Developing an exclusive sensor based on molecularly imprinted polymer/Multi-walled carbon nanotubes/Fe3O4@Au nanocomposite for the selective determination of an anti-cancer drug imatinib.

Determination of pharmaceuticals especially anticancer drugs is one of the important issues in environmental and medical investigation and creating good information about human health. The presence sturdy introducing an electroanalytical sensor based on molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)/Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/Au@Fe3O4 nanoparticles modified carbon paste electrode (PE) to determine imatinib (IMA). The MIP/MWCNTs/Au@Fe3O4/PE showed catalytic activity and also a sensitive strategy to sensing IMA in the concentration range 1-1000 µM with a limit of detection of 0.013 µM. The MIP/MWCNTs/Au@Fe3O4/PE has shown interesting results in the analysis of IMA in real samples, and the interference investigations results show the high selectivity of the MIP/MWCNTs/Au@Fe3O4/PE in the monitoring of IMA in complex fluids such as tablet and blood serum and results approved by F-test and t-test as statistical methods.

Lead-free MAGeI3 as a suitable alternative for MAPbI3 in nanostructured perovskite solar cells: a simulation study.

The lead is a heavy metal with hazardous impacts on environment and human life. Lead-free perovskite solar cells have attracted much attention in recent years, due to eco-friendly characteristics. Meanwhile, Pb-containing cells showed the highest efficiencies among the various types of cells. Hence, designing novel Pb-free solar cells with comparable or better performance than the Pb-containing ones is highly required. In this work, a lead-free methyl-ammonium-germanium-iodide (MAGeI3)-based perovskite solar cell with ITO/TiO2/MAGeI3/Spiro-OMeTAD/Ag multilayer nanostructure has been proposed and its main characteristics including open-circuit voltage (VOC) and power conversion efficiency (η) have been evaluated and compared with those of MAPbI3-based cell, in simulation study. The VOC and η of the MAGeI3-based cell (1.18 V and 11.9%) have been found comparable with those of the MAPbI3 one (1.10 V and 14.6%). These results can excite more attention to Ge as a more environment-friendly element than Pb, in highly efficient upcoming perovskite solar cells.

Survey of antibacterial activity and release kinetics of gold-decorated magnetic nanoparticles of Fe0 conjugated with sulfamethoxazole against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

Drug delivery of antibiotics with magnetic nanoparticles improved by coating metals such as gold and silver has recently been studied. This work describe a simple method to synthesize modified magnetic nanoparticles which have high ability to modify the customary formulation of antibiotics such as sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and pursuant study of adsorption-desorption (release) of this drug. These synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by different methods, including field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and mapping, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, vibrating-sample magnetometry, thermogravimetric analysis and zeta potential test. Present assay showed a well correlation with the introduced carrier for the drug. Also the hypothesis were proved by some adsorption isotherm models and drug kinetics studies of carriers with different drug release kinetics models. This study confirmed the adsorption isotherm models and kinetics of drug sorbate are Temkin and Pseudo-First-Order Lagergren models, respectively; the kinetics of drug release from this carrier is based on Zero-Order model. The values of MIC in antibacterial test for pure SMX and SMX conjugated nanoparticles against Escherichia coli were calculated to be 14 and 2.5 µg/mL, respectively, and these values against Staphylococcus aureus were 24 and 1.25 µg/mL, respectively.

Simple turn-off fluorescence sensor for determination of raloxifene using gold nanoparticles stabilized by chitosan hydrogel.

It is essential to develop a simple, applicable, and reliable assay to anticancer drug raloxifene (RAF) because of its significant usage and side effect due to entering residue in the environment. Fluorescence sensors developed and widely used because of them high selectivity, fast-response, and highly-sensitivity. The gold nanoparticles using chitosan hydrogel was synthesized and applied as a fluorescence sensor to determine the trace amount of RAF. The characterization methods including DLS, FE-SEM, EDX, XRD, and FT-IR were performed to confirm the synthesized structure. This sensor turned off the fluorescent signals proportional to RAF concentrations at 400 nm. The RAF can be detected in the linear range from 5 × 10-7 to 5 × 10-5 M. Limits of detection and quantification were obtained as 34 × 10-8 and 11 × 10-7 M as well as the relative standard deviation calculated as 1.63% in RAF measuring. The effective parameters on quenching efficiency were studied by central composite design (CCD) with response surface methodology (RSM). The effective parameters in RAF determination, include analyte concentration, temperature, contact time, and pH, were obtained as 35 µM, 30 °C, 8 min, and pH = 8.5. The sensor was applied to determine the RAF concentrations in biological and environmental samples with satisfactory recoveries between 97.5% and 109%.

