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The overarching objective of this investigation was to investigate the intervention of green nanotechnology to transform the ancient holistic Ayurvedic medicine scientifically credible through reproducible formulations and rigorous pre-clinical/clinical evaluations. We provide, herein, full details: (i) on the discovery and full characterization of gold nanoparticles-based Nano Swarna Bhasma (henceforth referred to as NSB drug); (ii) In vitro anti-tumor properties of NSB drug in breast tumor cells; (iii) pre-clinical therapeutic efficacy studies of NSB drug in breast tumor bearing SCID mice through oral delivery protocols and (iv) first results of clinical translation, from mice to human breast cancer patients, through pilot human clinical trials, conducted according to the Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (abbreviated as AYUSH) regulatory guidelines of the Government of India in metastatic breast cancer patients. The preclinical in vitro and in vivo investigations, in breast tumor bearing mice, established unequivocally that the NSB Nano-Ayurvedic medicine-gold nanoparticles-based drug is highly effective in controlling the growth of breast tumors in a dose dependent fashion in vivo. These encouraging pre-clinical results prompted us to seek permission from the Indian Government's holistic medicine approval authority, AYUSH, for conducting clinical trials in human patients. Patients treated with the NSB drug capsules along with the \"standard of care treatment\" (Arm B) exhibited 100% clinical benefits when compared to patients in the treatment Arm A, thus indicating the tremendous clinical benefits of NSB drug in adjuvant therapy. We have succeeded in clinically translating, from mice to humans, in using proprietary combinations of gold nanoparticles and phytochemicals to develop the Nano-Ayurvedic drug: Nano Swarna Bhasma (NSB), through innovative green nanotechnology, for treating human metastatic breast cancer patients.

Climate change impact has disturbed the rainfall pattern worsening the problems of water availability in the aquatic ecosystem of India and other parts of the world. Arsenic pollution, mainly through excessive use of groundwater and other anthropogenic activities, is aggravating in many parts of the world, particularly in South Asia. We evaluated the efficacy of selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) and riboflavin (RF) to ameliorate the adverse impacts of elevated temperature and arsenic pollution on growth, anti-oxidative status and immuno-modulation in Pangasianodon hypophthalmus . Se-NPs were synthesized using fish gill employing green synthesis method. Four diets i.e., Se-NPs (0 mg kg −1 ) + RF (0 mg kg −1 ); Se-NPs (0.5 mg kg −1 ) + RF (5 mg kg −1 ); Se-NPs (0.5 mg kg −1 ) + RF (10 mg kg −1 ); and Se-NPs (0.5 mg kg −1 ) + RF (15 mg kg −1 ) were given in triplicate in a completely randomized block design. The fish were treated in arsenic (1/10th of LC 50 , 2.68 mg L −1 ) and high temperature (34 °C). Supplementation of the Se-NPs and RF in the diets significantly (p < 0.01) enhanced growth performance (weight gain, feed efficiency ratio, protein efficiency ratio, and specific growth rate), anti-oxidative status and immunity of the fish. Nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT), total immunoglobulin, myeloperoxidase and globulin enhanced (p < 0.01) with supplementation (Se-NPs + RF) whereas, albumin and albumin globulin (A:G) ratio (p < 0.01) reduced. Stress biomarkers such as lipid peroxidation in the liver, gill and kidney, blood glucose, heat shock protein 70 in gill and liver as well as serum cortisol reduced (p < 0.01) with supplementation of Se-NPs and RF, whereas, acetylcholine esterase and vitamin C level in both brain and muscle significantly enhanced (p < 0.01) in compared to control and stressors group (As + T) fed with control diet. The fish were treated with pathogenic bacteria after 90 days of experimental trial to observe cumulative mortality and relative survival for a week. The arsenic concentration in experimental water and bioaccumulation in fish tissues was also determined, which indicated that supplementation of Se-NPs and RF significantly reduced (p < 0.01) bioaccumulation. The study concluded that a combination of Se-NPs and RF has the potential to mitigate the stresses of high temperature and As pollution in P. hypophthalmus .

This study reports the use of gadolinium-based AGuIX nanoparticles (NPs) as a theranostic tool for both image-guided radiation therapy and radiosensitization of brain tumors. Pharmacokinetics and regulatory toxicology investigations were performed on rodents. The AGuIX NPs' tumor accumulation was studied by MRI before 6-MV irradiation. AGuIX NPs exhibited a great safety profile. A single intravenous administration enabled the tumor delineation by MRI with a T tumor contrast enhancement up to 24 h, and the tumor volume reduction when combined with a clinical 6-MV radiotherapy. This study demonstrates the efficacy and the potential of AGuIX NPs for image-guided radiation therapy, promising properties that will be assessed in the upcoming Phase I clinical trial.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have recently emerged as a powerful agents for disinfection in the poultry industry. AgNPs are capable of epithelial barriers passing from the route of exposure to the vital organs and cells. This study evaluated the effects of AgNPs on organs weights, blood biochemical, hematological, and coagulation parameters, antioxidant enzyme activities, and histopathological changes and silver concentrations of liver and kidney tissues in laying Japanese quails after exposure to the nanoparticles. The layer quails were randomly assigned to 4 groups, consisting of six replicates, three quails each. The treatments included 0, 4, 8, and 12 mg/L of AgNPs in daily drinking water for 30 weeks. AgNPs decreased the relative weight of liver, ileum and large intestine (P < 0.05). Administration of AgNPs elevated plasma fibrinogen while decreased serum aspartate aminotransferase activity (P < 0.05). The antioxidant status of the liver showed that malondialdehyde level, an end product of lipid peroxidation, was higher (P < 0.05) and catalase activity was lower (P < 0.05) in the quails exposed to AgNPs. The accumulation of silver in the liver and kidney tissues were increased in a dose-dependent manner after exposure to AgNPs (P < 0.05). Histopathological findings showed reduced lipid vacuolization of hepatocytes in the 12 mg/L AgNPs treatment. In conclusion, the results indicated that AgNPs administration to drinking water can lead to oxidative stress and liver damage in laying quails which may be a predisposing for liver dysfunction.

