Combined oncolytic virotherapy gold nanoparticles as synergistic immunotherapy agent in breast cancer control.

Combining viruses and nanoparticles may be a way to successfully treat cancer and minimize adverse effects. The current work aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a specific combination of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) to enhance the antitumor effect of breast cancer in both in vitro and in vivo models. Two human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and AMJ-13) and a normal epithelial cell line (HBL-100) were used and treated with NDV and/or GNPs. The MTT assay was used to study the anticancer potentials of NDV and GNP. The colony formation assay and apoptosis markers were used to confirm the killing mechanisms of NDV and GNP against breast cancer cell lines. p53 and caspase-9 expression tested by the qRT-PCR technique. Our results showed that combination therapy had a significant killing effect against breast cancer cells. The findings demonstrated that NDV and GNPs induced apoptosis in cancer cells by activating caspase-9, the p53 protein, and other proteins related to apoptosis, which holds promise as a combination therapy for breast cancer.

Biofabrication of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Catalyzed by Solanum surattense: Characterization and Evaluation of their Antiepileptic and Cytotoxic Activities.

The green synthesis of nanoparticles using plant extract is a new method that can be used in various biomedical applications. Therefore, the green approach was an aspect of ongoing research for the synthesis titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NP) using the Solanum surattense aqueous plant extract, which acts as a stabilizing and reducing agent. The synthesis of TiO2 NPs was confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) analyses. The excitation energy to synthesize TiO2 NPs was identified through the UV-vis spectrophotometric analysis at a wavelength of 244 nm. Further, the FT-IR spectroscopy visualized different biomolecules like OH, C=O, C-H, and C-O that were present in an aqueous extract of the plant and were responsible for the stabilization of TiO2 NPs. The crystallinity and phase purity of TiO2 NPs were illustrated by the sharp peaks of the XRD pattern. The spherical morphology with sizes ranging from 10 to 80 nm was examined using SEM images. The elemental composition of TiO2 NPs was revealed by the intensity and narrow widths of titanium and oxygen using EDX analysis. This report also explains the antiepileptic activity of TiO2 NPs in a maximal electroshock-induced epileptic (MESE) and pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) model. The synthesized TiO2 NPs showed maximum antiepileptic activity in the PTZ model, significantly decreasing the convulsions (65.0 ± 5.50 s) at 180 mg/kg in contrast to standard drug phenytoin, whereas the MESE model was characterized by the appearance of extensor, clonus, and flexion. The results showed that synthesized TiO2 NPs significantly reduced the time spent in each stage (15.3 ± 0.20, 16.8 ± 0.25, and 20.5 ± 0.14 s) at 180 mg/kg as compared to control groups. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of synthesized produced TiO2 NPs demonstrated that concentrations ≤80 µg/mL were biologically compatible.

Antiplatelet, cytotoxic activities and characterization of green-synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles using aqueous extract of Nephrolepis exaltata.

The goal of the current study was to synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) using ZnCl2.2H2O salt precursor and an aqueous extract of Nephrolepis exaltata (N. exaltata), which act as a capping and reducing agent. N. exaltata plant extract-mediated ZnO-NPs were further characterized by various techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-visible (UV-Vis), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The nanoscale crystalline phase of ZnO-NPs was analyzed by the XRD patterns. The FT-IR analysis revealed different functional groups of biomolecules involved in the reduction and stabilization of the ZnO-NPs. The light absorption and optical properties of ZnO-NPs were examined by UV-Vis spectroscopy at a wavelength of 380 nm. The spherical shape morphology of ZnO-NPs with mean particle size ranges between 60 and 80 nm was confirmed by SEM images. While the EDX analysis was used to identify the elemental composition of ZnO-NPs. Furthermore, the synthesized ZnO-NPs demonstrate potential antiplatelet activity by inhibiting the platelet aggregation induced by platelet activation factor (PAF) and arachidonic acid (AA). The results showed that synthesized ZnO-NPs were more effective in inhibiting platelet aggregation induced by AA with IC50 (56% and 10 µg/mL) and PAF (63% and 10 µg/mL), respectively. However, the biocompatibility of ZnO-NPs was assessed in human lung cancer cell line (A549) under in vitro conditions. The cytotoxicity of synthesized nanoparticles revealed that cell viability decreased and the IC50 was found to be 46.7% at a concentration of 75 µg/mL. The present work concluded the green synthesis of ZnO-NPs that was achieved by N. exaltata plant extract and showed good antiplatelet and cytotoxic activity, which demonstrates the lack of harmful effects making them more effective for use in pharmaceutical and medical fields to treat thrombotic disorders.