Magnetic nanoparticles based on cerium MOF supported on the MWCNT as a fluorescence quenching sensor for determination of 6-mercaptopurine.

In this study, a new magnetic nanocomposite was developed as an efficient and fast-response fluorescence quenching sensor for determination of anticancer drug 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP). For this purpose, the needle-shape fluorescence metal-organic framework of cerium (Ce-MOF) were successfully synthesized on the surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes using 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid ligand via a facile solvothermal assisted route and magnetized. The accuracy of the proposed synthesis was confirmed using the FT-IR, FE-SEM, XRD, and VSM methods. The obtained product as presented the fluorescence emission in 331 nm by excitation of 293 nm in excitation/emission slit widths of 10.0 nm. The operation of suggested method is based on quenching the fluorescence signal in accordance with increasing the 6-MP concentration. The proposed assay effectively detected the trace amount of 6-MP in the linear range of 1.0 × 10-6 to 7 × 10-5 M. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were obtained as 8.6 × 10-7 and 2.86 × 10-6 M, respectively. The analyte molecule was determined in real samples with satisfactory recoveries between 98.75 and 105.33.

Ultrasensitive and highly selective "turn-on" fluorescent sensor for the detection and measurement of melatonin in juice samples.

Melatonin (MLT), a hormone related to the regulation of brain functions, is directly related to sleep quality and is considered to be a possible adjuvant therapy for patients needing hospitalization for coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia, and accurate measurement of MLT is crucial. Herein, a new, highly sensitive, and easy operation fluorescent probe was provided based on Zr metal-organic framework encapsulation into the molecularly imprinted polymer (MOF@MIP). By combining unique properties of MIP and fluorescent MOF, selectivity and operation of the applied method were significantly improved. Different characterization methods, such as XRD, FT-IR, and FE-SEM, were used to confirm the synthesis reliability. MOF@MIP was successfully used for the precise identification and ultrasensitive detection for trace amounts of MLT. The detection mechanism for the analytical system is based on the ''turn-on'' fluorescence (FL) signal in 404 nm. The findings proved that it is possible to detect trace amounts of MLT in real samples including grape, cherry, and sour cherry juice. The linear range and the limit of detection (LOD) for trace amounts of MLT were obtained as 1-100 ng/mL and 0.18 ng/mL, respectively.

New fabrication of CuFe2O4/PAMAM nanocomposites by an efficient removal performance for organic dyes: Kinetic study.

Today, removing pollutants from water sources is essential because of the population increase and the growing need for safe drinking water. Dyes are one of the most critical pollutants from industrial effluents such as paper and textile industries that profoundly affect the environment. There are several ways to remove environmental contaminants. Magnetic nanoparticles have a high ability to adsorb dyes. Of course, increasing the interaction between magnetic nanomaterials and pollutants is also essential, which can be done using porous materials such as dendrimers. In this work, the synthesis of CuFe2O4 magnetite nanoparticles within the polyamidoamine dendrimers structure was used as an efficient sorbent to remove both alizarin reds (ARS) and brilliant green (BG) dyes. Moreover, various parameters for dyes removal were studied. The optimum removal conditions were obtained for ARS within 30 min at a sorbent dose of 2 mg per 5 mL for the initial dye concentration of 7.0 ppm in pH 6 at 25 °C, and for BG within 45 min at a sorbent dose of 5 mg per 5 mL for the initial dye concentration of 17.0 ppm in pH 8 at 25 °C. At the optimum values of the above parameters, both dyes' removal efficiency was more than 97%. Also, the obtained results showed that the adsorption isotherm follows the Langmuir model and Temkin model for ARS and BG, respectively. This method was successfully used for the removal of both dyes in water samples.

Biological and Therapeutic Effects of Troxerutin: Molecular Signaling Pathways Come into View.

