ABSTRACT
Curcumin has acquired an important position in the treatment of various diseases. But its use, as a chemotherapeutic agent, is limited due to its low water solubility, poor bioavailability, and its sensitive nature at the physiological pH. To overcome this, curcumin was loaded into chitosan phosphate nanoparticles (CPNs). The loading efficiency was found to be 84%. DLS studies revealed the average particle size of CPNs and curcumin-loaded CPNs as 53 and 91 nm, respectively, and TEM results supplemented these values. A sustained release pattern was noticed and the amount of curcumin released in acidic pH was higher than at physiological pH. The curcumin nanoformulation exhibited proficient activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as fungus. Cytocompatibility of the nanoformulations against peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and murine monocyte-macrophage cell line was confirmed by incubating with PBMCs and murine monocyte-macrophage cell line.
Subject(s)
Chitosan/chemistry , Chitosan/pharmacology , Curcumin/chemistry , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Animals , Anti-Infective Agents/chemical synthesis , Anti-Infective Agents/chemistry , Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Infective Agents/toxicity , Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic , Chitosan/chemical synthesis , Chitosan/toxicity , Drug Carriers/chemical synthesis , Drug Carriers/chemistry , Drug Carriers/pharmacology , Drug Carriers/toxicity , Drug Compounding , Leukocytes, Mononuclear/drug effects , Mice , RAW 264.7 Cells , Solubility , Water/chemistryABSTRACT
Polypyrrole nanotube-silver nanoparticle nanocomposites (PPy-NTs:Ag-NPs) have been synthesized by in-situ reduction of silver nitrate (AgNO3) to suppress the agglomeration of Ag-NPs. The morphology and chemical structure of the nanocomposites have been studied by HRTEM, SEM, XRD, FTIR and UV-vis spectroscopy. The average diameter of the polypyrrole nanotubes (PPy-NTs) is measured to be 130.59±5.5 nm with their length in the micrometer range, while the silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) exhibit spherical shape with an average diameter of 23.12±3.23 nm. In-vitro blood compatibility of the nanocomposites has been carried out via hemolysis assay. Antimicrobial activity of the nanocomposites has been investigated with Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria. The results depict that the hemolysis and antimicrobial activities of the nanocomposites increase with increasing Ag-NP concentration that can be controlled by the AgNO3 precursor concentration in the in-situ process.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Hemolysis , Metal Nanoparticles/chemistry , Nanotubes/chemistry , Polymers/pharmacology , Pyrroles/pharmacology , Silver/chemistry , Animals , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Erythrocytes/drug effects , Escherichia coli/drug effects , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Nanocomposites/chemistry , Particle Size , Polymers/chemistry , Pyrroles/chemistry , Silver Nitrate , Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared , Staphylococcus aureus/drug effectsABSTRACT
Tailored magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles hold the prospect for nouveau applications in the field of biomedical technology. Herein, we report novel functionalities of this iron oxide system by developing a hybrid of Fe2O3/C to make it a multifunctional biomedical agent. A detailed magnetic study carried out at varying temperatures confirms the intrinsic superparamagnetic character of these iron oxide-carbon composites. The potential of the nanocomposite for biomedical applications has been evaluated by its ability to scavenge free radical by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) assay. Moreover, the nanocomposite was monitored for successful hemolysis inhibition of mammalian erythrocytes. The nanocomposite showed promising compatibility with the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) which was visualized from trypan blue dye exclusion assay. Biocompatible carbon coating over the iron oxide nanoparticles with these functionalities has transformed it to a multifunctional nanoparticulate biomedical agent potential for future clinical translation.
Subject(s)
Antioxidants/chemistry , Ferric Compounds/chemistry , Hemolysis/drug effects , Nanocomposites/chemistry , Animals , Antioxidants/metabolism , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Antioxidants/toxicity , Biphenyl Compounds/metabolism , Cells, Cultured , Erythrocytes/drug effects , Ferric Compounds/metabolism , Ferric Compounds/pharmacology , Ferric Compounds/toxicity , Leukocytes, Mononuclear/drug effects , Mammals , Nanocomposites/toxicity , Picrates/metabolismABSTRACT
Head-to-tail dimeric clones of both DNA A and DNA B of potato yellow mosaic geminivirus (PYMV) were constructed. These constructs were infectious when inoculated onto Nicotiana benthamiana plants either as DNA or by agroinoculation and were also infectious for tomato plants by agroinoculation. The dimers were not infectious for potato plants following inoculation by either method. Symptom induction required both DNA A and DNA B but agroinoculation with DNA A alone resulted in virus spread in 30% of the inoculated N. benthamiana plants. Leaf disc explants of N. benthamiana, tomato and potato could all be infected by agroinoculation indicating that the method of delivery of the DNA to intact potato plants was unsuitable for successful inoculation rather than an inherent inability of the virus to replicate/spread in potato per se. Neither whole plants nor leaf discs of sugar beet supported the replication of PYMV DNA.