Klebsiella pneumoniae Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Protect Artemia salina from Fish Pathogen Aeromonas sp.: A Combined In Vitro, In Vivo, and In Silico Approach.

Antibiotic resistance is an alarming threat all over the world, and the biofilm formation efficacy of bacteria is making the situation worse. The antagonistic efficacy of Klebsiella pneumoniae against one of the known fish pathogens, Aeromonas sp., is examined in this study. Moreover, Aeromonas sp.'s biofilm formation ability and in vivo pathogenicity on Artemia salina are also justified here. Firstly, six selected bacterial strains were used to obtain antimicrobial compounds against this pathogenic strain. Among those, Klebsiella pneumoniae, another pathogenic bacterium, surprisingly demonstrated remarkable antagonistic activity against Aeromonas sp. in both in vitro and in vivo assays. The biofilm distrusting potentiality of Klebsiella pneumoniae's cell-free supernatants (CFSs) was likewise found to be around 56%. Furthermore, the volatile compounds of Klebsiella pneumoniae were identified by GC-MS in order to explore compounds with antibacterial efficacy against Aeromonas sp. through an in silico study, where 5'-methylthioadenosine/S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase (MTAN) (PDB: 5B7P) was chosen as a target protein for its unique characteristics and pathogenicity. Several volatile compounds, such as oxime- methoxy-phenyl-, fluoren-9-ol, 3,6-dimethoxy-9-(2-phenylethynyl)-, and 2H-indol-2-one, 1,3-dihydro- showed a strong binding affinity, with free energy of -6.7, -7.1, and -6.4 Kcal/mol, respectively, in complexes with the protein MTAN. Moreover, the root-mean-square deviation, solvent-accessible surface area, radius of gyration, root-mean-square fluctuations, and hydrogen bonds were used to ensure the binding stability of the docked complexes in the atomistic simulation. Thus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and its potential compounds can be employed as an alternative to antibiotics for aquaculture, demonstrating their effectiveness in suppressing Aeromonas sp.

The Biogenically Efficient Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using the Fungus Trichoderma harzianum and Their Antifungal Efficacy against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Sclerotium rolfsii.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNs) are known as a promising alternative tool to control fungal diseases. AgNs were biologically synthesized using Trichoderma harzianum filtrate as an ecofriendly approach. The presence of AgNs was confirmed by changing the color to brown, followed by UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Energy-dispersive spectra (EDS). TEM studies showed that the size of AgNs average was 31.13 nm and the shape was spherical. In vitro assays of AgNs showed a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (S. sclerotiorum) and Sclerotium rolfsii (S. rolfsii). The percentage inhibition on mycelial linear growth, dry weight, and sclerotia formation of S. sclerotiorum and S. rolfsii at 100-L were 87.8, 82.7, 96.4, 52.8, 55.1, and 85.4%, respectively. The obtained results suggested that the biosynthesized AgNs have antifungal activity against S. sclerotiorum and S. rolfsii. Foliar spray of bean and sunflower plants with AgNs caused a decrease in disease severity, which promoted the plant protection against S. sclerotiorum and S. rolfsii, respectively. Substantially, this study will extend our understanding of the AgNs antifungal action for suppressing fungal diseases.

Production, statistical optimization, and functional characterization of alkali stable pectate lyase of Paenibacillus lactis PKC5 for use in juice clarification.

