From lab to ecosystem: Understanding the ecological footprints of engineered nanoparticles.

Nanotechnology has attained significant attention from researchers in past decades due to its numerous advantages, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and improved stability over conventional drug delivery systems. The fabrication of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs), including carbon nanotubes (CNTs), fullerenes, metallic and metal oxide-based NPs, has been steadily increasing day due to their wide range of applications from household to industrial applications. Fabricated ENPs can release different materials into the environment during their fabrication process. The effect of such materials on the environment is the primary concern with due diligence on the safety and efficacy of prepared NPs. In addition, an understanding of chemistry, reactivity, fabrication process, and viable mechanism of NPs involved in the interaction with the environment is very important. To date, only a limited number of techniques are available to assess ENPs in the natural environment which makes it difficult to ascertain the impact of ENPs in natural settings. This review extensively examines the environmental effects of ENPs and briefly discusses useful tools for determining NP size, surface charge, surface area, and external appearance. In conclusion, the review highlights the potential risks associated with ENPs and suggests possible solutions.

Empowering the Battle: Bioenhancers as Allies against Cancer Drug Resistance.

BACKGROUND: Drug resistance has been a great hindrance in the path of counteracting diseases like cancer and is driven by drugs misuse and overuse. In terms of cancer, resistance has been developed due to cellular changes, altered growth activation pathways, increased expression of efflux proteins, and changes in the local physiology of cancer (blood supply, tissue hydrodynamics, increased mutation rate/epigenetics, tumor cell heterogeneity). One of the approaches to address these challenges is the use of bioenhancers, which can overcome drug resistance, thereby improving bioavailability (BA). CONCLUSION: Bioenhancers when combined with drugs can elicit pharmacological activity. They are generally combined with therapeutic agents at low doses, which increase the BA or therapeutic activity of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). This review sheds light on the synthesis and classification of bio-enhancers. It also discusses different applications of bio-enhancers like piperine, ginger, quercetin, curcumin, etc. in the treatment of cancer. The review also presents some of the recent advancements in terms of nanocarriers for delivering API combined with bioenhancers.