One-pot green synthesis and structural characterisation of silver nanoparticles using aqueous leaves extract of Carissa carandas: antioxidant, anticancer and antibacterial activities

Exploring the Potential of Plant-Based Nanotechnology in Cancer Immunotherapy: Benefits, Limitations, and Future Perspectives

Reconceptualizing cancer immunotherapy can be improved if combined with plant production systems and nanotechnology. This review aims to contribute to the knowledge of plant use in nanomedicine and cancer immunotherapy. In the foreground, we outlined each of these approaches; nanomedicine, green synthesis, and immunotherapy. The benefits of plant-based nanoparticles in mending the immune systems were subsequently analyzed, with reference to the literature. The combining effects of biological and therapeutic properties of some phytochemicals and their derivatives, with targeted nanoparticles and selective immunotherapy, can enhance the delivery of drugs and antibodies, and induce antitumor immune responses, via activation of functions of neutrophils, lymphocyte cells, and natural killer cells, and macrophages, resulting in induced apoptosis and phagocytosis of tumor cells, which can improve designing immunotherapeutic strategies targeting cancer, with a larger spectrum compared to the current cytotoxic anticancer drugs commonly used in clinics. This study uncovers the mechanistic drivers of cancer immunoengineering in cancer therapy using plant-based nanomaterials, enhancing therapeutic benefits while minimizing toxic and side effects.

Antibacterial and anticancer activities of green-synthesized silver nanoparticles using Photinia glabra fruit extract

Aims: We prepared Photinia glabra (PG) aqueous fruit extract, utilized it to synthesize silver nanoparticles (PG-Ag NPs) and evaluated the antibacterial and anticancer activities of the nanoparticles (NPs). Materials & methods: Silver nitrate aqueous solution was reduced to PG-Ag NPs using aqueous PG fruit extract. NP shape, size, composition and functionalization were determined using transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared and x-ray diffraction. Results & conclusions: PG-Ag NPs were spherical, approximately 39-77 nm-sized, functionalized surfaces with notable antibacterial activity against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, with an MIC <30 ug/ml and cytotoxicity toward esophageal cancer cells, with IC50 values less than 20 ug/ml. PG-Ag@rt NPs have been shown to be a potent antibacterial and anticancer agent, and their enriched particle surfaces can be conjugated with other compounds for multibiomedical applications.

A Critical Review of the Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Activities of Green-Synthesized Plant-Based Metallic Nanoparticles

Metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) produced by green synthesis using plant extracts have attracted huge interest in the scientific community due to their excellent antibacterial, antifungal and antibiofilm activities. To evaluate these pharmacological properties, several methods or protocols have been successfully developed and implemented. Although these protocols were mostly inspired by the guidelines from national and international regulatory bodies, they suffer from a glaring absence of standardization of the experimental conditions. This situation leads to a lack of reproducibility and comparability of data from different study settings. To minimize these problems, guidelines for the antimicrobial and antibiofilm evaluation of MNPs should be developed by specialists in the field. Being aware of the immensity of the workload and the efforts required to achieve this, we set out to undertake a meticulous literature review of different experimental protocols and laboratory conditions used for the antimicrobial and antibiofilm evaluation of MNPs that could be used as a basis for future guidelines. This review also brings together all the discrepancies resulting from the different experimental designs and emphasizes their impact on the biological activities as well as their interpretation. Finally, the paper proposes a general overview that requires extensive experimental investigations to set the stage for the future development of effective antimicrobial MNPs using green synthesis.

Review On Documented Medicinal Plants Used For The Treatment Of Cancer

Background:

Cancer is a frightful disease and it is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Naturally derived compounds are gaining interest of research workers as they have less toxic side effects as compared to currently used treatments such as chemotherapy. Plants are the pool of chemical compounds which provides a promising future for research on cancer.

Objective:

This review paper provides updated information gathered on medicinal plants and isolated phytoconstituents used as anticancer agents and summarises the plant extracts and their isolated chemical constituents exhibiting anticancer potential on clinical trials.

