Over the past few years, taxanes have emerged as a new class of anticancer drugs. Docetaxel (DTX) the prototype of this class has been approved for the treatment of broad range of cancers. However, to date the commercial preparation of DTX (Taxotere^®) is accompanying adverse side effects, intolerance, and poor solubility, which can be overcome by encapsulating them using solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs). SLNs represent versatile delivery system of drugs with newer forms such as polymer–solid lipid hybrid, surface modified and long circulating nanoparticles bringing forth improved prospects for cancer chemotherapy. In this review, the authors have discussed the current uses of various SLNs formulations of DTX with key emphasis on controlled and site-specific drug delivery along with enhanced antitumour activity elucidated via in vitro and in vivo studies. Furthermore, the review article highlights few approaches that can be used in combination with existing DTX-loaded SLNs to supplement DTX drug delivery.

In this study maghemite nanoparticles were synthesised, they were first coated by sodium alginate and then by chitosan. Then acetanilide was introduced to maghemite nanoparticles that were coated by alginate and chitosan. Finally a silver complex was made with acetanilide and the magnetic nanocatalyst was synthesised. This nanocatalyst was used for the oxidation of thymol, then antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the oxidation product were assessed. Characterisation of this nanocatalyst was performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and value stream mapping. Creation of the product was confirmed by FT-IR and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. According to SEM, the size of the nanocatalyst was in the range of 46–70 nm. 3-hydroxybenzaldehyde was obtained from the oxidation of thymol. It had antioxidant property as evident from Di (phenyl) – (2, 4, 6-trinitrophenyl) iminoazanium and the Folin–Ciocalteu method. Diffusion and dilution methods were used for the evaluation of the antibacterial activity. It was obvious from MIC that gram negative strains were more resistant than gram positive ones, and from minimum bactericidal concentration, it was obvious that Escherichia coli was the most resistant gram negative strain, and Bacillus subtilis was the most resistant gram positive strain.

The biosynthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) from plant extracts is important in nanotechnology because the employed methods are environmentally friendly and cost-effective. In this study, silver NPs (AgNPs) were synthesised using Chinese tea (Oolong tea) extract. The effects of the relative content of the employed silver nitrate, the reaction temperature, the incubation time, and the tea-to-water ratio on the formation of the AgNPs were examined. The synthesised AgNPs were also analysed by UV–vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermo-gravimetric analysis. The NPs were observed to be highly crystalline, approximately spherical, and 10–50 nm in diameter. They were also tested for their use in preserving the postharvest quality of cherry tomatoes, with good results obtained. The tea AgNP treatment was specifically found to reduce the weight loss of the tomatoes, as well as changes in their total soluble solids, vitamin C, and titratable acid contents. The findings of this study indicate that postharvest tea AgNP treatment affords a clean, safe, high-quality, and environmentally friendly method for extending the shelf life of fruits.

Magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles (MNPs) have many applications in bioprocesses. This study investigated bioprocess production of Cephalosporin C (CPC) by Acremonium chrysogenum. The effect of MNPs was tested for enhancing the fermentation process. MNPs were synthetised by a straightforward method of co-precipitation. Various concentrations of MNP (0, 0.0025, 0.005, 0.01, 0.02 and 0.04 g/l) were added to fermentation media of the strain. During fermentation, evaluations were taken for titer of CPC, biomass, pH value and morphology of the strain. Comparison was made between CPC produced in the control medium and that in the nanoparticle enriched media from several consecutive batches; it was determined that MNP addition had a positive effect on the bioprocess and enhanced titer production. The titer of CPC in MNP-containing medium (0.04 g/l) increased by 60% compared with MNP-free medium. These results show that MNPs present good potential for improving bioprocesses and enhancing productivity of CPC fermentation by A. chrysogenum.

