The effects of Anchusa azurea methanolic extract on burn wound healing: Histological, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory evaluation.

Anchusa azurea one of the medicinal plants that has been traditionally used for treat burn wounds. However, the traditional claim that A.azurea can hasten burn wound healing has not been supported by scientific studies. This experiment used a male Wistar rats model to investigate the activity of A. azurea aerial parts methanolic extract in burn wound healing. To determine their ability to help in healing burn wounds in rat models, the active components of the aerial parts of A. azurea were extracted with 80% methanol, then, 1% and 10% ointments were prepared from the extract, and applied topically. The LCMS chromatography of A. azurea plant extract showed different active ingredients, including phenolic compounds, flavonoids, fatty acids, and others. The plant extract's investigated as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and histological effects on the burn wound healing process. The results showed a significant (p-value < 0.025) rate of burn wound healing with 78.6% and 84.8% contraction, respectively using 1% and 10% (w/w) extract ointments after 12 days. These results were corroborated by histological observations such as collagen deposition, re-epithelialization, and repair of the remaining skin tissues without any sign of cutaneous toxicity. The plant extract showed significant (p-value < 0.025) antioxidant effect at the highest tested dose of 500 µg/mL, scavenging 89.78% of the DPPH with an IC50 of 213.6 µg/mL. These results confirmed by histological changes observations of collagen deposition, re-epithelialization, and reformation of remaining skin tissues without any signs of dermal toxicity. The plant extract exhibited significant (p-value < 0.025) level of antioxidant agents, by scavenging 89.78% of the DPPH at 500 µg/mL with IC50 of 213.6 µg/mL. Additionally, all pro-inflammatory cytokines examined, including IL-6 and IL-10, the results exhibited reduction in IL-6 level and increase IL-10 level. The aerial extract of the A. azurea plant revealed a wealth of several significant active ingredients, including phenolic compounds, flavonoids, fatty acids, and others, suggesting the potential for anti-inflammatory, burn wound-healing, and antioxidant medications. These findings can open an avenue to find new therapeutics for burn wounds healing, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Synergistic Effects of AgNPs and Biochar: A Potential Combination for Combating Lung Cancer and Pathogenic Bacteria.

The synthesis of reliable biological nanomaterials is a crucial area of study in nanotechnology. In this study, Emericella dentata was employed for the biosynthesis of AgNPs, which were then combined with synthesized biochar, a porous structure created through biomass pyrolysis. The synergistic effects of AgNPs and biochar were evaluated through the assessment of pro-inflammatory cytokines, anti-apoptotic gene expression, and antibacterial activity. Solid biosynthesized AgNPs were evaluated by XRD and SEM, with SEM images revealing that most of the AgNPs ranged from 10 to 80 nm, with over 70% being less than 40 nm. FTIR analysis indicated the presence of stabilizing and reducing functional groups in the AgNPs. The nanoemulsion's zeta potential, hydrodynamic diameter, and particle distribution index were found to be -19.6 mV, 37.62 nm, and 0.231, respectively. Biochar, on the other hand, did not have any antibacterial effects on the tested bacterial species. However, when combined with AgNPs, its antibacterial efficacy against all bacterial species was significantly enhanced. Furthermore, the combined material significantly reduced the expression of anti-apoptotic genes and pro-inflammatory cytokines compared to individual treatments. This study suggests that low-dose AgNPs coupled with biochar could be a more effective method to combat lung cancer epithelial cells and pathogenic bacteria compared to either substance alone.

Silver nanoparticles biosynthesis using an airborne fungal isolate, Aspergillus flavus: optimization, characterization and antibacterial activity.

Background and Objectives: Nanoscience is one of the most important branches of modern science, which deals with the knowledge, structure, and properties of nanoparticles. This study aimed to investigate the ability of an airborne fungus (Aspergillus flavus) to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and to test the antibacterial activity of the synthesized AgNPs. Materials and Methods: The confirmation of AgNPs synthesis and the characterization of their properties were done using UV-Vis spectrophotometer, Zeta potential, Zeta sizer, FT-IR, and XRD analyses. The antibacterial activity was determined using broth microdilution method. Results: The findings showed that the average diameter of the resultant AgNPs was 474.2 nm with a PDI value of 0.27, and the zeta potential was -33.8 mV. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the AgNPs were regular and spherical in shape. TEM micrographs demonstrated that the AgNPs were smaller than those that were observed by DLS examination because the drying process resulted in particle shrinkage. The average size of AgNPs were less than 35 nm. The AgNPs exhibited a remarkable antibacterial activity against K. pneumoniae, E. coli, E. cloacae, S. aureus, S. epidermidis, and Shigella sp., and the MIC values ranged from 25 to 100 µg/mL. However, an exception was P. aeruginosa in which its MIC was >125 µg/mL. Conclusion: The results suggest that, the biosynthesized AgNPs by A. flavus could be utilized as a source of potent antibacterial agents in medicine and biotechnological applications.