Methods:

An extensive bibliographic investigation was carried out by analysing worldwide established scientific databases like SCOPUS, PUBMED, SCIELO, ScienceDirect, Springerlink, Web of Science, Wiley, SciFinder and Google Scholar etc. In next few decades, herbal medicine may become a new epoch of medical system.

Results:

Many researches are going on medicinal plants for the treatment of cancer but it is a time to increase further experimental studies on plant extracts and their chemical constituents to find out their mechanism of action at molecular level.

Conclusion:

The article may help many researchers to start off further experimentation that might lead to the drugs for the cancer treatment.

Prospective Application of Nanoparticles Green Synthesized Using Medicinal Plant Extracts as Novel Nanomedicines

The use of medicinal plants in green synthesis of metal nanoparticles is increasing day by day. A simple search for the keywords "green synthesis" and "nanoparticles" yields more than 33,000 articles in Scopus. As of August 10, 2021, more than 4000 articles have been published in 2021 alone. Besides demonstrating the ease and environmental-friendly route of synthesizing nanomaterials, many studies report the superior pharmacological properties of green synthesized nanoparticles compared to those synthesized by other methods. This is probably due to the fact that bioactive molecules are entrapped on the surface of these nanoparticles. On the other hand, recent studies have confirmed the nano-dimension and biocompatibility of metal ash (Bhasma) preparations, which are commonly macerated with biological products and administered for the treatment of various diseases in Indian medicine since ancient times. This perspective article argues for the prospective medical application of green nanoparticles in the light of Bhasma.

Natural products based nanoformulations for cancer treatment: Current evolution in Indian research

The use of medicinal plants is as ancient as human civilization. The development of phytochemistry and pharmacology facilitates the identification of natural bioactive compounds and their mechanisms of action, including against cancer. The efficacy and the safety of a bioactive compound depend on its optimal delivery to the target site. Most natural bioactive compounds (phenols, flavonoids, tannins, etc.) are unable to reach their target sites due to their low water solubility, less cellular absorption, and high molecular weight, leading to their failure into clinical translation. Therefore, many scientific studies are going on to overcome the drawbacks of natural products for clinical applications. Several studies in India, as well as worldwide, have proposed the development of natural products-based nanoformulations to increase their efficacy and safety profile for cancer therapy by improving the delivery of natural bioactive compounds to their target site. Therefore, we are trying to discuss the development of natural products-based nanoformulations in India to improve the efficacy and safety of natural bioactive compounds against cancer.

The potential antimalarial efficacy of hemocompatible silver nanoparticles from Artemisia species against P. falciparum parasite

Malaria represents one of the most common infectious diseases which becoming an impellent public health problem worldwide. Antimalarial classical medications include quinine-based drugs, like chloroquine, and artesunate, a derivative of artemisinin, a molecule found in the plant Artemisia annua. Such therapeutics are very effective but show heavy side effects like drug resistance. In this study, "green" silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been prepared from two Artemisia species (A. abrotanum and A. arborescens), traditionally used in folk medicine as a remedy for different conditions, and their potential antimalarial efficacy have been assessed. AgNPs have been characterized by UV-Vis, dynamic light scattering and zeta potential, FTIR, XRD, TEM and EDX. The structural characterization has demonstrated the spheroidal shape of nanoparticles and dimensions under 50 nm, useful for biomedical studies. Zeta potential analysis have shown the stability and dispersion of green AgNPs in aqueous medium without aggregation. AgNPs hemocompatibility and antimalarial activity have been studied in Plasmodium falciparum cultures in in vitro experiments. The antiplasmodial effect has been assessed using increasing doses of AgNPs (0.6 to 7.5 μg/mL) on parasitized red blood cells (pRBCs). Obtained data showed that the hemocompatibility of AgNPs is related to their synthetic route and depends on the administered dose. A. abrotanum-AgNPs (1) have shown the lowest percentage of hemolytic activity on pRBCs, underlining their hemocompatibility. These results are in accordance with the lower levels of parasitemia observed after A. abrotanum-AgNPs (1) treatment respect to A. arborescens-AgNPs (2), and AgNPs (3) derived from a classical chemical synthesis. Moreover, after 24 and 48 hours of A. abrotanum-AgNPs (1) treatment, the parasite growth was locked in the ring stage, evidencing the effect of these nanoparticles to hinder the maturation of P. falciparum. The anti-malarial activity of A. abrotanum-AgNPs (1) on pRBCs was demonstrated to be higher than that of A. arborescens-AgNPs (2).

