Enhanced antibacterial and anticancer activities of plant extract mediated green synthesized zinc oxide-silver nanoparticles.

This study presents a green synthesis approach for the fabrication of zinc oxide-silver nanoparticles (ZnO-Ag-NPs) using Punica granatum fruit peels extract as a natural reducing and stabilizing agent. This eco-friendly method offers a sustainable alternative to conventional methods that often employ toxic or hazardous chemicals. Antibacterial and anti-cancer activities of the green synthesized nanoparticles were then assessed in vitro. X-ray diffraction confirmed the production of ZnO-Ag-NPs with increasing crystallinity in higher pH values. The ZnO-Ag-NPs were found to be agglomerated with spherical Ag-NPs. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra revealed a broad band in ZnO-Ag-NPs ranging from 400-1 to 530 cm-1 with reduced intensity as compared to ZnO-NPs, indicating the formation of Ag-NPs on the surface of ZnO-NPs. The synthesized ZnO-Ag-NPs exhibited potent antibacterial activity against a broad spectrum of bacterial strains, particularly Gram-positive bacteria, with superior inhibition activity compared to ZnO-NPs. Moreover, ZnO-Ag-NPs showed a dose-dependent anti-proliferative effect on colorectal-, lung-, and cervical cancer cells. ZnO-Ag-NPs showed significantly greater efficacy in inhibiting cancer cell growth at a lower concentration of 31.25 µg/mL, compared to ZnO-NPs which required over 500 µg/mL, possibly due to the presence of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs). The results obtained from this study demonstrate the potential of green synthesis approaches in the fabrication of therapeutic nanomaterials for cancer treatment, as well as other biomedical applications.

How Magnetic Composites are Effective Anticancer Therapeutics? A Comprehensive Review of the Literature.

Chemotherapy is the most prominent route in cancer therapy for prolonging the lifespan of cancer patients. However, its non-target specificity and the resulting off-target cytotoxicities have been reported. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies using magnetic nanocomposites (MNCs) for magnetothermal chemotherapy may potentially improve the therapeutic outcome by increasing the target selectivity. In this review, magnetic hyperthermia therapy and magnetic targeting using drug-loaded MNCs are revisited, focusing on magnetism, the fabrication and structures of magnetic nanoparticles, surface modifications, biocompatible coating, shape, size, and other important physicochemical properties of MNCs, along with the parameters of the hyperthermia therapy and external magnetic field. Due to the limited drug-loading capacity and low biocompatibility, the use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) as drug delivery system has lost traction. In contrast, MNCs show higher biocompatibility, multifunctional physicochemical properties, high drug encapsulation, and multi-stages of controlled release for localized synergistic chemo-thermotherapy. Further, combining various forms of magnetic cores and pH-sensitive coating agents can generate a more robust pH, magneto, and thermo-responsive drug delivery system. Thus, MNCs are ideal candidate as smart and remotely guided drug delivery system due to a) their magneto effects and guide-ability by the external magnetic fields, b) on-demand drug release performance, and c) thermo-chemosensitization under an applied alternating magnetic field where the tumor is selectively incinerated without harming surrounding non-tumor tissues. Given the important effects of synthesis methods, surface modifications, and coating of MNCs on their anticancer properties, we reviewed the most recent studies on magnetic hyperthermia, targeted drug delivery systems in cancer therapy, and magnetothermal chemotherapy to provide insights on the current development of MNC-based anticancer nanocarrier.

Chitosan coated magnetic cellulose nanowhisker as a drug delivery system for potential colorectal cancer treatment.

Polysaccharide-based magnetic nanocomposites can eminently illuminate several attractive features as anticancer drug carriers. In this study, rice straw-based cellulose nanowhisker (CNW) was used as solid support for Fe3O4 nanofillers to synthesize magnetic CNW. Then, cross-linked chitosan-coated magnetic CNW for 5-fluorouracil carrier abbreviated as CH/MCNW/5FU. Fourier-transform infrared, X-Ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicated successful fabrication and multifunctional properties of the CH/MCNW/5FU nanocomposites. In addition, CH/MCNW/5FU nanocomposites showed hydrodynamic diameter and zeta potential value of 181.31 ± 3.46 nm and +23 ± 1.8 mV, respectively. Based on images of transmission electron microscopy, magnetic CNW as reinforcement was coated with chitosan to obtain almost spherical CH/MCNW/5FU nanocomposites with an average diameter of 37.16 ± 3.08. The nanocomposites indicated desired saturation magnetization and thermal stability, high drug encapsulation efficiency, and pH-dependent swelling and drug release performance. CH/MCNW/5FU nanocomposites showed potent killing effects against colorectal cancer cells in both 2D monolayer and 3D spheroid models. These findings suggest CH/MCNW as a potential carrier for anticancer drugs with high tumour-penetrating capacity.