Pectate lyase is a hydrolytic enzyme used by diverse industries to clarify food. The enzyme occupies a 25% share of the total enzyme used in food industries, and their demand is increasing gradually. Most of the enzymes in the market belong to the fungal origin and take more time to produce with high viscosity in the fermentation medium, limiting its use. The bacteria belonging to the genus Bacillus have vast potential to produce diverse metabolites of industrial importance. The present experiment aimed to isolate pectate lyase-producing bacteria that can tolerate an alkaline environment at moderate temperatures. Bacillus subtilis PKC2, Bacillus licheniformis PKC4, Paenibacillus lactis PKC5, and Bacillus sonorensis ADCN produced pectate lyase. The Paenibacillus lactis PKC5 gave the highest protein at 48 h of incubation that was partially purified using 80% acetone and ammonium sulphate. Purification with 80% acetone resulted in a good enzyme yield with higher activity. SDS-PAGE revealed the presence of 44 kDa molecular weight of purified enzyme. The purified enzyme exhibits stability at diverse temperature and pH ranges, the maximum at 50 °C and 8.0 pH. The metal ions such as Mg2+, Zn2+, Fe2+, and Co2+ significantly positively affect enzyme activity, while increasing the metal ion concentration to 5 mM showed detrimental effects on the enzyme activity. The organic solvents such as methanol and chloroform at 25% final concentration improved the enzyme activity. On the other hand, detergent showed inhibitory effects at 0.05% and 1% concentration. Pectate lyase from Paenibacillus lactis PKC5 had Km and Vmax values as 8.90 mg/ml and 4.578 µmol/ml/min. The Plackett-Burman and CCD designs were used to identify the significant process parameters, and optimum concentrations were found to be pectin (5 gm%) and ammonium sulphate (0.3 gm%). During incubation with pectate lyase, the clarity percentage of the grape juice, apple juice, and orange juice was 60.37%, 59.36%, and 49.91%, respectively.

Toxicity evaluation and oxidative stress response of fumaronitrile, a persistent organic pollutant (POP) of industrial waste water on tilapia fish (Oreochromis mossambicus).

The study was designed to determine the impact of acute toxicity of fumaronitrile exposure through tissue damaging, oxidative stress enzymes and histopathological studies in gills, liver and muscle cells of freshwater tilapia fish (Oreochromis mossambicus). In gill, liver, and muscle cells, biochemical indicators such as tissue damage enzymes (Acid Phosphatase (ACP), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH)) and antioxidative enzymes (Superoxide Dismutase (SOD); Catalase (CAT); Glutathione-S-transferase (GST); Reduced Glutathione (GSH); Glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and Glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) were quantified in the time interval of 30, 60 and 90 days exposure to the fumaronitrile. After 90 days, under 6 ppb exposure conditions, the acid phosphatase (ACP) levels of fish increased significantly in the gills (3.439 µmol/mg protein/min), liver (1.743 µmol/mg protein/min), and muscles (2.158 µmol/mg protein/min). After 90 days of exposure to the same concentration and days, ALP activity increased significantly in gills (4.354 µmol/mg protein/min) and liver (1.754 µmol/mg protein/min), but muscle cells had a little decrease in ALP activity (2.158 µmol/mg protein/min). The LDH concentration in gills following treatment with fumaronitrile over a period of 0-90 days was 3.573 > 3.521 > 2.245 µmol/mg protein/min over 30 > 60 > 90 days. However, at the same dose and treatment duration, a greater LDH level of 0.499 µmol/mg protein/min was found in liver and muscle cells. Histopathological abnormalities in the gills, liver, and muscle cells of treated fish were also examined, indicating that fumaronitrile treatment generated the most severe histological changes. The current study reveals that fumaronitrile exposure has an effect on Oreochromis mossambicus survival, explaining and emphasising the risk associated with this POP exposure to ecosystems and human populations.

Ag0 decorated Cr2S3 NPs embedded on PVP matrix: A colorimetric probe for selective and rapid detection of sulphide ions from environmental samples.

Globally, the environmental pollution is one of the major issues causing toxicity towards human and aquatic life. We have developed a facile and innovative sensing approach for detection of sulphide ions (S2-) present in the aqueous media using Ag0 decorated Cr2S3 NPs embedded on PVP matrix (Ag/Cr2S3-PVP). Based on the SPR phenomena, the detection of S2- ions was established. The nanohybrid was characterized using various techniques such as UV-vis spectrophotometer, High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HR-TEM), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction analysis(XRD), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The yellowish colour of Ag/Cr2S3-PVP nanohybrid turned to brown colour in presence of S2- ions. The selectivity and sensitivity of the prepared probe was studied against the other interfering metal ions. In addition, the effect of different concentration of S2- ions in the nanohybrid solution was investigated and the Limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 6.6 nM. The good linearity was found over the range of 10 nM to 100 µM with R2 value of 0.981. The paper strip based probe was developed for rapid onsite monitoring of S2- ions. The proposed method is found to be cost-effective, rapid, and simple. We have validated the practical applicability of the prepared probe for determining the concentration of S2- ions in real water samples.

