Synergistic integration of inorganic nanoparticles and biosurfactants: Enhancing stability and efficacy for sustainable remediation and diabetes therapy

Nanopore sensing has emerged as a transformative technology for single-molecule detection, offering high resolution and multimolecular compatibility. While traditional biological and solid-state nanopores face limitations in stability, selectivity, and signal-to-noise ratio, hybrid nanopore which integrate biological components with synthetic materials like graphene or carbon nanotubes. It combines the precision of biological pores with the robustness of solid-state systems. This review explores the applications of hybrid nanopores in biomedical fields, focusing on three key areas. The first one is targeted drug delivery and stimulus-responsive systems, where nanoporous materials like anodic aluminum oxide enable controlled drug release and biocompatible implants. The second one is protein sensing, addressing challenges such as weak charge and structural complexity through innovations like silicon nitride-carbon nanotube hybrids that decelerate translocation for high-fidelity amino acid discrimination and the last one is DNA detection, where DNA origami-graphene nanopores achieve base-specific recognition by leveraging hydrogen bonding and slowed translocation dynamics. By analyzing these applications, the review highlights the advantages of hybrid nanopores compared to the pure nanopores and traditional technologies which include enhanced stability, tunable pore chemistry, and improved spatiotemporal resolution, while acknowledging challenges in fabrication scalability and material compatibility. This review also underscores the potential of hybrid nanopores to advance precision diagnostics, therapeutics, and sequencing, providing a roadmap for future research to overcome existing barriers and unlock their clinical potential.

Simple SummaryThe chemical investigation of Chrozophora oblongifolia aerial parts resulted in the isolation of five phenolic compounds. The isolated metabolites were tested for their antioxidant and advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) formation, α-glucosidase, and lipase inhibitory activities. 1,3,6-Trigalloyl glucose exhibited the highest activity as an antioxidant and AGEs inhibitor as well as an α-glucosidase inhibitor. It showed promising binding affinity and stability towards the human intestinal maltase-glucoamylase α-glucosidases, as revealed through coupled molecular docking and dynamics studies that could encourage the utilization of this compound in the management of diabetes and its complications.Modern life is associated with low physical activity that leads to the accumulation of fats, gaining more weight, and obesity. Accumulation of fat in the abdomen region contributes to diabetes via insulin resistance and hyperglycemia. Polyphenols are major plant constituents that exert antidiabetic activity through different mechanisms, including radicle scavenging activity, regulation of glucose uptake, and inhibition of fat and polysaccharide hydrolysis in addition to their inhibitory role regarding the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Chemical investigation of C. oblongifolia aerial parts resulted in the isolation of five major compounds: apeginin-7-O-β-D-glucoside (1), quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucuronic acid (2), quercetin-3-O-β-D-galacturonic acid (3), rutin (4), and 1,3,6-trigalloyl glucose (5). The isolated compounds were tested for their antioxidant and AGEs formation, α-glucosidase, and lipase inhibitory activities. Compound 5 revealed the highest antioxidant and AGEs inhibitory activity in bovine serum albumin (BSA)-methylglyoxal, BSA-fructose, and arginine-methylglyoxal models. Moreover, it exhibited a potent inhibitory profile on Saccharomyces cerevisiae α-glucosidases compared to the positive control, acarbose. Compound (5) further depicted promising binding affinity and stability towards the human intestinal maltase-glucoamylase α-glucosidases, which is a diabetes-related therapeutic target, through coupled molecular docking and dynamics studies. The obtained results encourage the usage of 1,3,6-trigalloyl glucose in the management of diabetes and its complications. However, detailed in-vivo studies for this compound should be performed.

Advanced glycation end-product (AGE) is important in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy which is characterized by cellular hypertrophy / hyperplasia leading to renal fibrosis. However, the biological effects of AGE on renal cells remain poorly understood. Our previous study suggesting that AGE induces mitogenesis in NRK-49F cells, which may result in interstitial renal fibrosis. To further investigate the mechanism by which AGE induces mitogenesis, NRK-49F cells were treated with AGE for various time periods. We found that AGE induced the β-defensin 2 mRNA expression at 48 hours. β-defensin 2 has been described as antimicrobial peptides which exhibited chemotactic activity to recruit dendric cells and T lymphocytes. In recent years, β-defensin 2 was also reported to have growth factor-like mitogenic effects on different cell types. AGE-induced β-defensin 2 mRNA expression was attenuated by pretreatment of calphostin C (PKC inhibitor)、LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor)、PD98059 (ERK inhibitor)、SB203580 (p38 MAPK inhibitor) and SP600125 (JNK inhibitor). To reveal the involvement of β-defensin 2 in mitogenesis of NRK-49F cells, we examined the effects of β-defensin 2 on cell proliferation and cell cycle progression by [3H]-thymidine incorporation assay and Western blotting, respectively. Interestingly, β-defensin 2 induced cell proliferation and promoted cell cycle progression in NRK-49F cells by increased cyclin E、cyclin D1 and cdk4. Together, these results suggested the possibility that AGE may induce renal fibroblasts mitogenesis through activation of β-defensin 2.