Bibliometrics of Functional Polymeric Biomaterials with Bioactive Properties Prepared by Radiation-Induced Graft Copolymerisation: A Review.

Functional polymeric biomaterials (FPBMs) with bioactive characteristics obtained by radiation-induced graft copolymerisation (RIGC) have been subjected to intensive research and developed into many commercial products. Various studies have reported the development of a variety of radiation-grafted FPBMs. However, no reports dealing with the quantitative evaluations of these studies from a global bibliographic perspective have been published. Such bibliographic analysis can provide information to overcome the limitations of the databases and identify the main research trends, together with challenges and future directions. This review aims to provide an unprecedented bibliometric analysis of the published literature on the use of RIGC for the preparation of FPBMs and their applications in medical, biomedical, biotechnological, and health care fields. A total of 235 publications obtained from the Web of Science (WoS) in the period of 1985-2021 were retrieved, screened, and evaluated. The records were used to manifest the contributions to each field and underline not only the top authors, journals, citations, years of publication, and countries but also to highlight the core research topics and the hubs for research excellence on these materials. The obtained data overviews are likely to provide guides to early-career scientists and their research institutions and promote the development of new, timely needed radiation-grafted FPBMs, in addition to extending their applications.

Sonochemical synthesis of a copper reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite using honey and evaluation of its antibacterial and cytotoxic activities.

The combination of graphene-based materials and inorganic nanoparticles for the enhancement of the nanomaterial properties is extensively explored nowadays. In the present work, we used a sonochemical method to synthesize a copper/reduced graphene oxide (Cu/RGO) nanocomposite using Australian honey and vitamin C as capping and reducing agents, respectively. The honey-mediated copper/reduced graphene oxide (H/Cu/RGO) nanocomposite was then characterized through UV-visible, XRD, HRTEM, and FTIR analysis. The copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) in the nanocomposite formed uniform spherical shapes with a size of 2.20 ± 0.70 nm, which attached to the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) layers. The nanocomposite could suppress bacterial growth in both types of bacteria strains. However, in this study, the nanocomposite exhibited good bactericidal activity toward the Gram-positive bacteria than the Gram-negative bacteria. It also showed a cytotoxic effect on the cancer colorectal cell line HCT11, even in low concentrations. These results suggested that the H/Cu/RGO nanocomposite can be a suitable component for biomedical applications.

Potential use of gold-silver core-shell nanoparticles derived from Garcinia mangostana peel for anticancer compound, protocatechuic acid delivery.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most killing cancers and this has become a global problem. Current treatment and anticancer drugs cannot specifically target the cancerous cells, thus causing toxicity towards surrounding non-cancer cells. Hence, there is an urgent need to discover a more target-specific therapeutic agent to overcome this problem. Core-shell nanoparticles have emerged as good candidate for anticancer treatment. This study aimed to synthesize core-shell nanoparticles via green method which utilised crude peels extract of Garcinia mangostana as reducing and stabilising agents for drug delivery. Gold-silver core-shell nanoparticles (Au-AgNPs) were synthesized through seed germination process in which gold nanoparticles acted as the seed. A complete coating was observed through transmission electron microscopy (TEM) when the ratio of AuNPs and AgNPs was 1:9. The size of Au-AgNPs was 38.22 ± 8.41 nm and was mostly spherical in shape. Plant-based drug, protocatechuic acid (PCA) was loaded on the Au-AgNPs to investigate their anticancer activity. In HCT116 colon cancer cells, PCA-loaded Au-AgNPs (IC50 = 10.78 µg/ml) showed higher inhibitory action than the free PCA (IC50= 148.09 µg/ml) and Au-AgNPs alone (IC50= 24.36 µg/ml). Up to 80% inhibition of HCT116 cells was observed after the treatment of PCA-loaded Au-AgNPs at 15.63 µg/ml. The PCA-loaded Au-AgNPs also showed a better selectivity towards HCT116 compared to CCD112 colon normal cells when tested at the same concentrations. These findings suggest that Au-AgNPs system can be used as a potent nanocarrier to combat cancerous cells by offering additional anticancer properties to the loaded drug.