The MTT assay for cellular metabolic activity is almost ubiquitous to studies of cell toxicity; however, it is commonly applied and interpreted erroneously. We investigated the applicability and limitations of the MTT assay in representing treatment toxicity, cell viability, and metabolic activity. We evaluated the effect of potential confounding variables on the MTT assay measurements on a prostate cancer cell line (PC-3) including cell seeding number, MTT concentration, MTT incubation time, serum starvation, cell culture media composition, released intracellular contents (cell lysate and secretome), and extrusion of formazan to the extracellular space. We also assessed the confounding effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) as a tested treatment in PC-3 cells on the assay measurements. We additionally evaluated the applicability of microscopic image cytometry as a tool for measuring intracellular MTT reduction at the single-cell level. Our findings show that the assay measurements are a result of a complicated process dependant on many of the above-mentioned factors, and therefore, optimization of the assay and rational interpretation of the data is necessary to prevent misleading conclusions on variables such as cell viability, treatment toxicity, and/or cell metabolism. We conclude, with recommendations on how to apply the assay and a perspective on where the utility of the assay is a powerful tool, but likewise where it has limitations.

Nanotechnology has become more and more potentially used in diagnosis or treatment of diseases. Advances in nanotechnology have led to new and improved nanomaterials in biomedical applications. Common nanomaterials applicable in biomedical applications include liposomes, polymeric micelles, graphene, carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, ferroferric oxide nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), and so on. Among them, Au NPs have been considered as the most interesting nanomaterial because of its unique optical, electronic, sensing and biochemical properties. Au NPs have been potentially applied for medical imaging, drug delivery, and tumor therapy in the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. This review focuses on some recent advances in the use of Au NPs as drug carriers for the intracellular delivery of therapeutics and as molecular nanoprobes for the detection and monitoring of target molecules.

In this study, the antimicrobial activity of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), zinc oxide (ZnO), and TiO 2 /ZnO nanoparticles supported into 4A zeolite (4A z) was assessed. Based on antimicrobial experiments, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC 90 ), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) and disc diffusion test were determined after 24 h of contact with the prepared nanocomposites. These results are in agreements with the results of disc diffusion test. During the experiments, the numbers of viable bacterial cells of Staphylococcus aureus , Pseudomonas fluorescens , Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O 157 :H 7 decreased significantly. The crystallinity and morphology of nanoparticles were investigated by X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), elemental mapping at the microstructural level by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). As a result, it was demonstrated that TiO 2 /ZnO nanoparticles supported in 4A zeolite could lead to an optimum activity as antimicrobial agents.

Infection, as a common postoperative complication of orthopedic surgery, is the main reason leading to implant failure. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are considered as a promising antibacterial agent and always used to modify orthopedic implants to prevent infection. To optimize the implants in a reasonable manner, it is critical for us to know the specific antibacterial mechanism, which is still unclear. In this review, we analyzed the potential antibacterial mechanisms of AgNPs, and the influences of AgNPs on osteogenic-related cells, including cellular adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation, were also discussed. In addition, methods to enhance biocompatibility of AgNPs as well as advanced implants modifications technologies were also summarized.

This study was conducted to evaluate OX26-PEG-coated gold nanoparticles (GNPs) (OX26@GNPs) as a novel targeted nanoparticulate system on cell survival after ischemic stroke. Dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta sizer, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were performed to characterize the OX26@GNPs. The effect of OX26@GNPs on infarct volume, neuronal loss, and necroptosis was evaluated 24 h after reperfusion using 2, 3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining, Nissl staining and Western blot assay, respectively. Conjugation of OX26-PEG to the surface of the 25 nm colloidal gold particles increased their size to 32±2 nm, while a zeta potential change of -40.4 to 3.40 mV remarkably increased the stability of the nanoparticles. Most importantly, OX26@GNPs significantly increased the infarcted brain tissue, while bare GNPs and PEGylated GNPs had no effect on the infarct volume. However, our results indicated an extension of necroptotic cell death, followed by cell membrane damage. Collectively, our results showed that the presently formulated OX26@GNPs are not suitable nanocarriers nor contrast agents under oxidative stress for the diagnosis and treatment of ischemic stroke. Moreover, our findings suggest that the cytotoxicity of GNPs in the brain is significantly associated with their surface charge.

The rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic microbes is becoming an imminent global public health problem. Local application of antibiotics might be a solution. In local application, materials need to act as the drug delivery system. The drug delivery system should be biodegradable and prolonged antibacterial effect should be provided to satisfy clinical demand. Hydrogel is a promising material for local antibacterial application. Hydrogel refers to a kind of biomaterial synthesized by a water-soluble natural polymer or a synthesized polymer, which turns into gel according to the change in different signals such as temperature, ionic strength, pH, ultraviolet exposure etc. Because of its high hydrophilicity, unique three-dimensional network, fine biocompatibility and cell adhesion, hydrogel is one of the suitable biomaterials for drug delivery in antimicrobial areas. In this review, studies from the past 5 years were reviewed, and several types of antimicrobial hydrogels according to different ingredients, different preparations, different antimicrobial mechanisms, different antimicrobial agents they contained and different applications, were summarized. The hydrogels loaded with metal nanoparticles as a potential method to solve antibiotic resistance were highlighted. Finally, future prospects of development and application of antimicrobial hydrogels are suggested.