Arsenic (As) is a toxic metalloid dispersed in the environment and it cause serious toxicity to plants. Salicylic acid (SA) plays an important role in many plant growth processes involved in plant defence against heavy metal or metalloid stress. In the present study, for the first time, chitosan nanoparticles was synthesised, loaded by SA and the positive role of SA on growth and phytoremediation efficiency of  Isatis cappadocica against As toxicity were evaluated. The highest arsenate treatment (1200 µM) caused a decrease in plant biomass that, however, its combined application with salicylic acid nanoparticles (SANPs) substantially increase in shoot height, root length and their biomass production compared with As stressed plants. The pretreatment of SANPs by increasing arsenate supply, simultaneously increased the As concentration in roots and shoots of I. cappadocica which reached a maximum of 705 and 1188 mg/kg, respectively. This results suggest that high levels of As stress induce stress status in I. cappadocica which SANPs pretreatment application limit these toxic effects of As. Therefore, SANPs has a significant beneficial effect on the growth and phytoremediation efficiency of I. cappadocica subjected to As stress.

In this study, hydrogenated amorphous carbon thin films, structurally similar to diamond-like carbon (DLC), were deposited on the surface of untreated and plasma nitrocarburised (Nitrocarburizing-treated) stainless steel medical implants using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition method. The deposited DLC thin films on the nitrocarburising-treated implants (CN+DLC) exhibited an appropriate adhesion to the substrates. The results clearly indicated that the applied DLC thin films showed excellent pitting and corrosion resistance with no considerable damage on the surface in comparison with the other samples. The CN+DLC thin films could be considered as an efficient approach for improving the biocompatibility and chemical inertness of metallic implants.

The present investigation deals with successful synthesis and surface functionalisation of mesoporous alumina (MeAl) nanoparticles by simplified sol–gel method using cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and pluronic as a template. Surface functionalisation of MeAl was performed to determine the selectivity of surface groups for coupling with model drug molecule. Repaglinide a BCS class II drug was loaded as a model drug on synthesised MeAl nanoparticle and studied for its sustained release capability. The synthesised and repaglinide loaded MeAl nanoparticles were characterised by Fourier transform infrared Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy with EDAX, Transmission electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetric. Results from the dissolution study confirmed the sustained release behaviour of the nanparticles which was up to 24 h. The cell viability assay demonstrated that 0.2 to 1 mg/ml concentration of MeAl was significantly less cytotoxic to the Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells. The authors’ experimental studies suggest that MeAl can be used as drug carrier and have a potential to increase the stability, loading efficiency and patient compliance for poorly water-soluble drugs such as repaglinide.

A facile and green synthesis of the Ag/ZnO nanocomposite by extract of Valeriana officinalis L. root in the absence of any stabiliser or surfactant has been reported in this work. The green synthesised Ag/ZnO nanocomposite was characterised by Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), elemental mapping, Fourier-Transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. According to SEM and TEM images, the Ag and ZnO particles are spherical with diameters of less than 20 and 40–50 nm, respectively. The Ag NPs/ZnO nanocomposite proved to be an effective catalyst in the reduction of various dyes including methyl orange (MO), Congo red (CR) and methylene blue (MB) in the presence of NaBH₄ in aqueous media at ambient temperature. A maximum degradation (100%) of dyes was performed using Ag/ZnO nanocomposite. The extraordinary performance of the prepared Ag/ZnO nanocomposite is attributed to the synergetic effect induced by both ZnO and Ag NPs in the catalytic degradation of organic dyes. The catalyst could be reused and recovered several times with no significant loss of catalytic activity.

