanoparticles and nanocomposites.

Numerous viral infections are common among humans, and some can lead to death. Even though conventional antiviral agents are beneficial in eliminating viral infections, they may lead to side effects or physiological toxicity. Silver nanoparticles and nanocomposites have been demonstrated to possess inhibitory properties against several pathogenic microbes, including archaea, bacteria, fungi, algae, and viruses. Its pronounced antimicrobial activity against various microbe-mediated diseases potentiates its use in combating viral infections. Notably, the appropriated selection of the synthesis method to fabricate silver nanoparticles is a major factor for consideration as it directly impacts antiviral efficacy, level of toxicity, scalability, and environmental sustainability. Thus, this article presents and discusses various synthesis approaches to produce silver nanoparticles and nanocomposites, providing technological insights into selecting approaches to generate antiviral silver-based nanoparticles. The antiviral mechanism of various formulations of silver nanoparticles and the evaluation of its propensity to combat specific viral infections as a potential antiviral agent are also discussed.

Cytotoxicity and insulin resistance reversal ability of biofunctional phytosynthesized MgO nanoparticles.

The present study investigates the cytotoxicity of hexagonal MgO nanoparticles synthesized via Amaranthus tricolor leaf extract and spherical MgO nanoparticles synthesized via Amaranthus blitum and Andrographis paniculata leaf extracts. In vitro cytotoxicity analysis showed that the hexagonal MgO nanoparticles synthesized from A. tricolor extract demonstrated the least toxicity to both diabetic and non-diabetic cells at 600 µl/ml dosage. The viability of the diabetic cells (3T3-L1) after incubation with varying dosages of MgO nanoparticles was observed to be 55.3%. The viability of normal VERO cells was 86.6% and this stabilized to about 75% even after exposure to MgO nanoparticles dosage of up to 1000 µl/ml. Colorimetric glucose assay revealed that the A. tricolor extract synthesized MgO nanoparticles resulted in ~ 28% insulin resistance reversal. A reduction in the expression of GLUT4 protein at 54 KDa after MgO nanopaSrticles incubation with diabetic cells was observed via western blot analysis to confirm insulin reversal ability. Fluorescence microscopic analysis with propidium iodide and acridine orange dyes showed the release of reactive oxygen species as a possible mechanism of the cytotoxic effect of MgO nanoparticles. It was inferred that the synergistic effect of the phytochemicals and MgO nanoparticles played a significant role in delivering enhanced insulin resistance reversal capability in adipose cells.

Photo-irradiation coupled biosynthesis of magnesium oxide nanoparticles for antibacterial application.

In recent times, magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles are proven to be an excellent antibacterial agent which inhibits the growth of bacteria by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). Release of ROS by nanoparticles will damage the cell membrane of bacteria and leads to the leakage of bacterial internal components and cell death. However, chemically synthesized MgO nanoparticles may possess toxic functional groups which may inhibit healthy human cells along with bacterial cells. Thus, the aim of the present study is to synthesize MgO nanoparticles using leaf extracts of Amaranthus tricolor and photo-irradiation of visible light as a catalyst, without addition of any chemicals. Optimization was performed using Box-Behnken design (BBD) to obtain the optimum condition required to synthesize smallest nanoparticles. The parameters such as time of reaction, the concentration of precursor, and light intensity have been identified to affect the size of biosynthesized nanoparticles and was optimized. The experiment performed with optimized conditions such as 0.001 M concentration of magnesium acetate as precursor, 5 cm distance of light (intensity), and 15 min of reaction time (light exposure) has led to the formation of 74.6 nm sized MgO nanoparticles. The antibacterial activities of MgO nanoparticles formed via photo-irradiation and conventional biosynthesis approach were investigated and compared. The lethal dosage of E. coli for photo-irradiated and conventional biosynthesis MgO nanoparticles was 0.6 ml and 0.4 ml, respectively. Likewise, the lethal dosage of S. aureus for both biosynthesis approaches was found to be 0.4 ml. The results revealed that the antibacterial activity of MgO nanoparticles from both biosynthesis approaches was similar. Thus, photo-irradiated MgO nanoparticles were beneficial over heat-mediated conventional method due to the reduced synthesis duration.

Cytotoxicity Analysis of Morphologically Different Sol-Gel-Synthesized MgO Nanoparticles and Their In Vitro Insulin Resistance Reversal Ability in Adipose cells.