Flavonoids consist a wide range of naturally occurring compounds which are exclusively found in different fruits and vegetables. These medicinal herbs have a number of favourable biological and therapeutic activities such as antioxidant, neuroprotective, renoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anti-tumor. Troxerutin, also known as vitamin P4, is a naturally occurring flavonoid which is isolated from tea, coffee and cereal grains as well as vegetables. It has a variety of valuable pharmacological and therapeutic activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anti-tumor. These pharmacological impacts have been demonstrated in in vitro and in vivo studies. Also, clinical trials have revealed the efficacy of troxerutin for management of phlebocholosis and hemorrhoidal diseases. In the present review, we focus on the therapeutic effects and biological activities of troxerutin as well as its molecular signaling pathways.

In vivo gene delivery mediated by non-viral vectors for cancer therapy.

Gene therapy by expression constructs or down-regulation of certain genes has shown great potential for the treatment of various diseases. The wide clinical application of nucleic acid materials dependents on the development of biocompatible gene carriers. There are enormous various compounds widely investigated to be used as non-viral gene carriers including lipids, polymers, carbon materials, and inorganic structures. In this review, we will discuss the recent discoveries on non-viral gene delivery systems. We will also highlight the in vivo gene delivery mediated by non-viral vectors to treat cancer in different tissue and organs including brain, breast, lung, liver, stomach, and prostate. Finally, we will delineate the state-of-the-art and promising perspective of in vivo gene editing using non-viral nano-vectors.

Tangeretin: a mechanistic review of its pharmacological and therapeutic effects.

To date, a large number of synthetic drugs have been developed for the treatment and prevention of different disorders, such as neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes mellitus, and cancer. However, these drugs suffer from a variety of drawbacks including side effects and low efficacy. In response to this problem, researchers have focused on the plant-derived natural products due to their valuable biological activities and low side effects. Flavonoids consist of a wide range of naturally occurring compounds exclusively found in fruits and vegetables and demonstrate a number of pharmacological and therapeutic effects. Tangeretin (TGN) is a key member of flavonoids that is extensively found in citrus peels. It has different favorable biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective effects. In the present review, we discuss the various pharmacological and therapeutic effects of TGN and then, demonstrate how this naturally occurring compound affects signaling pathways to exert its impacts.

Potential therapeutic effects of curcumin mediated by JAK/STAT signaling pathway: A review.

Curcumin is a naturally occurring nutraceutical compound with a number of therapeutic and biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, antitumor, and cardioprotective. This plant-derived chemical has demonstrated great potential in targeting various signaling pathways to exert its protective effects. Signal transducers and activator of transcription (STAT) is one of the molecular pathways involved in a variety of biological processes such as cell proliferation and cell apoptosis. Accumulating data demonstrates that the STAT pathway is an important target in treatment of a number of disorders, particularly cancer. Curcumin is capable of affecting STAT signaling pathway in induction of its therapeutic impacts. Curcumin is able to enhance the level of anti-inflammatory cytokines and improve inflammatory disorders such as colitis by targeting STAT signaling pathway. Furthermore, studies show that inhibition of JAK/STAT pathway by curcumin is involved in reduced migration and invasion of cancer cells. Curcumin normalizes the expression of JAK/STAT signaling pathway to exert anti-diabetic, renoprotective, and neuroprotective impacts. At the present review, we provide a comprehensive discussion about the effect of curcumin on JAK/STAT signaling pathway to direct further studies in this field.

Carbon dots as versatile nanoarchitectures for the treatment of neurological disorders and their theranostic applications: A review.

The development of novel methods plays a fundamental role in early diagnosis and controlling of neurological disorders (NDs). Blood-brain barrier (BBB) is the most challenging barrier for the development of neuro drug delivery systems due to its inhibiting ability to enter drugs and agents into central nervous system (CNS). Carbon dots (CDs) have shown to be very promising and outstanding agents for various biomedical applications (bio imaging studies, treatment of NDs and brain tumors). They exhibit remarkable properties such as biocompatibility, small size (less than 10 nm, enabling penetration into BBB), tunable optical properties, photostability and simple synthetic procedures, allowing them to act as ideal candidates in various fields of science. Therefore, the objective of this review is to overview the recent studies on CDs for the development of neuro drug delivery systems to reach CNS via crossing of BBB. Primarily, this review briefly outlines the unique optical properties and toxicity of CDs. The development of novel neuro drug delivery systems for various neurological disorders using CDs as carriers is described. This review also covers the potential applications of CDs in brain tumors imaging and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, the sensing applications and future prospects of CDs are summarized.