This study was performed to determine the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) biosynthesised using Streptomyces griseorubens AU2 isolated from soil. The antimicrobial activity of the AgNPs was determined by agar well diffusion, disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods. Diameters of the zone of inhibition results clearly displayed that the microbially biosynthesised AgNPs have potent antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum lethal concentration (MLC) of the nanoparticles that had been determined by broth microdilution method were found to be 20 and 50 µg/ml for C. albicans, B. subtilis and S. aureus; 10 and 20 µg/ml for E. coli and P. aeruginosa, respectively. For determining the effect of AgNPs on biofilm formation under in vitro conditions, MIC and subMICs were studied on P. aeruginosa and S. aureus biofilms by using microplate biofilm assay. Treatment of the AgNPs resulted in a decrease in the biofilm formation of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa as 26.52 and 25.50%, respectively. As a result of this study, it can be suggested that actinobacterially synthesised AgNPs have an effective potential to be used for pharmaceutical applications against multi-resistant microorganisms.

Mastitis is an important economic disease causing production losses in dairy industry. Antibiotics are becoming ineffective in controlling mastitis due to the emergence of resistant strains requiring the development of novel therapeutic agents. In this study, the authors present the phytochemical synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with acetyl-11-α-keto-β-boswellic acid and evaluation of their activity in Staphylococcus aureus induced murine mastitis. Boswellic acid mediated AgNP (BANS) were oval, polydispersed (99.8 nm) with an minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.033 µg ml⁻¹ against S. aureus, inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 30.04 µg ml⁻¹ on mouse splenocytes and safe at an in vivo acute oral dose of 3.5 mg kg⁻¹ in mice. Mastitis was induced in lactating mice by inoculating S. aureus (log₁₀ 5.60 cfu) and treated 6 h post-inoculation with BANS (0.12 mg kg⁻¹, intramammary and intraperitoneal), and cefepime (1 mg kg⁻¹, intraperitoneal). S. aureus inoculated mice showed increased bacterial load, neutrophil infiltration in mammary glands and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) in serum. Oxidative stress was also observed with elevated malondialdehyde level, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. BANS treatment significantly (P < 0.05) reduced bacterial load, CRP, SOD, CAT activities and neutrophil infiltration in affected mammary glands. BANS could be a potential therapeutic agent for managing bovine mastitis.

The present study deals with the production of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) from fructose by chemo-conversion method using chemical catalyst, conventionally achieved by microwave-assisted dehydration process. Five different chemical catalysts, namely oxalic acid, phosphotungstic acid and mesoporous titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TNPs) were compared at constant conditions of which TNPs yielded a maxima of 33.95%. The optimum temperature and catalyst loading were found to be 200°C and 20%, respectively, at a 5% optimum substrate concentration during 15 min optimum reaction time to yield 61.53% HMF. The efficiency of synthesised TNPs was investigated further through reusability studies. TNPs were properly recycled and the catalytic activity recovery was good even after a 14 batch reactions. The specific surface area of the TNP obtained is about 105.46 m²/g and its pore-volume is about 0.42 cm³/g according to single point adsorption. A large accessible surface area combined with a minimal pore size (15.92 nm) obtained with mesoporous TNPs is desirable for better catalyst loading, high-yield HMF, retention and reduced diffusion constraints.

An environmentally friendly and rapid procedure was developed to synthesise silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) by Chamaemelum nobile extract and to evaluate its in vivo anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. The ultraviolet–visible absorption spectrum of the synthesised Ag-NPs showed an absorbance peak at 422. The average size of spherical nanoparticles was 24 nm as revealed by transmission electron microscopy. Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy analysis supported the presence of biological active compounds involved in the reduction of Ag ion and X-ray diffraction confirmed the crystalline structure of the metallic Ag. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of the Ag-NPs was investigated against carrageenan-induced paw oedema in mice. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and inflammatory cytokines tumour necrosis factor (TNF-α), interferon gamma and interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β were assessed in this respect. The results demonstrated that anti-inflammatory activity of the Ag-NPs might be due to the ability of the nanoparticles to reduce IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α. Moreover, reduction of antioxidant enzymes along with an increase in MDA level shows that the anti-inflammatory activity of the synthesised Ag-NPs by C. nobile is attributed to its ameliorating effect on the oxidative damage.