Insulin resistance is one of the major factors that leads to type 2 diabetes. Although insulin therapies have been shown to overcome insulin resistance, overweight and hypoglycemia are still observed in most cases. The disadvantages of insulin therapies have driven the interest in developing novel curative agents with enhanced insulin resistance reversibility. Magnesium deficiency has also been recognized as a common problem which leads to insulin resistance in both type 1 and 2 diabetes. Oxide nanoparticles demonstrate highly tunable physicochemical properties that can be exploited by engineers to develop unique oxide nanoparticles for tailored applications. Magnesium supplements for diabetic cells have been reported to increase the insulin resistance reversibility. Hence, it is hypothesized that magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles could be molecularly engineered to offer enhanced therapeutic efficacy in reversing insulin resistance. In the present work, morphologically different MgO nanoparticles were synthesized and evaluated for biophysical characteristics, biocompatibility, cytotoxicity, and insulin resistance reversibility. MTT assay revealed that hexagonally shaped MgO nanoparticles are less toxic to 3T3-L1 adipose cells (diabetic) compared with spherically and rod-shaped MgO nanoparticles. MTT assays using VERO cells (normal, non-diabetic) showed that 400 µg/ml of hexagonal MgO nanoparticles were less toxic to both diabetic and non-diabetic cells. DNS glucose assay and western blot showed that hexagonally shaped MgO nanoparticles had reversed 29.5% of insulin resistance whilst fluorescence microscopy studies indicated that the insulin resistance reversal is due to the activation of intracellular enzymes. The probable mechanism for MgO nanoparticles to induce cytotoxic effect and insulin resistance reversal is discussed.

Phytosynthesized metal oxide nanoparticles for pharmaceutical applications.

Developments in nanotechnology field, specifically, metal oxide nanoparticles have attracted the attention of researchers due to their unique sensing, electronic, drug delivery, catalysis, optoelectronics, cosmetics, and space applications. Physicochemical methods are used to fabricate nanosized metal oxides; however, drawbacks such as high cost and toxic chemical involvement prevail. Recent researches focus on synthesizing metal oxide nanoparticles through green chemistry which helps in avoiding the involvement of toxic chemicals in the synthesis process. Bacteria, fungi, and plants are the biological sources that are utilized for the green nanoparticle synthesis. Due to drawbacks such as tedious maintenance and the time needed for the nanoparticle formation, plant extracts are widely used in nanoparticle production. In addition, plants are available all over the world and phytosynthesized nanoparticles show comparatively less toxicity towards mammalian cells. Secondary metabolites including flavonoids, terpenoids, and saponins are present in plant extracts, and these are highly responsible for nanoparticle formation and reduction of toxicity. Hence, this article gives an overview of recent developments in the phytosynthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles and their toxic analysis in various cells and animal models. Also, their possible mechanism in normal and cancer cells, pharmaceutical applications, and their efficiency in disease treatment are also discussed.

Nano-formulations of drugs: Recent developments, impact and challenges.

Nano-formulations of medicinal drugs have attracted the interest of many researchers for drug delivery applications. These nano-formulations enhance the properties of conventional drugs and are specific to the targeted delivery site. Dendrimers, polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, nano-emulsions and micelles are some of the nano-formulations that are gaining prominence in pharmaceutical industry for enhanced drug formulation. Wide varieties of synthesis methods are available for the preparation of nano-formulations to deliver drugs in biological system. The choice of synthesis methods depend on the size and shape of particulate formulation, biochemical properties of drug, and the targeted site. This article discusses recent developments in nano-formulation and the progressive impact on pharmaceutical research and industries. Additionally, process challenges relating to consistent generation of nano-formulations for drug delivery are discussed.

Biosynthesis and structural characterization of Ag nanoparticles from white rot fungi.

Five species of white rot fungi were screened for their capability to synthesize Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs). Three modes of AgNP bioreduction were developed. Pycnoporus sanguineus is found as a potential candidate for the synthesis of AgNPs with a yield at 98.9%. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy, DLS, FTIR, TEM, and SEM. Results showed that AgNP absorption band was located at a peak of 420 nm. Both the SEM and TEM confirmed that the formation of AgNPs were mainly spherical with average diameters of 52.8-103.3 nm. The signals of silver atoms' presence in the mycelium were observed by SEM-EDS spectrum.