Multifunctional Polymeric Nanoplatforms for Brain Diseases Diagnosis, Therapy and Theranostics.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) acts as a barrier to prevent the central nervous system (CNS) from damage by substances that originate from the blood circulation. The BBB limits drug penetration into the brain and is one of the major clinical obstacles to the treatment of CNS diseases. Nanotechnology-based delivery systems have been tested for overcoming this barrier and releasing related drugs into the brain matrix. In this review, nanoparticles (NPs) from simple to developed delivery systems are discussed for the delivery of a drug to the brain. This review particularly focuses on polymeric nanomaterials that have been used for CNS treatment. Polymeric NPs such as polylactide (PLA), poly (D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL), poly (alkyl cyanoacrylate) (PACA), human serum albumin (HSA), gelatin, and chitosan are discussed in detail.

Topoisomerase inhibitors: Pharmacology and emerging nanoscale delivery systems.

Topoisomerase enzymes have shown unique roles in replication and transcription. These enzymes which were initially found in Escherichia coli have attracted considerable attention as target molecules for cancer therapy. Nowadays, there are several topoisomerase inhibitors in the market to treat or at least control the progression of cancer. However, significant toxicity, low solubility and poor pharmacokinetic properties have limited their wide application and these characteristics need to be improved. Nano-delivery systems have provided an opportunity to modify the intrinsic properties of molecules and also to transfer the toxic agent to the target tissues. These delivery systems leads to the re-introduction of existing molecules present in the market as novel therapeutic agents with different physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties. This review focusses on a variety of nano-delivery vehicles used for the improvement of pharmacological properties of topoisomerase inhibitors and thus enabling their potential application as novel drugs in the market.

Nanoparticles Targeting STATs in Cancer Therapy.

Over the past decades, an increase in the incidence rate of cancer has been witnessed. Although many efforts have been made to manage and treat this life threatening condition, it is still one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Therefore, scientists have attempted to target molecular signaling pathways involved in cancer initiation and metastasis. It has been shown that signal transducers and activator of transcription (STAT) contributes to the progression of cancer cells. This important signaling pathway is associated with a number of biological processes including cell cycle, differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. It appears that dysregulation of the STAT signaling pathway promotes the migration, viability and malignancy of various tumor cells. Hence, there have been many attempts to target the STAT signaling pathway. However, it seems that currently applied therapeutics may not be able to effectively modulate the STAT signaling pathway and suffer from a variety of drawbacks such as low bioavailability and lack of specific tumor targeting. In the present review, we demonstrate how nanocarriers can be successfully applied for encapsulation of STAT modulators in cancer therapy.

Autophagy Modulators: Mechanistic Aspects and Drug Delivery Systems.

Autophagy modulation is considered to be a promising programmed cell death mechanism to prevent and cure a great number of disorders and diseases. The crucial step in designing an effective therapeutic approach is to understand the correct and accurate causes of diseases and to understand whether autophagy plays a cytoprotective or cytotoxic/cytostatic role in the progression and prevention of disease. This knowledge will help scientists find approaches to manipulate tumor and pathologic cells in order to enhance cellular sensitivity to therapeutics and treat them. Although some conventional therapeutics suffer from poor solubility, bioavailability and controlled release mechanisms, it appears that novel nanoplatforms overcome these obstacles and have led to the design of a theranostic-controlled drug release system with high solubility and active targeting and stimuli-responsive potentials. In this review, we discuss autophagy modulators-related signaling pathways and some of the drug delivery strategies that have been applied to the field of therapeutic application of autophagy modulators. Moreover, we describe how therapeutics will target various steps of the autophagic machinery. Furthermore, nano drug delivery platforms for autophagy targeting and co-delivery of autophagy modulators with chemotherapeutics/siRNA, are also discussed.

Screening of acetaminophen-induced alterations in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-related expression of microRNAs in a model of stem-like triple-negative breast cancer cells: The possible functional impacts.

