Therapeutic potential of biogenic and optimized silver nanoparticles using Rubia cordifolia L. leaf extract.

Rubia cordifolia L. is a widely used traditional medicine in the Indian sub-continent and Eastern Asia. In the present study, the aqueous leaf extract of the R. Cordifolia was used to fabricate silver nanoparticles (RC@AgNPs), following a green synthesis approach. Effect of temperature (60 °C), pH (8), as well the concentration of leaf extract (2 ml) and silver nitrate (2 mM) were optimized for the synthesis of stable RC@AgNPs. The phytofabrication of nanosilver was validated by UV-visible spectral analysis, which displayed a distinctive surface plasmon resonance peak at 432 nm. The effective functional molecules as capping and stabilizing agents, and responsible for the conversion of Ag+ to nanosilver (Ag0) were identified using the FTIR spectra. The spherical RC@AgNPs with an average size of ~ 20.98 nm, crystalline nature, and 61% elemental composition were revealed by TEM, SEM, XRD, and. EDX. Biogenic RC@AgNPs displayed a remarkable anticancer activity against B16F10 (melanoma) and A431 (carcinoma) cell lines with respective IC50 of 36.63 and 54.09 µg/mL, respectively. Besides, RC@AgNPs showed strong antifungal activity against aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus, DNA-binding properties, and DPPH and ABTS free radical inhibition. The presented research provides a potential therapeutic agent to be utilized in various biomedical applications.

Continuous flow fabrication of Fmoc-cysteine based nanobowl infused core-shell like microstructures for pH switchable on-demand anti-cancer drug delivery.

Asymmetric nanostructures such as nanobowls (NBs) can exhibit superior drug delivery performances owing to their concave structure and interior asymmetric cavities. Here, we present a facile one-step method for the fabrication of NB like structures from a mere single amino acid mimetic, N-(9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl)-S-triphenylmethyl-l-cysteine following continuous-flow microfluidics enabled supramolecular self-assembly. Following fabrication, NBs were further infused into a vesicular shell consisting of the amino acid N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-S-triphenylmethyl-l-cysteine, carrying dual acid labile groups, the triphenylmethyl and the tert-butyloxycarbonyl groups. The NB infused core-shell like microstructures formed after the shell coating will now be addressed as NB-shells. Presence of pH-responsive shells bestowed the core-shell NB like structures with the ability to actively tune their surface pore opening and closing in response to environmental pH switch. To illustrate the potential use of the NB-shells in the field of anticancer drug delivery, the particles were loaded with doxorubicin (Dox) with an encapsulation efficiency of 42% and Dox loaded NB-shells exhibited enhanced efficacy in C6 glioma cells. Additionally, when tested in an animal model of glioblastoma, the nanoformulations demonstrated significantly higher retardation of tumour growth as compared to free Dox. Thus, this work strives to provide a new research area in the development of well turned-out and neatly fabricated pH switchable on/off anti-cancer drug delivery systems with significant translational potential.

The Iris Thickness in a Healthy Saudi Population.

Purpose Iris thickness (IT), a known risk factor for angle closure glaucoma, has not been evaluated in the normal Saudi population. Methods Quantitative information on IT was evaluated in healthy Saudi eyes using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT). IT and iris volume was measured with the room 'light on' (LON) and 'light off' (LOFF) using Image J software. IT in the nasal and temporal iris was measured at 500 µm (IT500) and 750 µm (IT750) from the scleral spur (SS). Differences in IT measurements by age, gender and type of refractive error were evaluated. Results We included 100 eyes of 50 healthy adult Saudis without ocular disease other than refractive errors. The mean age of 56 males and 44 females in the study group was 41.7 ± 14.5 years. The refractive status was as follows: emmetropia (35 eyes), mild/moderate myopia (33 eyes), high myopia (17 eyes) and hyperopia (15 eyes). The IT750 with LON was significantly more than IT500 both nasally (P = 0.03) and temporally (P < 0.001). The difference in IT750 and IT500 with LOFF was significantly more nasally (P = 0.03), temporally (P = 0.02), and with LON nasally (P = 0.005). IT was thicker in males when compared to females and variation of IT by refractive error was significant but not by age. The mean pupil diameter and anterior chamber depth decreased with age (P < 0.001). Anterior chamber width was not affected by age or illumination. Conclusion The baseline iris thickness in the Saudi eyes could be used to compare iris thickness in eyes with angle closure glaucoma among the Arab population.