Fabrication of cellulose nanocrystals as potential anticancer drug delivery systems for colorectal cancer treatment.

Polysaccharide nanocrystals have great potential to be used as improved drug carriers due to their low cost, high biodegradability, and biocompatibility. This study reports the synthesis of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) loaded with 5-fluorouracil (CNC/5FU) to evaluate their anticancer activity against colorectal cancer cells. X-ray and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrated that acid hydrolysis successfully degraded the amorphous cellulose to liberate the crystal regions. From transmission electron microscopy, CNC/5FU appeared as rod-like nanocrystals with an average length and width of 69.53 ± 1.14 nm and 8.13 ± 0.72 nm, respectively. The anticancer drug 5FU showed improved thermal stability after being loading onto CNC. From UV-vis spectroscopy data, the drug encapsulation efficiency in CNC/5FU was estimated to be 83.50 ± 1.52%. The drug release of CNC/5FU was higher at pH 7.4 compared to those at pH 4.2 and 1.2. From the cytotoxicity assays, CNC did not affect the viability of CCD112 colon normal cells. On the other hand, CNC/5FU exhibited anticancer effects against HCT116 and HT-29 colorectal cancer cells. The anticancer actions of CNC/5FU against HCT116 cells were then confirmed using an in vitro tumor-on-chip model and clonogenic assay. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that CNC/5FU killed the cancer cells by mainly inducing cell apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane damage. Overall, this study indicated that CNC/5FU could be a potential nanoformulation for improved drug delivery and colorectal cancer treatment.

Interaction Insight of Pullulan-Mediated Gamma-Irradiated Silver Nanoparticle Synthesis and Its Antibacterial Activity.

The production of pure silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) with unique properties remains a challenge even today. In the present study, the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) from natural pullulan (PL) was carried out using a radiation-induced method. It is known that pullulan is regarded as a microbial polysaccharide, which renders it suitable to act as a reducing and stabilizing agent during the production of Ag-NPs. Pullulan-assisted synthesis under gamma irradiation was successfully developed to obtain Ag-NPs, which was characterized by UV-Vis, XRD, TEM, and Zeta potential analysis. Pullulan was used as a stabilizer and template for the growth of silver nanoparticles, while gamma radiation was modified to be selective to reduce silver ions. The formation of Ag-NPs was confirmed using UV-Vis spectra by showing a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band in the region of 410-420 nm. As observed by TEM images, it can be said that by increasing the radiation dose, the particle size decreases, resulting in a mean diameter of Ag-NPs ranging from 40.97 to 3.98 nm. The XRD analysis confirmed that silver metal structures with a face-centered cubic (FCC) crystal were present, while TEM images showed a spherical shape with smooth edges. XRD also demonstrated that increasing the dose of gamma radiation increases the crystallinity at a high purity of Ag-NPs. As examined by zeta potential, the synthesized Ag-NP/PL was negatively charged with high stability. Ag-NP/PL was then analysed for antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, and it was found that it had high antibacterial activity. It is found that the adoption of radiation doses results in a stable and green reduction process for silver nanoparticles.

Development of a Polysaccharide-Based Hydrogel Drug Delivery System (DDS): An Update.

Delivering a drug to the target site with minimal-to-no off-target cytotoxicity is the major determinant for the success of disease therapy. While the therapeutic efficacy and cytotoxicity of the drug play the main roles, the use of a suitable drug delivery system (DDS) is important to protect the drug along the administration route and release it at the desired target site. Polysaccharides have been extensively studied as a biomaterial for DDS development due to their high biocompatibility. More usefully, polysaccharides can be crosslinked with various molecules such as micro/nanoparticles and hydrogels to form a modified DDS. According to IUPAC, hydrogel is defined as the structure and processing of sols, gels, networks and inorganic-organic hybrids. This 3D network which often consists of a hydrophilic polymer can drastically improve the physical and chemical properties of DDS to increase the biodegradability and bioavailability of the carrier drugs. The advancement of nanotechnology also allows the construction of hydrogel DDS with enhanced functionalities such as stimuli-responsiveness, target specificity, sustained drug release, and therapeutic efficacy. This review provides a current update on the use of hydrogel DDS derived from polysaccharide-based materials in delivering various therapeutic molecules and drugs. We also highlighted the factors that affect the efficacy of these DDS and the current challenges of developing them for clinical use.

