Green Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Research Articles

Synergistic Anticandidal Activities of Greenly Synthesized ZnO Nanomaterials with Commercial Antifungal Agents against Candidal Infections.

The high occurrence of mycological resistance to conventional antifungal agents results in significant illness and death rates among immunodeficient patients. In addition, the underprivileged therapeutic results of conventional antifungal agents, besides the potential toxicity resulting from long term therapy necessitate the fabrication of efficient antimicrobial combinations. Hence, the objective of the present investigation is to synthesize, characterize and investigate the anticandidal action of green zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) formulated using Camellia sinensis leaf extract against three candidal pathogens. The eco-friendly synthesized ZnO-NPs were characterized utilizing different physicochemical methods and their anticandidal potency was tested utilizing a disk diffusion assay. In this setting, the size of the biofabricated ZnO-NPs was detected using transmission electron microscope (TEM) micrographs, recording an average particle size of 19.380 ± 2.14 nm. In addition, zeta potential analysis revealed that the ZnO-NPs surface charge was -4.72 mV. The biogenic ZnO-NPs reveal the highest anticandidal activity against the C. tropicalis strain, demonstrating relative suppressive zones measured at 35.16 ± 0.13 and 37.87 ± 0.24 mm in diameter for ZnO-NPs concentrations of 50 and 100 μg/disk, respectively. Excitingly, Candida glabrata showed a high susceptibility to the biofabricated ZnO nanomaterials at both ZnO-NPs' concentrations (50 and 100 μg/disk) compared to the control. Moreover, the biosynthesized ZnO-NPs revealed potential synergistic effectiveness with nystatin and terbinafine antifungal agents against the concerned strains. The maximum synergistic efficiency was noticed against the C. glabrata strain, demonstrating relative synergistic percentages of 23.02 and 45.9%, respectively. The biogenic ZnO-NPs revealed no hemolytic activity against human erythrocytes revealing their biosafety and hemocompatibility. Finally, the high anticandidal effectiveness of biogenic ZnO-NPs against the concerned candidal pathogens, as well as potential synergistic patterns with conventional antifungal agents such as nystatin and terbinafine, emphasize the prospective application of these combinations for the fabrication of biocompatible and highly efficient antifungal agents.

Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Red Seaweed for the Elimination of Organic Toxic Dye from an Aqueous Solution

This study aims to produce green zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) derived from red seaweed (Pterocladia Capillacea) and evaluate their potential to absorb Ismate violet 2R (IV2R) ions from an aqueous solution. UV-vis spectrophotometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and a Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis (BET) were used to analyze the structural, morphological, and optical features of the synthesized nanoparticles. The change in color of the chemical solution revealed the formation of zinc oxide nanoparticles. The FTIR examination confirmed the synthesis of both Zn and ZnO nanoparticle powder, with a BET surface area of 113.751 m2 g−1 and an average pore size of 2.527 nm for the synthesized adsorbent. Furthermore, the maximum removal effectiveness of IV2R was 99% when 0.08 g ZnO-NPs was applied at a pH of 6, a temperature of 55 °C, and a contact time of 120 min. The dye adsorption capacity of the ZnO-NPs was 72.24 mg g−1. The adsorption process was also controlled by the Freundlich adsorption model and pseudo-second-order reaction kinetics. The adsorption of IV2R ions onto the ZnO-NPs could be represented as a nonideal and reversible sorption process of a nonuniform surface, according to Freundlich adsorption isotherms. In addition, the constant values of the model parameters were determined using various nonlinear regression error functions. Moreover, thermodynamic parameters such as entropy change, enthalpy change, and free energy change were investigated; the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. The high capacity of the ZnO-NPs synthesized by red seaweed promotes them as promising substances for applications in water treatment for the removal of IV2R dye from aqueous systems.

Photocatalytic dye degradation and photoexcited anti-microbial activities of green zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized via Sargassum muticum extracts.

Drug-resistant superbugs (DRS) were isolated from hospital sewage waste and confirmed by a 16S rDNA molecular technique as B. filamentosus, B. flexus, P. stutzeri, and A. baumannii. Green nanotechnologies provide a new promising alternative pathway that was found to be much safer, eco-friendly, and has economic benefits over physical/chemical methods. Sargassum muticum (SM) mediated zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were proved to be photocatalytic and anti-microbial agents. Anti-microbial action was demonstrated by a maximal growth inhibition activity of 18 mm against A. baumannii and a minimal of 12 mm against B. flexus at 80 μg mL−1 concentrations. The anti-microbial mechanism of SMZnO-NPs employed a biphasic phenomenon persuaded by an osmotic shock that can attack the DRS bacterial cells directly and lead to death. In addition, photocatalytic activity was investigated by SMZnO-NPs for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under different light conditions. Natural sunlight irradiation shows effective enhancement with the highest efficiencies of 96% being achieved within 60 min compared to UV-light and visible-light. The reusability of SMZnO-NPs provides up to 6 consecutive cycles towards MB decolorization for environmental water cleansing.

Wound healing properties of green (using Lawsonia inermis leaf extract) and chemically synthesized ZnO nanoparticles in albino rats.