Removal of lead ions from wastewater using lanthanum sulfide nanoparticle decorated over magnetic graphene oxide.

In this study, the new lanthanum sulfide nanoparticle (La2S3) was synthesized and incorporated onto magnetic graphene oxide (MGO) sheets surface to produce potential adsorbent (MGO@LaS) for efficient removal of lead ions (Pb2+) from wastewater. The synthesized MGO@LaS adsorbent was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The effective parameters on the adsorption process including solution pH (~5), adsorbent dosage (20 mg), contact time (40 min), initial Pb2+ concentration and temperature were studied. The removal efficiency was obtained >95% for lead ions at pH 5 with 20 mg adsorbent. To validate the adsorption rate and mechanism, the kinetic and thermodynamic models were studied based on experimental data. The Langmuir isotherm model was best fitted to initial equilibrium concentration with a maximum adsorption capacity of 123.46 mg/g. This indicated a monolayer adsorption pattern for Pb2+ ions over MGO@LaS. The pseudo-second-order as the kinetic model was best fitted to describe the adsorption rate due to high R2 > 0.999 as compared first-order. A thermodynamic model suggested a chemisorption and physisorption adsorption mechanism for Pb2+ ions uptake into MGO@LaS at different temperatures; ΔG° < -5.99 kJ mol-1 at 20 °C and ΔG° -18.2 kJ mol-1 at 45 °C. The obtained results showed that the novel nanocomposite (MGO@LaS) can be used as an alternative adsorbent in wastewater treatment.

2-Nitro- and 4-fluorocinnamaldehyde based receptors as naked-eye chemosensors to potential molecular keypad lock.

New-generation chemosensors desire small organic molecules that are easy to synthesise and cost-effective. As a new interdisciplinary area of research, the integration of these chemosensors into keypad locks or other advanced communication protocols is becoming increasingly popular. Our lab has developed new chemosensor probes that contain 2-nitro- (1-3) and 4-fluoro-cinnamaldehyde (4-6) and applied them to the anion recognition and sensing process. Probes 1-6 are colorimetric sensors for naked-eye detection of AcO-/CN-/F-, while probes 4-6 could differentiate between F- and AcO-/CN- anions in acetonitrile. Using the density functional theory (DFT), it was found that probes 1-6 acted as effective chemosensors. By using Probe 5 as a chemosensor, we explored colorimetric recognition of multiple anions in more detail. Probe 5 was tested in combination with a combinatorial approach to demonstrate pattern-generation capability and its ability to distinguish among chemical inputs based on concentration. After pattern discrimination using principal component analysis (PCA), we examined anion selectivity using DFT computation. In our study, probe 5 demonstrates excellent performance as a chemosensor and shows promise as a future molecular-level keypad lock system.

A novel SPR based Fe@Ag core-shell nanosphere entrapped on starch matrix an optical probe for sensing of mercury(II) ion: A nanomolar detection, wide pH range and real water sample application.

Recent trends in nanotechnology paved a way for the development of detection systems for heavy metals, toxins and environmental pollutants. The present study focused on Hg2+ detection by a core shell Fe@Ag-starch nanosphere phenylalanine conjugate. The characterization of core shell Fe@Ag-starch nanosphere was performed by using TEM, zetasizer, particlesize analyzer, UV-visible absorption spectrophotometer, EDAX, FTIR and TGA. The NPs showed λmax at 408 nm. The effective diameter of synthesized nanosphere was 37 ± 2 nm and it possessed the surfaces charge of -36.12 ± 2.5 mV. The Fe@Ag-starch-phenylalanine conjugate reacted with Hg2+, the yellow colour of the nanosphere phenylalanine conjugate became colourless. The real water sample was collected and the amount of Hg2+ was calculated by using the prepared nanosphere. The detection of Hg2+ at different conditions including various saline concentrations, temperature and pH were also studied and the detection was found to be effective at 40 °C, pH 5 and 0.1% of saline concentration. The LOD of Hg2+ ions by Fe@Ag-starch nanosphere were calculated to be 1.84 nM. The influence of other metal ions present in the analyte did not show any interference on Hg2+ detection. In addition, the photocatalytic and antibacterial activities of Fe@Ag-starch nanosphere were also studied. The study confirmed that the core shell nanosphere can also be used for environmental cleanup and disinfection.