Engineered Bioactive Polymeric Surfaces by Radiation Induced Graft Copolymerization: Strategies and Applications.

The interest in developing antimicrobial surfaces is currently surging with the rise in global infectious disease events. Radiation-induced graft copolymerization (RIGC) is a powerful technique enabling permanent tunable and desired surface modifications imparting antimicrobial properties to polymer substrates to prevent disease transmission and provide safer biomaterials and healthcare products. This review aims to provide a broader perspective of the progress taking place in strategies for designing various antimicrobial polymeric surfaces using RIGC methods and their applications in medical devices, healthcare, textile, tissue engineering and food packing. Particularly, the use of UV, plasma, electron beam (EB) and γ-rays for biocides covalent immobilization to various polymers surfaces including nonwoven fabrics, films, nanofibers, nanocomposites, catheters, sutures, wound dressing patches and contact lenses is reviewed. The different strategies to enhance the grafted antimicrobial properties are discussed with an emphasis on the emerging approach of in-situ formation of metal nanoparticles (NPs) in radiation grafted substrates. The current applications of the polymers with antimicrobial surfaces are discussed together with their future research directions. It is expected that this review would attract attention of researchers and scientists to realize the merits of RIGC in developing timely, necessary antimicrobial materials to mitigate the fast-growing microbial activities and promote hygienic lifestyles.

5-Fluorouracil loaded magnetic cellulose bionanocomposites for potential colorectal cancer treatment.

Magnetic polymer nanocomposites are inherently multifunctional and harbor assorted physiochemical actions for applications thereof as novel drug nanocarriers. Herein, Fe3O4-nanoparticles were supported on rice straw cellulose for 5-fluorouracil carrier abbreviated as MC/5-FU for potential colorectal cancer treatments. Several analyses indicated the multifunctional properties of MC/5-FU bionanocomposites. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy study demonstrated that Fe3O4 nanofillers covered the cellulose matrix. The drug release from MC/5-FU was evaluated under various pH and temperature conditions, showing the maximum release at pH 7.4 and 44.2 °C. In in vitro anticancer assay, MC/5-FU exhibited enhanced selectivity and anticancer actions against 2D monolayer and 3D tumour spheroid models colorectal cancer cells. The anticancer effects of MC/5-FU with magnetic targeting and heat induction were also examined. This easily synthesized MC/5-FU indicated the potential in application as a low-cost drug formulation for colorectal cancer treatments.

5-Fluorouracil Encapsulated Chitosan-Cellulose Fiber Bionanocomposites: Synthesis, Characterization and In Vitro Analysis towards Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Cellulose and chitosan with remarkable biocompatibility and sophisticated physiochemical characteristics can be a new dawn to the advanced drug nano-carriers in cancer treatment. This study aims to synthesize layer-by-layer bionanocomposites from chitosan and rice straw cellulose encapsulated 5-Fluorouracil (CS-CF/5FU BNCs) using the ionic gelation method and the sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) cross-linker. Data from X-ray and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed successful preparation of CS-CF/5FU BNCs. Based on images of scanning electron microscopy, 48.73 ± 1.52 nm was estimated for an average size of the bionanocomposites as spherical chitosan nanoparticles mostly coated rod-shaped cellulose reinforcement. 5-Fluorouracil indicated an increase in thermal stability after its encapsulation in the bionanocomposites. The drug encapsulation efficiency was found to be 86 ± 2.75%. CS-CF/5FU BNCs triggered higher drug release in a media simulating the colorectal fluid with pH 7.4 (76.82 ± 1.29%) than the gastric fluid with pH 1.2 (42.37 ± 0.43%). In in vitro cytotoxicity assays, cellulose fibers, chitosan nanoparticles and the bionanocomposites indicated biocompatibility towards CCD112 normal cells. Most promisingly, CS-CF/5FU BNCs at 250 µg/mL concentration eliminated 56.42 ± 0.41% of HCT116 cancer cells and only 8.16 ± 2.11% of CCD112 normal cells. Therefore, this study demonstrates that CS-CF/5FU BNCs can be considered as an eco-friendly and innovative nanodrug candidate for potential colorectal cancer treatment.