It is well understood that persistent hyperglycemia contributes to diabetic tissue and end-organ damage [1], by promoting the formation of advanced glycosylation endproducts (AGEs) [2, 3]. AGEs form principally from the rearrangement of early glycation products, i.e. Amadori products, which produce a class o f stable moieties that possess distinctive chemical cross-linking and biological properties [2, 31 . It has been generally believed that proteins with half-lives of greater than a few weeks are most susceptible to advanced glycosylation and the highest levels o f AGEs occur on proteins that comprise the long-lived structural components of connective tissue matrix and basement membrane. Of particular interest, however, has been the recent observation that AGEs can also occur on short-lived proteins, on lipid constituents and on nucleic acids. This is most apparent under conditions o£ high AGE accumulation such as diabetes and renal failure, and results from the fact that AGE formation proceeds through a succession of reactive intermediates which can bind indiscriminantly to amino groups present on diverse "bystander" proteins. 1keactive intermediates can also be released from naturally degraded tissue AGE, only to bind again on other substances, if not cleared via the kidney, forming "second" generation AGEs. Cell surface receptors that are specific for the recognition, and degradation of AGE-modified proteins also have been identified on circulating monocytes, lymphocytes, endothelial, renal mesangial cells and other cellular systems to partake in both normal tissue remodeling and tissue damage. In this synoptic review, selected recent studies are highlighted which

Antarctica is a very cold, isolated continent surrounded by frozen seas, yet these extreme environmental conditions have not restricted life and diversity in the sea. The marine environment is seasonally highly productive and harbours diverse and abundant communities of organisms, with many endemic species occurring nowhere else in the world. Such communities and their associated microbiomes are increasingly recognized as an unexplored source of novel antimicrobial products. Hence, the major aim of this study was to examine the antimicrobial potential of bacteria cultured from eight Antarctic marine invertebrate species, while gathering data on Antarctic microbial thermal and salinity tolerances. All cultured bacterial species (n = 34) were related to known psychrotrophs, with thermal tolerances that far exceeded those of their invertebrate hosts. Of note, two strains of Psychrobacter and Pseudomonas produced antagonistic activity towards epidemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, and Candida albicans in preliminary simultaneous antagonism screens. Draft whole genome sequence analysis revealed the presence of 13 biosynthetic gene clusters; including those with potential to produce betalactones, post-translationally modified peptide products, and arylpropynes. These results emphasize the need for more extensive and systematic surveys to identify novel biomolecules from Antarctic marine bacteria that may be exploited for societal gain.

BACKGROUND: Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are one of the mechanisms related to diabetic vascular complications. However, since AGEs are multiple and heterogeneous moieties, there is no universally accepted method to measure them for clinical purposes. The aim of this work was to study the utility of a simple fluorimetric assay as predictor of complications. METHODS: Blood samples from 102 type 2 diabetic patients were obtained to assess glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin, creatinine, lipoproteins and C Reactive Protein (CRP), fluorescent AGES by spectrophotofluorimetry and non-fluorescent AGEs by measurement of N(ε)-carboxymethyl-Lysine (CML) using an ELISA kit in a subsample of 82 patients. Urinary fluorescent AGEs, albumin and creatinine were also measured in a morning urine sample. Microvascular complications were studied by ophthalmologic examination, albuminuria and peripheral nerve conduction velocity. RESULTS: Patients without microvascular complications had significantly lower levels of both serum and urinary AGEs. CML was associated with retinopathy. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that AGEs, length of diabetes and glycosylated haemoglobin were all variables associated with diabetic complications, in this sample. CONCLUSIONS: A simple fluorimetric assay to measure low molecular weight fluorescent AGEs, and CML could be employed as screening tools to predict diabetic complications, at a primary care setting. AGEs should probably be considered as another therapeutic target in diabetes management.