Fusarium wilt of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici is one of the most important diseases that affect this crop worldwide. This study aimed to biosynthesise nanosilver (AgNPs) using Chaetomium globosum, to evaluate its in vitro antifungal activity against pathogenic F. oxysporum and in vivo control of tomato seedlings wilt in the greenhouse. AgNPs was tested for its in vitro antifungal potential against F. oxysporum using poisoned food technique on three different growth media, agar well diffusion assay, inhibition of colony formation (CFU), and tested for its potency to control seedlings wilt upon its use at different concentrations (50, 100 and 500 mg/l) and for different incubation periods (0, 1, 2 and 4 h). Results indicated that C. globosum succeeded to biosynthesise AgNPs with maximum UV/vis absorbance around 420–450 nm, spherical in shape with particle size of 11–14 nm according to Transmittance electron microscope and displayed high purity recorded through X-ray diffraction (XRD). In vitro studies revealed high antifungal activity of AgNPs against F. oxysporum noticed especially at a concentration of 500 mg/l and after incubation period for 4 h. The CFU of F. oxysporum on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium decreased significantly on increasing the concentration and time of incubation with AgNPs. In the greenhouse, AgNPs caused appreciable enhancement in the growth parameters of tomato seedlings such as; root, shoot fresh weight, and height of seedlings in soil infested with F. oxysporum compared with the control. In addition, AgNPs reduced the severity of wilt disease by 90% observed through decreasing the number of wilted seedlings especially after placing their roots in 500 mg/l of AgNPs suspension for 4 h prior to soil infestation with the pathogen. This study recorded for the first time that C. globosum has the ability to synthesise AgNPs which showed significant in vivo antifungal potential observed through control of Fusarium wilt of tomato seedlings, in addition to enhancing their growth parameters in the greenhouse.

Nanoparticles of copper/cuprous oxide (Cu/Cu₂O) were successfully synthesised by a green chemistry route. The synthesis process was carried out using an extract of Stachys lavandulifolia as both reducing and capping agents with a facile procedure. The nanoparticles were characterised by different techniques including X-ray diffraction, indicating that the synthesised sample comprised both copper and cuprous oxide entity. The nanoparticles had a mean size of 80 nm and represented an impressive bactericidal effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

This study focused on synthesising nano-scale zero valent iron (NZVI) impregnated on a low-cost agro-waste material, rubber seed shell (RSS), by borohydride reduction method. The characterisation studies of NZVI-RSS were performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The adsorption execution of NZVI-RSS for Cu(II) ions evacuation from synthetic wastewater was explored by batch studies. The optimum condition for the present adsorption system is as follows: Cu(II) ion concentration = 25 mg/l; solution pH = 6.0; contact time = 30 min; NZVI-RSS dose = 3 g/l; temperature = 30°C. The sorption data were best portrayed by pseudo-first-order and Freundlich models. The outcomes demonstrated the multilayer sorption of Cu(II) ions by NZVI-RSS. The Langmuir capacity was observed as 48.18 mg/g. Thermodynamic parameters, ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS° were ascertained, and it was watched that the adsorption system was unconstrained and exothermic. The sticking probability for Cu(II) ions by NZVI-RSS was found to be high at lower temperature. At long last, the research inquire about reasoned that NZVI-RSS has demonstrated unrivalled adsorption capacity. Also NZVI-RSS is thought to be really green and financially amicable support for wastewater treatment.

CuO nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by Convolvulus percicus leaves extract as a reducing and stabilising agent. The green synthesised copper oxide NPs was characterised by transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared and ultraviolet-visible analysis. The activities of the CuO NPs as catalyst were tested in the formation of C-N and C-O bonds. The N-arylated and O-arylated products of amides, N-H heterocycles and phenols were obtained in excellent yields. Furthermore, the separation and recovery of copper oxide NPs was very simple, effective and economical. The recovered catalyst can be reused several times without significant loss of its catalytic activity. Moreover, the antibacterial activity of these NPs was tested against two human pathogenic microbes and showed significant antimicrobial activity against these pathogenic bacteria.