A Comparative Study on Physicochemical, Photocatalytic, and Biological Properties of Silver Nanoparticles Formed Using Extracts of Different Parts of Cudrania tricuspidata

Green-synthesized silver nanoparticles (SNPs) have great potential for biomedical applications, due to their distinctive optical, chemical, and catalytic properties. In this study, we aimed to develop green-synthesized SNPs from extracts of Cudrania tricuspidata (CT) roots (CTR), stems (CTS), leaves (CTL), and fruit (CTF) and to evaluate their physicochemical, photocatalytic, and biological properties. CTR, CTS, CTL, and CTF extracts were evaluated and compared for their total phenol and flavonoid content, reducing capacity, and antioxidant activity. The results revealed that CTR, CTS, CTL, and CTF extracts have high phenol and flavonoid content, as well as a powerful antioxidant and reducing capacity. CTR and CTS extracts showed the strongest effects. The results from UV-Vis spectra analysis, dynamic light scattering, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed the successful formation of CT-SNPs with surface morphology, crystallinity, reduction capacity, capsulation, and stabilization. Synthesized CT-SNPs successfully photocatalyzed methylene blue, methyl orange, rhodamine B, and Reactive Black 5 within 20 min. The CTR- and CTS-SNPs showed better antibacterial properties against different pathogenic microbes (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella enteritidis) than the CTL- and CTF-SNPs. CTS- and CTR-SNPs showed the most effective cytotoxicity and antiapoptosis properties in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2 and SK-Hep-1). CT-SNPs also seemed to be more biologically active than the CT extracts. The results of this study provide evidence of the establishment of CT extract SNPs and their physicochemical, photocatalytic, and biological properties.

Attenuation of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) - Induced hepatic cancer in experimental model of Wistar rats by Carissa carandas embedded silver nanoparticles

OBJECTIVE

Hepatic cancer is well known, and leading cancer around the world and remain asymptomatic diseases. Carissa carandas possess anti-proliferative, antioxidant, hepatoprotective property and used in hepatic cancer. The current study deals to evaluate the chemoprotective and therapeutic property of Carissa carandas embedded silver nanoparticles (CCAgNPs) against diethylnitrosamine (DEN) -induced hepatic cancer.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Wistar rats were divided into six groups and hepatic cancer was induced with diethylnitrosamine at the dose of 200 mg/kg BW. The animals were gastrogavaged with standard drug and CCAgNPs for 16 weeks. Serum biomarkers, haematological profile, antioxidants enzymes, inflammatory markers and membrane bound enzymes were assessed to find the anti-proliferative potential of silver nanoparticles. Histological evaluation and microscopic characterizations were also performed to authenticate the outcomes of the present work.

RESULTS

Biosynthesized CCAgNPs significantly down-regulated the serum marker enzymes of hepatic and non-hepatic parameter, elevated the levels of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant profile, elevation in membrane bound enzymes and diminish the levels of inflammatory markers (IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β) via NF-κB pathway. Histopathological features also showed recovery of a hepatic architecture in cancer-induced rats in a dose-dependent manner.

CONCLUSION

Our consequences established that such plant mediated silver nanoparticles shown a defensive impact against DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis, and serves as a better option to ameliorate the clinical results against hepatocellular carcinoma.