Search Results (27)

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. Full article

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. Full article

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. Full article

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. Full article

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. Full article

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. Full article

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 M_s 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. Full article

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. Full article

Discovery of a potent drug nanocarrier is crucial for cancer therapy in which drugs often face challenges in penetrating efficiently into solid tumours. Here, biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using a waste material, Garcinia mangostana (GM) fruit peel extract is demonstrated. The best condition for AgNPs synthesis was with 0.5 g of peel extract, 7.5 mM silver nitrate at 45 °C, ~pH 4 for 16 h. The synthesized AgNPs were spherical and 32.7 ± 5.7 nm in size. To test its efficiency to be used as drug carrier, plant-based drug, protocatechuic acid (PCA) was used as a test drug. AgNPs loaded with PCA (AgPCA) resulted in 80% of inhibition at 15.6 µg/mL as compared to AgNPs which only killed 5% of HCT116 colorectal cells at same concentration. The IC₅₀ of AgNPs and AgPCA for HCT116 were 40.2 and 10.7 µg/mL, respectively. At 15.6 µg/mL, AgPCA was not toxic to the tested colon normal cells, CCD112. Ag-based drug carrier could also potentially reduce the toxicity of loaded drug as the IC₅₀ of PCA alone (148.1 µg/mL) was higher than IC₅₀ of AgPCA (10.7 µg/mL) against HCT116. Further, 24-h treatment of 15.6 µg/mL AgPCA resulted in loss of membrane potential in the mitochondria of HCT116 cells and increased level of reaction oxygen species (ROS). These could be the cellular killing mechanisms of AgPCA. Collectively, our findings show the synergistic anticancer activity of AgNPs and PCA, and its potential to be used as a potent anticancer drug nanocarrier. Full article

Nanoparticles (NPs) are, frequently, being utilized in multi-dimensional enterprises. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have attracted researchers in the last decade due to their exceptional efficacy at very low volume and stability at higher temperatures. Due to certain limitations of the chemical method of synthesis, AgNPs can be obtained by physical methods including sun rays, microwaves and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. In the current study, the synthesis of pullulan mediated silver nanoparticles (P-AgNPs) was achieved through ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, with a wavelength of 365 nm, for 96 h. P-AgNPs were formed after 24 h of UV-irradiation time and expressed spectra maxima as 415 nm, after 96 h, in UV-vis spectroscopy. The crystallographic structure was “face centered cubic (fcc)” as confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). Furthermore, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) proved that P-AgNPs were covered with a thin layer of pullulan, with a mean crystalline size of 6.02 ± 2.37. The average lattice fringe spacing of nanoparticles was confirmed as 0.235 nm with quasi-spherical characteristics, by selected area electron diffraction (SAED) analysis. These green synthesized P-AgNPs can be utilized efficiently, as an active food and meat preservative, when incorporated into the edible films. Full article

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles is desirable practice. It is not only the required technique for industrial and biomedical purposes but also a promising research area. The aim of this study was to synthesize green curcumin silver nanoparticles (C-Ag NPs). The synthesis of C-Ag NPs was achieved by reduction of the silver nitrate (AgNO₃) in an alkaline medium. The characterizations of the prepared samples were conducted by ultraviolet visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and zeta potential (ZP) analyses. The formation of C-Ag NPs was evaluated by the dark color of the colloidal solutions and UV-vis spectra, with 445 nm as the maximum. The size of the crystalline nanoparticles, recorded as 12.6 ± 3.8nm, was confirmed by HRTEM, while the face-centered cubic (fcc) crystallographic structure was confirmed by PXRD and SAED. It is assumed that green synthesized curcumin silver nanoparticles (C-Ag NPs) can be efficiently utilized as a strong antimicrobial substance for food and meat preservation due to their homogeneous nature and small size. Full article