This study provides the optimum preparation parameters of chitosan-silver nanoparticles composite (CSNC) with promising antibacterial activity against the most common bacterial infections found on burn wounds. CSNC was synthesised by simple green chemical reduction method with different preparation factors. Chitosan was used to reduce silver nitrate and stabilise silver nanoparticles in the medium. For this reason, spectroscopic and microscopic techniques as, ultraviolet-visible Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used in the study of the molecular and morphological properties of the resultant composites. Furthermore, the composite was assessed in terms of Ag-ions release by AAS and its efficacy as antibacterial material. As a result, CSNC showed stronger antibacterial effect than its individual components (chitosan and silver nitrate solutions) towards Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) bacteria. CSNC prepared in this study showed highest inhibition percentage of bacterial growth up to 96% at concentration of 220 μg/ml.

In the present study, bacterial magnetosomes were used as a carrier molecule to couple with lemon grass extract (LGE) for the prevention of microbial biofilm in wound dressing material. Magnetosomes were extracted from Magnetospirillum sp. VITRJS-1 and characterised by microscopic and X-ray diffraction analysis. The phytochemical analyses of the extract showed the presence of bioactive compounds that are reported for antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis revealed the presence of antimicrobial citral and fernesal compounds. The extract was conjugated onto the magnetosomes and confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. The prepared magnetosome–lemon grass extract (MLGE) was evaluated for its antibiofilm property against the biofilm-forming pathogens Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas,  Escherichia coli, Klebsiella and  Staphylococcus aureus on wound dressing material by plate assay. The results indicated that the number of colonies formed was considerably reduced in MLGE coated wound dressing compared with that of LGE and control. Furthermore, SEM analysis displayed that the MLGE drastically reduced the spread of biofilm formation. Thus, MLGE coated wound dressings are effective in preventing the microbial biofilm formation, and further investigation on animal models will enable its use commercially.

The bio-nanocomposite role in wastewater treatment is a primary concern of this research. The physical, chemical, mechanical stability and antimicrobial activity of these bio-nanocomposites were investigated. The method is based on the biological reduction of aqueous copper sulphate pentahydrate, lead nitrate, silver nitrate, zinc sulphate heptahydrate salt using seed extract of Eucalyptus globulus as reducing agent at ambient temperature. The synthesised metal nanoparticles (MNPs) were analysed by UV-visible spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses. An ex-situ method involves constructing bio-nanocomposite by blending MNPs with tea waste activated carbon. Cross-linking in activated carbon takes place which was confirmed by changes in the mixture of components. The present yield of activated carbon was characterised by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray measurements. A few micro or nano range, spherical shape of activated carbon was studied by SEM. The main elements found in the activated carbon by EDX are C, O, S, Ag, Cl and Cu. The efficacy of such active bio-nanocomposite (ABN) tested against human pathogen includes both type of bacteria and fungus. The inhibitory effects of ABN are discernible from the results that reveal biologically inseminated MNPs can be used to clean up the contaminated environment.

The synthesis of metal nanoparticles (NPs) loaded on the ultrasonic-assisted Spirulina platensis (MNPs/UASP) was investigated using the green synthesis method. The S. platensis algal extract was taken as a reducing agent. The formations of metal NPs were characterised using UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The antimicrobial activity of different metal NPs demonstrated various inhibitory activities against one gram-positive bacteria (Staphylocicus aureus), four gram-negative bacteria (Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) and one fungus (Aspergillus niger). Both CrNPs/UASP and ZnNPs/UASP show good antimicrobial activity when compared with other MNPs/UASP against microorganisms. This MNPs/UASP is effective in preventing and treating the microbial infection and water pollution in the environment.