Nano and Microparticles as Potential Oral Vaccine Carriers and Adjuvants Against Infectious Diseases.

Mucosal surfaces are the first site of infection for most infectious diseases and oral vaccination can provide protection as the first line of defense. Unlike systemic administration, oral immunization can stimulate cellular and humoral immune responses at both systemic and mucosal levels to induce broad-spectrum and long-lasting immunity. Therefore, to design a successful vaccine, it is essential to stimulate the mucosal as well as systemic immune responses. Successful oral vaccines need to overcome the harsh gastrointestinal environment such as the extremely low pH, proteolytic enzymes, bile salts as well as low permeability and the low immunogenicity of vaccines. In recent years, several delivery systems and adjuvants have been developed for improving oral vaccine delivery and immunogenicity. Formulation of vaccines with nanoparticles and microparticles have been shown to improve antigen stability, availability and adjuvanticity as well as immunostimulatory capacity, target delivery and specific release. This review discusses how nanoparticles (NPs) and microparticles (MPs) as oral carriers with adjuvant characteristics can be beneficial in oral vaccine development.

Development of Polymer-Assisted Nanoparticles and Nanogels for Cancer Therapy: An Update.

With cancer remaining as one of the main causes of deaths worldwide, many studies are undergoing the effort to look for a novel and potent anticancer drug. Nanoparticles (NPs) are one of the rising fields in research for anticancer drug development. One of the key advantages of using NPs for cancer therapy is its high flexibility for modification, hence additional properties can be added to the NPs in order to improve its anticancer action. Polymer has attracted considerable attention to be used as a material to enhance the bioactivity of the NPs. Nanogels, which are NPs cross-linked with hydrophilic polymer network have also exhibited benefits in anticancer application. The characteristics of these nanomaterials include non-toxic, environment-friendly, and variable physiochemical properties. Some other unique properties of polymers are also attributed by diverse methods of polymer synthesis. This then contributes to the unique properties of the nanodrugs. This review article provides an in-depth update on the development of polymer-assisted NPs and nanogels for cancer therapy. Topics such as the synthesis, usage, and properties of the nanomaterials are discussed along with their mechanisms and functions in anticancer application. The advantages and limitations are also discussed in this article.

Green Synthesis of Fe3O4 Nanoparticles Stabilized by a Garcinia mangostana Fruit Peel Extract for Hyperthermia and Anticancer Activities.

INTRODUCTION: Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) with multiple functionalities are intriguing candidates for various biomedical applications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study introduced a simple and green synthesis of Fe3O4 NPs using a low-cost stabilizer of plant waste extract rich in polyphenols content with a well-known antioxidant property as well as anticancer ability to eliminate colon cancer cells. Herein, Fe3O4 NPs were fabricated via a facile co-precipitation method using the crude extract of Garcinia mangostana fruit peel as a green stabilizer at different weight percentages (1, 2, 5, and 10 wt.%). The samples were analyzed for magnetic hyperthermia and then in vitro cytotoxicity assay was performed. RESULTS: The XRD planes of the samples were corresponding to the standard magnetite Fe3O4 with high crystallinity. From TEM analysis, the green synthesized NPs were spherical with an average size of 13.42±1.58 nm and displayed diffraction rings of the Fe3O4 phase, which was in good agreement with the obtained XRD results. FESEM images showed that the extract covered the surface of the Fe3O4 NPs well. The magnetization values for the magnetite samples were ranging from 49.80 emu/g to 69.42 emu/g. FTIR analysis verified the functional groups of the extract compounds and their interactions with the NPs. Based on DLS results, the hydrodynamic sizes of the Fe3O4 nanofluids were below 177 nm. Furthermore, the nanofluids indicated the zeta potential values up to -34.92±1.26 mV and remained stable during four weeks of storage, showing that the extract favorably improved the colloidal stability of the Fe3O4 NPs. In the hyperthermia experiment, the magnetic nanofluids showed the acceptable specific absorption rate (SAR) values and thermosensitive performances under exposure of various alternating magnetic fields. From results of in vitro cytotoxicity assay, the killing effects of the synthesized samples against HCT116 colon cancer cells were mostly higher compared to those against CCD112 colon normal cells. Remarkably, the Fe3O4 NPs containing 10 wt.% of the extract showed a lower IC50 value (99.80 µg/mL) in HCT116 colon cancer cell line than in CCD112 colon normal cell line (140.80 µg/mL). DISCUSSION: This research, therefore, introduced a new stabilizer of Garcinia mangostana fruit peel extract for the biosynthesis of Fe3O4 NPs with desirable physiochemical properties for potential magnetic hyperthermia and colon cancer treatment.

Photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange using pullulan-mediated porous zinc oxide microflowers.

One of mankind's biggest concerns is water pollution. Textile industry emerged as one of the main contributors with dyes as the main pollutant. Presence of dyes in water is very dangerous due to their toxicity; thus, it is important to remove them from water. In these recent years, heterogeneous advance oxidation process surfaced as a possible dyes' removal technique. This process utilizes semiconductor as photocatalyst to degrade the dyes in presence of light and zinc oxide (ZnO) appears to be a promising photocatalyst for this process. In this study, pullulan, a biopolymer, was used to produce porous ZnO microflowers (ZnO-MFs) through green synthesis via precipitation method. The effects of pullulan's amount on the properties of ZnO-MFs were investigated. The ZnO-MF particle size decreased with the increased of pullulan amount. Interestingly, formation of pores occurred in presence of pullulan. The synthesized ZnO-MFs have the surface area ranging from 6.22 to 25.65 m2 g-1 and pore volume up to 0.1123 cm3 g-1. The ZnO-MF with the highest surface area was chosen for photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO). The highest degradation occurred in 300 min with 150 mg catalyst dosage, 10 ppm initial dye concentration, and pH 7 experimental conditions. However, through comparison of photodegradation of MO with all synthesized ZnO-MFs, 25PZ exhibited the highest degradation rate. This shows that photocatalytic activity is not dependent on surface area alone. Based on these results, ZnO-MF has the potential to be applied in wastewater treatment. However, further improvement is needed to increase its photocatalytic activity.

Biosynthesized Silver Nanoparticles by Aqueous Stem Extract of Entada spiralis and Screening of Their Biomedical Activity.

Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) have been established as antibacterial nanoparticles and have been innovatively developed to overcome the occurrence of antibiotic resistance in the environment. In this study, an environmentally friendly and easy method of the biosynthesis of Ag-NPs plants, mediated by aqueous extract stem extract of Entada spiralis (E. spiralis), was successfully developed. The E. spiralis/Ag-NPs samples were characterized using spectroscopy and the microscopic technique of UV-visible (UV-vis), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Transmission Electron Microscope (FETEM), zeta potential, and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analyses. Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) absorption at 400-450 nm in the UV-vis spectra established the formation of E. spiralis/Ag-NPs. The crystalline structure of E. spiralis/Ag-NPs was displayed in the XRD analysis. The small size, around 18.49 ± 4.23 nm, and spherical shape of Ag-NPs with good distribution was observed in the FETEM image. The best physicochemical parameters on Ag-NPs biosynthesis using E. spiralis extract occurred at a moderate temperature (~52.0°C), 0.100 M of silver nitrate, 2.50 g of E. spiralis dosage and 600 min of stirring reaction time. The antibacterial activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, and Proteus vulgaris using an antibacterial disk diffusion assay. Based on the results, it is evident that E. spiralis/Ag-NPs are susceptible to all the bacteria and has promising potential to be applied in both the industry and medical fields.

The Potential Anticancer Activity of 5-Fluorouracil Loaded in Cellulose Fibers Isolated from Rice Straw.

INTRODUCTION: Green-based materials have been increasingly studied to circumvent off-target cytotoxicity and other side-effects from conventional chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Here, cellulose fibers (CF) were isolated from rice straw (RS) waste by using an eco-friendly alkali treatment. The CF network served as an anticancer drug carrier for 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The physicochemical and thermal properties of CF, pure 5-FU drug, and the 5-FU-loaded CF (CF/5-FU) samples were evaluated. The samples were assessed for in vitro cytotoxicity assays using human colorectal cancer (HCT116) and normal (CCD112) cell lines, along with human nasopharyngeal cancer (HONE-1) and normal (NP 460) cell lines after 72-hours of treatment. RESULTS: XRD and FTIR revealed the successful alkali treatment of RS to isolate CF with high purity and crystallinity. Compared to RS, the alkali-treated CF showed an almost fourfold increase in surface area and zeta potential of up to -33.61 mV. SEM images illustrated the CF network with a rod-shaped structure and comprised of ordered aggregated cellulose. TGA results proved that the thermal stability of 5-FU increased within the drug carrier. Based on UV-spectroscopy measurements for 5-FU loading into CF, drug loading encapsulation efficiency was estimated to be 83 ±0.8%. The release media at pH 7.4 and pH 1.2 showed a maximum drug release of 79% and 46%, respectively, over 24 hours. In cytotoxicity assays, CF showed almost no damage, while pure 5-FU killed most of the both normal and cancer cells. Impressively, the drug-loaded sample of CF/5-FU at a 250 µg/mL concentration demonstrated a 58% inhibition against colorectal cancer cells, but only a 23% inhibition against normal colorectal cells. Further, a 62.50 µg/mL concentration of CF/5FU eliminated 71% and 39% of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and normal nasopharyngeal cells, respectively. DISCUSSION: This study, therefore, showed the strong potential anticancer activity of the novel CF/5-FU formulations, warranting their further investigation.