Current protocols for therapy inefficiently targets triple negative breast cancer and barely eradicate cancer stem cells. Elucidation of the pleiotropic effect of clinically proven therapeutics on cancer cells shed light on novel application of old friends. The pleiotropic effect of acetaminophen (APAP) on breast cancer was previously reported. In a cell model of triple negative breast cancer with stem-like CD44high/CD24low phenotype, we screened the impacts of APAP (1 mM, 72 h) on the Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related expression of miRs. APAP significantly overexpressed hsa-miR-130a-3p, 192-5p, 214-3p, 101-3p, 30d-5p, 10a-5p, 99a-5p, 200c-3p, 143-3p, 30b-5p and let-7f-5p showed significant overexpression, but suppressed the expression of hsa-miR-7-5p, 149-3p, 215, 150-5p, 205-5p, 206, 10b-5p, 20b-5p, 145-5p, 26b-5p, 223-3p, 17-5p, 186-5p, 146a-5p and let-7c. It also altered on the expression of selected EMT-related genes, significantly upregulated the expression of KRT19, AKT2, CD24, and TIMP1; but downregulated the expression of MMP2, ALDH1, MMP9, TWIST, NOTCH1, and AKT1. Such shifts in expression profiles increased the population of the cells with CD44high/CD24high, and CD44low/CD24high phenotypes, significantly reduced the Twist protein and shifted the balance of E-cadherin and Vimentin proteins in favor of differentiation. Treated cells showed a significant reduction of in vitro migration and were significantly chemosensitized to Camptothecin. In conclusion, APAP, at a safe clinical dose, induced a set of targeted alterations in the EMT-related miRs which implicate, even in part, significant mitigation in chemoresistance and in vitro migration. Further studies should also be piloted to elucidate the most crucial miRs and to evaluate its clinical effectiveness.

Nano-scale drug delivery systems for antiarrhythmic agents.

Arrhythmia means the heart is beating too fast, too slow, or with an irregular pattern. Due to the side effects and low bioavailability of many antiarrhythmic drugs, nano-encapsulation has been widely used for their targeted delivery. Lipid nanocapsules, nano liposomes, nano niosomes, solid lipid nanoparticles and polymeric nanoparticles are common nano-carriers used for this purpose. The aim of this article is to summarize some of nano systems used for the specific delivery of antiarrhythmic agents to target tissues. At first, nanotechnology and its applications in drug delivery are described in brief. Then, some information on arrhythmias and antiarrhythmic drugs are provided. Finally, the nano drug delivery systems are explained and examples of their applications in encapsulation of antiarrhythmic drugs are presented.

Application of dispersive liquid-liquid-solidified floating organic drop microextraction and ETAAS for the preconcentration and determination of indium.

A new, simple and efficient method, including dispersive liquid-liquid-solidified floating organic drop microextraction and then electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry, has been developed for the preconcentration and determination of ultratrace amounts of indium. The method was applied to preconcentrate the indium-1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol complex in 25 µL 1-undecanol. The various factors affecting the extraction efficiency, such as pH, type and volume of extraction solvent, type and volume of disperser solvent, sample volume, ionic strength, and ligand concentration, were investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, an enrichment factor of 62.5, precision of ±4.75%, a detection limit of 55.6 ng L-1, and for the calibration graph a linear range of 96.0-3360 ng L-1 were obtained. The method was used for the extraction and determination of indium in water and standard samples with satisfactory results. Graphical Abstract Preconcentration of indium ions via liquid-liquid-solidified floating organic drop microextraction method and determination by ETAAS.

Arrhythmogenic Risk Assessment Following Four-Week Pretreatment With Nicotine and Black Tea in Rat.

BACKGROUND: There is the controversy concerning the main component of tobacco, which is responsible for its arrhythmogenesis. In addition, there is the lack of adequate information about the influence of combination of black tea and nicotine on heart rhythm. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine whether pretreatment with black tea and nicotine could modulate the susceptibility to lethal ventricular arrhythmias. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Animals were randomized to control, black tea, nicotine, and black tea plus nicotine groups. Test groups were treated with black tea brewed (orally) and nicotine (2 mg/kg, subcutaneous), alone and in combination for four weeks. On day 29, aconitine was infused intravenously for induction of cardiac arrhythmia. RESULTS: In comparison with the control group, each of tea and nicotine significantly decreased the duration of the ventricular tachycardia (VT) plus ventricular fibrillation (VF) and the score of arrhythmia severity (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively,). The latency for the first VT event was significantly longer in the all test groups, but VF latency was significant only in tea and nicotine groups compared with control group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively).Threshold dose of aconitine for inducing VT and VF increased in all test groups, but only VT showed a significant difference in comparison to the control group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that sub-chronic consumption of nicotine or black tea alone with appropriate doses could potentially be antiarrhythmic and its combination regimen does not increase the risk of fatal ventricular arrhythmias during four-week consumption period in rats.