Canadian Diabetes Association National Nutrition Committee Technical Review: Advanced Glycation End-products in Diabetes Management

Predictions for climate vulnerability of ectotherms have focused on performance-enhancing physiology, even though an organism’s energetic state can also be balanced by lowering resting maintenance costs. Adaptive metabolic depression (hypometabolism) enables animals to endure food scarcity, and physically extreme and variable environmental conditions. Hypometabolism is common in terrestrial and intertidal marine gastropod species, though this physiology and tolerance of environmental change are poorly understood in subtidal benthic gastropods. We investigated oxygen limitation tolerance, hypometabolism and thermal performance in the subtidal, tropical snail Turritella bacillum. Survival, cardiac activity and oxygen debt repayment were determined when oxygen uptake was limited by gill function impairment (air exposure) or exposure to hypoxic seawater. Thermal performance and tolerance were assessed from survival and cardiac performance when heated. The ability of snails to regulate metabolism during oxygen limitation was demonstrated by their tolerance of air exposure (>36 h) and hypoxia (>16 h), rhythmicity and reversibility of bradycardia, and inconsistent anaerobic compensation. Under acute heating, mean heart rate was temperature-insensitive in water and temperature-dependent in air. Converging or peaking of individual heart rates during heating suggest maximization of thermal performance at 38–39°C, whereas survival and heartbeat flatlining suggest an upper thermal limit exceeding 42°C. Snails survived 16 h in seawater at 38°C. Their metabolic regulation complies with the oxygen-limiting, sediment-burrowing lifestyle of the species. Although a tropical organism, the species’ thermal tolerance so far exceeds present habitat temperatures as to question its susceptibility to centennial climate warming. Our findings reveal the importance of knowing the metabolic regulatory capabilities and conserved physiological attributes of species used in climate vulnerability tests. Studies of ectotherm climate vulnerability that identify generalized trends based on physiologically similar animals may be misleading by missing information on physiological diversity.

Heavy metal contamination is a critical environmental issue that poses significant risks to human health, aquatic ecosystems, and agricultural productivity. Conventional removal techniques such as precipitation, coagulation, ion exchange, and adsorption have been widely employed, yet they often suffer from limitations, including inefficiency at low metal concentrations, high operational costs, and secondary waste generation. Recent advancements in nanotechnology, electrochemical methods, bioremediation, and hybrid treatment approaches have demonstrated enhanced removal efficiencies, selectivity, and sustainability. Nanomaterials, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and functionalized biochar offer high adsorption capacities, while electrocoagulation, electro-Fenton, and photocatalytic degradation present promising alternatives with reduced environmental impact. Additionally, microbial and phytoremediation-based strategies provide eco-friendly solutions but require optimization for large- scale applications. Despite these advancements, challenges remain in terms of scalability, economic feasibility, and regulatory compliance. Future research should focus on developing cost-effective, scalable nanomaterials, integrating hybrid treatment technologies, utilizing artificial intelligence for process optimization, and enhancing bioremediation efficiency through genetic engineering. Strengthening regulatory frameworks and promoting interdisciplinary collaborations will be crucial for the widespread adoption of sustainable heavy metal remediation technologies. Keywords: Heavy metal contamination, nanotechnology, adsorption, electrochemical methods, bioremediation, wastewater treatment, sustainable remediation, pollution control.

Soil is the most essential part of the environment. Nowadays, soil is contaminating due to human activities; hence it is very essential to find the methods for decontaminating the soil. There are many existing methods for the decontamination of sandy soil, but the decontamination of clayey soil was difficult as it has very less porosity; hence movement of ions becomes very difficult. Electro kinetic treatment is one of the methods which can be used for the decontamination of clayey soil. It is a process of removal of heavy metals and organic contaminants and radionuclides from the soil by applying direct current. Electro kinetic treatment lab test was conducted on a soil which was contaminated by a leachate. Test was conducted for four days and the corresponding results like voltage drop, pH, and conductivity were noted down. This paper tells about the brief information about the electro kinetic treatment and the experimental study of it and also the results. The results obtained from the test are good and acceptable.KeywordsLectro kinetic treatmentLeachateSoilContamination

Effect of diabetes and aminoguanidine therapy on renal advanced glycation end-product binding

