Emerging Trends in Zinc Ferrite Nanoparticles for Biomedical and Environmental Applications.

Over the last few decades, the application of nanoparticles (NPs) gained immense attention towards environmental and biomedical applications. NPs are ultra-small particles having size ranges from 1 to 100 nm. NPs loaded with therapeutic or imaging compounds have proved a versatile approach towards healthcare improvements. Among various inorganic NPs, zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) NPs are considered as non-toxic and having an improved drug delivery characteristics . Several studies have reported broader applications of ZnFe2O4 NPs for treating carcinoma and various infectious diseases. Additionally, these NPs are beneficial for reducing organic and inorganic environmental pollutants. This review discusses about various methods to fabricate ZnFe2O4 NPs and their physicochemical properties. Further, their biomedical and environmental applications have also been explored comprehensively.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of dual Clofazimine and Verapamil loaded PLGA nanoparticles.

Combination therapy may counter the risk caused by efflux pumps mediated resistance developed by mycobacteria with a concomitant increase of the bactericidal effect of anti-TB drugs. In the present study, combination of two drugs in a nanoformulation was prepared. Clofazimine targets type 2 NADH dehydrogenase of the electron transport chain, and Verapamil inhibits various mycobacterial efflux pumps. The nanotechnology approach was adopted to overcome limitations associated with administration of free form of drugs by using poly (D, L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) as a polymer. Nanoparticles were prepared by oil/water single emulsion solvent evaporation procedure and characterized by various techniques. The results thus highlighted that developed nanoparticles were spherical with nano range size (200-450 nm). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed successful encapsulation of drugs in developed nanoformulations. Drugs in combination showed higher encapsulation efficiency and percentage drug loading capacity as compared to individual drug nanoformulations. Also, reduced toxicity of nanoformulation was observed in hemolysis assay as compared to free drugs. Ex-vivo analysis demonstrated efficient uptake of rhodamine encapsulated nanoparticles by THP-1 cells, while in-vivo results revealed sustained drug release of nanoformulation as compared to free drugs in combination. Therefore, we were able to achieve development of a single nanoformulation encapsulating Clofazimine and Verapamil in combination. Based on these findings, future studies can be designed to explore the potential of co-encapsulated Clofazimine and Verapamil nanoparticles in management of tuberculosis. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12291-022-01062-8.

Current Trends on the Effects of Metal-Based Nanoparticles on Microbial Ecology.

The growing field of nanotechnology and its many applications have led to the irregular release of nanoparticles (NPs), with unintended effects on the environment and continued contamination of water bodies. Metallic NPs are used more frequently in extreme environmental conditions due to their higher efficiency, which attracts more attention in various applications. Due to improper pre-treatment of biosolids, inefficient wastewater treatment practices, and other unregulated agricultural practices continue to contaminate the environment. In particular, the uncontrolled use of NPs in various industrial applications has led to damage to the microbial flora and caused irreplaceable damage to animals and plants. This study focuses on the effect of different doses, types, and compositions of NP on the ecosystem. The review also mentions the impact of various metallic NPs on microbial ecology, their interactions with microorganisms, ecotoxicity studies, and dosage evaluation of the NPs, mainly focused on the review article. However, further research is still needed to understand the complexity of interactions between NPs and microbes in soil and aquatic ecosystems.

Therapeutic potential of human serum albumin nanoparticles encapsulated actinonin in murine model of lung adenocarcinoma.

Non-small cell lung cancer comprises 85% of the global lung cancer cases. Conventional chemotherapeutics possess certain limitations like systemic toxicity and drug resistance that requires the development of new therapeutic agents for successful treatment of lung cancer. Actinonin, a human peptide deformylase inhibitor, has demonstrated anti-cancerous properties in various leukemias and solid cancer types. However, it has limited therapeutic application because of its low bioavailability and systemic toxicity if administered in free form. This limitation can be overcome by using nano-delivery systems that will increase the therapeutic efficacy of actinonin. In the present study, human serum albumin actinonin nanoparticles were prepared using a desolvation technique and folic acid was conjugated to lysine residues of albumin for effective delivery to the lung. The lung adenocarcinoma model was established 24 weeks after intraperitoneal administration of urethane and chemotherapeutic efficacy of free as well as nanoencapsulated actinonin was evaluated. This study demonstrated anti-proliferative potential of folic acid conjugated human serum albumin nanoparticles encapsulating actinonin. The intraperitoneally administered nanoformulation exhibited sustain release profile of actinonin with longer half-life and mean retention time. The reduced dose frequency resulted in therapeutic efficacy comparable to free drug in vivo in terms of 100% survival and reduced tumor burden along with downregulation of epidermal growth factor receptor, folate receptor α and peptide deformylase expression in lung adenocarcinoma mice model. Therefore, actinonin encapsulated albumin nanoparticles-based therapy holds great potential as an alternative strategy to improve its anti-cancerous activity against lung adenocarcinoma.