In situ synthesised TiO2-chitosan-chondroitin 4-sulphate nanocomposites for bone implant applications.

The artificial materials for bone implant applications are gaining more importance in the recent years. The series titania-chitosan-chondroitin 4-sulphate nanocomposites of three different concentrations (2:1:x, where x- 0.125, 0.25, 0.5) have been synthesised by in situ sol-gel method and characterised by various techniques. The particle size of the nanocomposites ranges from 30-50 nm. The bioactivity, swelling nature, and the antimicrobial nature of the nanocomposites were investigated. The swelling ability and bioactivity of the composites is significantly greater and they possess high zone of inhibition against the microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The cell viability of the nanocomposites were evaluated by using MG-63 and observed the composites possess high cell viability at low concentration. The excellent bioactivity and biocompatibility makes these nanocomposites a promising biomaterial for bone implant applications.

Application of silica nanoparticles in maize to enhance fungal resistance.

In this study, maize treated with nanosilica (20-40 nm) is screened for resistance against phytopathogens such as Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus niger and compared with that of bulk silica. The resistivity is measured for disease index and expression of plant responsive compounds such as total phenols, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase. The results indicate that nanosilica-treated plant shows a higher expression of phenolic compounds (2056 and 743 mg/ml) and a lower expression of stress-responsive enzymes against both the fungi. Maize expresses more resistance to Aspergillus spp., than Fusarium spp. These results show significantly higher resistance in maize treated with nanosilica than with bulk, especially at 10 and 15 kg/ha. In addition, hydrophobic potential and silica accumulation percentage of nanosilica treated maize (86.18° and 19.14%) are higher than bulk silica treatment. Hence, silica nanoparticles can be used as an alternative potent antifungal agent against phytopathogens.

Preparation and characterization of silver-doped nanobioactive glass particles and their in vitro behaviour for biomedical applications.

In this study, silver-doped silica- and phosphate-based nanobioactive glass compositions (58SiO2-(33- x)CaO-9P2O5-xAg2O) (x = 0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 mol%) were synthesised by a simple and cost-effective sol-gel method. The prepared samples were characterised by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer studies. All the compositions of the glass samples revealed amorphous phase with spherical morphology and a particle size less than 100 nm. The prepared glass samples reveal the specific surface area in the range of 55.31-90.69 m2 g(-1). The bioactivity of glass samples was confirmed through the formation of the hydroxyapatite layer on glass surfaces during in vitro studies in which silver doped glasses (2 and 3 mol%) showed better bioactivity. A better biocompatibility was achieved in human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line in case of silver-free glass sample while comparing the biological behaviour of Ag2O-doped glasses. Further, the Ag2O-doped nanobioactive glasses revealed significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Ag2O substitutions showed better in vitro bioactivity and remained slightly toxic to human cells at a concentration of 100 microg mL(-1). Silver-doped nanobioactive glass shows good antimicrobial property as well as no significant toxic for implant applications.