The present study explores the biogenic synthesis of iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) using the red marine alga Laurencia papillosa, aiming to evaluate their dual potential in environmental remediation and cancer treatment. The FeNPs were synthesized under optimized conditions determined by response surface methodology (RSM), pH 7.0, 20 g/100 mL algal concentration, and 24 h, ensuring maximum yield and reproducibility. The synthesized FeNPs were characterized using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), FTIR, TEM, SAED, SEM, EDAX, and zeta potential analysis, revealing spherical, polydispersed particles with sizes ranging from 10.17 to 19.99 nm and a zeta potential of + 7.4 mV, indicating moderate stability. Optimization of synthesis conditions using a response surface methodology (RSM) model identified pH 7.0, 20 g/100 mL algal concentration, and 24 h as optimal for maximum nanoparticle yield. The FeNPs demonstrated remarkable efficacy in removing heavy metals from aquaculture wastewater, with removal efficiencies of 96.4% for Fe, 58.3% for Mn, and 23.1% for Zn. Additionally, in vitro cytotoxicity assays demonstrated dose-dependent inhibitory effects against Human liver (HepG2) and Breast (MDA-MB-231) cancer cell lines, confirming the potential biomedical application of these eco-friendly FeNPs. These findings highlight the unique capability of L. papillosa-mediated FeNPs as multifunctional nanomaterials, bridging sustainable environmental remediation with cancer therapeutics, offering promising prospects for sustainable nanotechnology in both environmental and biomedical fields. Overall, the study demonstrates that L. papillosa derived FeNPs combine optimized green synthesis, effective heavy metal removal, and notable anticancer activity, underscoring their potential as cost-effective and environmentally sustainable multifunctional nanomaterials.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) may be mediated through increases in the cardiovascular risk factors. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) also called glycated hemoglobin is presently used for the diagnosis and management of diabetes. It has adverse effects on cardiovascular system. This review deals with its synthesis and effects on the cardiovascular system. The serum levels of HbA1c have been reported to be affected by various factors including, the lifespan of erythrocytes, factors affecting erythropoiesis, agents interfering glycation of Hb, destruction of erythrocytes, drugs that shift the formation of Hb, statins, and drugs interfering the HbA1c assay. Levels of HbA1c are positively correlated with serum glucose and advanced glycation end products ( AGE), but no correlation between AGE and serum glucose. AGE cannot replace HbA1c for the diagnosis and management of diabetes because there is no correlation of AGE with serum glucose, and because the half-life of protein with which glucose combines is only 14-20 days as compared to erythrocytes which have a half-life of 90-120 days. HbA1c is positively associated with CVD such as the carotid and coronary artery atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, ischemic stroke and hypertension.HbA1c induces dyslipidemia, hyperhomocysteinemia, and hypertension, and increases C-reactive protein, oxidative stress and blood viscosity that would contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases. In conclusion, HbA1c serves as a useful marker for the diagnosis and management of diabetes. AGE cannot replace HbA1c in the diagnosis and management of diabetes. There is an association of HbA1c with CVD which be mediated through modulation of CVD risk factors.

Artemisia herba-alba (AHA) is a traditionally used plant to treat various diseases, including diabetes and metabolic dysfunctions. Plant extracts are generally explored empirically without a deeper assessment of their mechanism of action. Here, we describe a combinatorial study of biochemical, molecular, and bioinformatic (metabolite-protein pharmacology network) analyses to elucidate the mechanism of action of AHA and shed light on its multilevel effects in the treatment of diabetes-related advanced glycation end-products (AGE)-induced liver damages. The extract's polyphenols and flavonoids content were measured and then identified via LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Active compounds were used to generate a metabolite-target interaction network via Swiss Target Prediction and other databases. The extract was tested for its antiglycation and aggregation properties. Next, THLE-2 liver cells were challenged with AGEs, and the mechanistic markers were measured [TNF-α, IL-6, nitric oxide, total antioxidant capacity, lipid peroxidation (LPO), and caspase 3]. Metabolite and network screening showed the involvement of AHA in diabetes, glycation, liver diseases, aging, and apoptosis. Experimental confirmation showed that AHA inhibited protein modification and AGE formation. Additionally, AHA reduced inflammatory mediators (IL-6, TNFα), oxidative stress markers (NO, LPO), and apoptosis (Caspase 3). On the other hand, cellular total antioxidant capacity was restored to normal levels. The combinatorial study showed that AHA regulates AGE-induced liver damages through MAPK-AKT and AGE-RAGE signaling pathways. This report highlights the combination of experimental and network pharmacology for the exact elucidation of AHA mechanism of action as a multitarget option in the therapy of diabetes and AGEs-related diseases.

Molecular communication (MC), an innovative paradigm leveraging molecules as information carriers, is gaining traction in the biomedical field, particularly in the context of the Internet of Bio-Nano Things (IoBNT) for targeted drug delivery (TDD) systems. Specifically, the transportation of drug molecules in blood vessels is described as the propagation of information molecules, offering an MC perspective to designing and optimizing TDD processes. However, the existing MC-inspired TDD is predominantly physical-layer-centric, grappling with the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of drug molecules in complex vessel networks and the diversity of drug carrier designs. These complexities result in high-computational demands, posing a significant challenge to implementing personalized TDD strategies. This article introduces a three-layer bio-nano systems interconnection (BNSI) hierarchical model to address these challenges by reducing the computational load and enabling a more precise TDD strategy. Our model extracts parameters from the physical layer, which handles the PK and PD processes, and maps drug dynamics to data transmission at the network layer. This approach draws inspiration from traditional communication systems, where the physical layer manages the propagation of signals, and the network layer oversees packet routing and topology as the path planning in the blood vessel network. The application layer in our model incorporates a feedback mechanism based on drug concentration at the diseased site, allowing for flexible adjustments to achieve the desired therapeutic outcomes. Simulation results demonstrate that the BNSI model enhances computational efficiency without compromising the accuracy of TDD, thus demonstrating its feasibility. This work improves the scalability and flexibility of TDD systems and lays the groundwork for future TDD’s optimization and digital transformation.