Nanoparticles (NPs) are nano-sized particles (generally 1–100 nm) that can be synthesized through various methods. The wide range of physicochemical characteristics of NPs permit them to have diverse biological functions. These particles are versatile and can be adopted into various applications, particularly in biomedical field. In the past five years, NPs’ roles in biomedical applications have drawn considerable attentions, and novel NPs with improved functions and reduced toxicity are continuously increasing. Extensive studies have been carried out in evaluating antibacterial potentials of NPs. The promising antibacterial effects exhibited by NPs highlight the potential of developing them into future generation of antimicrobial agents. There are various methods to synthesize NPs, and each of the method has significant implication on the biological action of NPs. Among all synthetic methods, green technology is the least toxic biological route, which is particularly suitable for biomedical applications. This mini-review provides current update on the antibacterial effects of NPs synthesized by green technology using plants. Underlying challenges in developing NPs into future antibacterials in clinics are also discussed at the present review. Full article

Phospholipase A2 (Pla2) is an enzyme that induces inflammation, making Pla2 activity an effective approach to reduce inflammation. Therefore, investigating natural compounds for this Pla2 inhibitory activity has important therapeutic potential. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential in bromelain-phytochemical complex inhibitors via a combination of in silico and in vitro methods. Bromelain-amenthoflavone displays antagonistic effects on Pla2. Bromelian-asiaticoside and bromelain-diosgenin displayed synergistic effects at high concentrations of the combined compounds, with inhibition percentages of more than 70% and 90%, respectively, and antagonistic effects at low concentrations. The synergistic effect of the bromelain-asiaticoside and bromelain-diosgenin combinations represents a new application in treating inflammation. These findings not only provide significant quantitative data, but also provide an insight on valuable implications for the combined use of bromelain with asiaticoside and diosgenin in treating inflammation, and may help researchers develop more natural bioactive compounds in daily foods as anti-inflammatory agent. Full article

The current study investigated the anticancer properties of gold nanoparticles (SG-stabilized AuNPs) synthesized using water extracts of the brown seaweed Sargassum glaucescens (SG). SG-stabilized AuNPs were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The SG-stabilized AuNPs were stable and small at 3.65 ± 1.69 nm in size. The in vitro anticancer effect of SG-stabilized AuNPs was determined on cervical (HeLa), liver (HepG2), breast (MDA-MB-231) and leukemia (CEM-ss) cell lines using fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, caspase activity determination, and MTT assays. After 72 h treatment, SG-stabilized AuNPs was shown to be significant (p < 0.05) cytotoxic to the cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The IC₅₀ values of SG-stabilized AuNPs on the HeLa, HepG2, CEM-ss, MDA-MB-231 cell lines were 4.75 ± 1.23, 7.14 ± 1.45, 10.32 ± 1.5, and 11.82 ± 0.9 μg/mL, respectively. On the other hand, SG-stabilized AuNPs showed no cytotoxic effect towards the normal human mammary epithelial cells (MCF-10A). SG-stabilized AuNPs significantly (p < 0.05) arrest HeLa cell cycle at G2/M phase and significantly (p < 0.05) activated caspases-3 and -9 activities. The anticancer effect of SG-stabilized AuNPs is via the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. The study showed that SG-stabilized AuNPs is a good candidate to be developed into a chemotherapeutic compound for the treatment of cancers especially cervical cancer. Full article

Modified rice straw/Fe₃O₄/polycaprolactone nanocomposites (ORS/Fe₃O₄/ PCL-NCs) have been prepared for the first time using a solution casting method. The RS/Fe₃O₄-NCs were modified with octadecylamine (ODA) as an organic modifier. The prepared NCs were characterized by using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The XRD results showed that as the intensity of the peaks decreased with the increase of ORS/Fe₃O₄-NCs content in comparison with PCL peaks, the Fe₃O₄-NPs peaks increased from 1.0 to 60.0 wt. %. The TEM and SEM results showed a good dispersion of ORS/Fe₃O₄-NCs in the PCL matrix and the spherical shape of the NPs. The TGA analysis indicated thermal stability of ORS/Fe₃O₄-NCs increased after incorporation with PCL but the thermal stability of ORS/Fe₃O₄/PCL-NCs decreased with the increase of ORS/Fe₃O₄-NCs content. Tensile strength was improved with the addition of 5.0 wt. % of ORS/Fe₃O₄-NCs. The antibacterial activities of the ORS/Fe₃O₄/PCL-NC films were examined against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) by diffusion method using nutrient agar. The results indicated that ORS/Fe₃O₄/PCL-NC films possessed a strong antibacterial activity with the increase in the percentage of ORS/Fe₃O₄-NCs in the PCL. Full article