Green Synthesized Montmorillonite/Carrageenan/Fe3O4 Nanocomposites for pH-Responsive Release of Protocatechuic Acid and Its Anticancer Activity.

Discovery of a novel anticancer drug delivery agent is important to replace conventional cancer therapies which are often accompanied by undesired side effects. This study demonstrated the synthesis of superparamagnetic magnetite nanocomposites (Fe3O4-NCs) using a green method. Montmorillonite (MMT) was used as matrix support, while Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) and carrageenan (CR) were used as filler and stabilizer, respectively. The combination of these materials resulted in a novel nanocomposite (MMT/CR/Fe3O4-NCs). A series of characterization experiments was conducted. The purity of MMT/CR/Fe3O4-NCs was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis revealed the uniform and spherical shape of Fe3O4 NPs with an average particle size of 9.3 ± 1.2 nm. Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analysis showed an Ms value of 2.16 emu/g with negligible coercivity which confirmed the superparamagnetic properties. Protocatechuic acid (PCA) was loaded onto the MMT/CR/Fe3O4-NCs and a drug release study showed that 15% and 92% of PCA was released at pH 7.4 and 4.8, respectively. Cytotoxicity assays showed that both MMT/CR/Fe3O4-NCs and MMT/CR/Fe3O4-PCA effectively killed HCT116 which is a colorectal cancer cell line. Dose-dependent inhibition was seen and the killing was enhanced two-fold by the PCA-loaded NCs (IC50-0.734 mg/mL) compared to the unloaded NCs (IC50-1.5 mg/mL). This study highlights the potential use of MMT/CR/Fe3O4-NCs as a biologically active pH-responsive drug delivery agent. Further investigations are warranted to delineate the mechanism of cell entry and cancer cell killing as well as to improve the therapeutic potential of MMT/CR/Fe3O4-NCs.

In-Situ Biofabrication of Silver Nanoparticles in Ceiba pentandra Natural Fiber Using Entada spiralis Extract with Their Antibacterial and Catalytic Dye Reduction Properties.

It is believed of great interest to incorporate silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) into stable supported materials using biological methods to control the adverse properties of nanoscale particles. In this study, in-situ biofabrication of Ag-NPs using Entada spiralis (E. spiralis) aqueous extract in Ceiba pentandra (C. pentandra) fiber as supporting material was used in which, the E. spiralis extract acted as both reducing and stabilizing agents to incorporate Ag-NPs in the C. pentandra fiber. The properties of Ag-NPs incorporated in the C. pentandra fiber (C. pentandra/Ag-NPs) were characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Transmission Electron Microscope (FETEM), Scanning Electron Microscope (Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Thermogravimetric (TGA) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analyses. The average size of Ag-NPs measured using FETEM image was 4.74 nm spherical in shape. The C. pentandra/Ag-NPs was easily separated after application, and could control the release of Ag-NPs to the environment due to its strong attachment in C. pentandra fiber. The C. pentandra/Ag-NPs exposed good qualitative and quantitative antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Proteus vulgaris (ATCC 33420). The dye catalytic properties of C. pentandra/Ag-NPs revealed the dye reduction time in which it was completed within 4 min for 20 mg/L rhodamine B and 20 min for 20 mg/L methylene blue dye, respectively. Based on the results, it is evident that C. pentandra/Ag-NPs are potentially promising to be applied in wound healing, textile, wastewater treatment, food packaging, labeling and biomedical fields.