Wound healing is one of the utmost medical issues in human and veterinary medicine, which explains the urgent need for developing new agents that possess wound healing activities. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of green and chemical zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) for wound healing. ZnO-NPs (green using Lawsonia inermis leaf extract and chemical) were synthesized and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The gels containing the nanomaterials were prepared and inspected. Forty-five albino rats were divided into three groups, the control group was treated with normal saline 0.9%, and the other two groups were treated with gels containing green or chemical ZnO-NPs, respectively. On the 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 21st days post-treatment (PT), the wounds were clinicopathologically examined. Both nanomaterials have good crystallinity and high purity, but green ZnO-NPs have a longer nanowire length and diameter than chemical ZnO-NPs. The formed gels were highly viscous with a pH of 6.5 to 7. The treated groups with ZnO-NP gels showed clinical improvement, as decreased wound surface area (WSA) percent (WSA%), increased wound contraction percent (WC%), and reduced healing time (p < 0.05) when compared with the control group. The histological scoring showed that the epithelialization score was significantly higher at the 21st day post-treatment in the treated groups than in the control group (p < 0.05), but the vasculature, necrosis, connective tissue formation, and collagen synthesis scores were mostly similar. The green and chemical ZnO-NP gels showed promising wound healing properties; however, the L. inermis-mediated ZnO-NPs were more effective.

Foliar Sprayed Green Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Mitigate Drought-Induced Oxidative Stress in Tomato.

This study explored the effectiveness of green zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) foliar spray on tomato growth and oxidative stress relief under drought conditions. Tomato plant subjected to four water regimes (100, 75, 50, and 25% FC), and in the same while seedlings were sprayed with 25, 50, and 100 mg/L green ZnO-NPs. The results showed that tomato growth parameters reduced significantly by increasing drought stress levels, while ZnO-NPs enhanced plant growth under all studied drought levels. Out of three ZnO-NPs concentrations tested, 25 and 50 mg/L ZnO-NPs proved to be the optimum treatments for alleviating drought stress. They increased shoot and root biomass compared to untreated controls. Application of 25 and 50 mg/L ZnO-NPs enhanced shoot dry weight by about 2–2.5-fold, respectively, under severe drought conditions (25%) compared to ZnO-NPs untreated plants. The application of 25 and 50 mg/L green ZnO-NPs decreased the drought-induced oxidative stress as indicated by the reduction in malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide concentrations compared to untreated controls. While 100 mg/L ZnO-NPs further increased oxidative stress. The beneficial effects of ZnO-NPs were evident in the plants’ defensive state, in which the concentration of ascorbic acid, free phenols, and the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase were maintained at higher levels compared to NPs-untreated plants. At severe drought conditions, 25 mg/L ZnO-NPs induced SOD, CAT, and APX activity by about 3.99-, 3.23-, and 2.82-fold of their corresponding controls, respectively. Likewise, at 25% FC, SOD, CAT, and APX activity increased with 50 mg/L ZnO-NPs by about 4.58-, 3.57-, and 3.25-fold consecutively compared with their respective controls. Therefore, foliar use of green ZnO-NPs at lower concentrations might be suggested as an efficient way for enhancing tomato tolerance to drought stress.

Green synthesized ZnO nanoparticles for sustainable production and nutritional biofortification of green gram

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized using green and conventional approaches and characterized using XRD, SEM-EDX, UV–VIS spectroscopy, particle-size analyzer. Green ZnO nanoparticles were found to have 57% lesser mean diameter, more uniform size distribution and consumed 29.3% less NaOH than standard ZnO nanoparticles. To investigate the efficiency of both types of nanoparticles on the green gram (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek), a pot experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with two levels of foliar-applied nanoparticles and four levels of concentrations and three replications. The foliar application of green ZnO nanoparticles was found to perform better than standard ZnO nanoparticles based on improvement in the growth and yield parameters of green gram. Green nanoparticles resulted in 13.3% higher seed yield, 5.6% higher protein content and 3.2% higher zinc (Zn) content in seed than standard ZnO nanoparticles. The 1000-seed weight, seed yield, root biomass, active nodule content, leaf area index, seed protein content were recorded to be significantly improved up to 20 mg L−1 concentration of ZnO nanoparticles and beyond that no significant improvement was recorded. Seed protein and Zn content were increased by 15.6 and 25.2%, respectively and the seed yield was increased by 56.2% with the application of ZnO nanoparticles at a concentration of 20 mg L−1 in comparison to control. Current results show a great potentiality of synthesis and application of green ZnO nanoparticles at a concentration of 20 mg L−1 for the improvement in yield and quality of green gram with higher nutrient use efficiencies at a reduced environmental cost.

Toxicological effects of the chemical and green ZnO NPs on Cyprinus carpio L. observed under light and scanning electron microscopy.

Nanoparticles in aquatic bodies cause serious harm to the aquatic organisms when accumulated in high amounts. However, green nanoparticles synthesized using plants can be less toxic as compared to chemical nanoparticles. Hence, we designed our study to investigate the toxicological effects of chemical and green zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on the biological activity of juvenile Cyprinus carpio. The green ZnO NPs were synthesized from Solieria robusta, and chemical ZnO NPs were synthesized using zinc chloride solution and ammonium hydroxide. Characterization was done by using light microscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transmission infrared radiation, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The highest absorbance of nanoparticles was observed at 360 which confirmed the synthesis of ZnO. The SEM analysis showed that green nanoparticles were hexagonal while the chemical nanoparticles were spherical to cubic in shape. Definite peaks were observed in XRD of green and chemical NPs at 2θ angles 45.84° and 32.18°, respectively. Oxidative stress was determined by chemical analysis of catalase, glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione (GSH), and lipid peroxidation (LPO) activities. The toxicological effects of chemical ZnO NPs on the catalase, LPO, GST, and GSH activities were more than green ZnO NPs. The histopathological investigation proved that the effect of chemical nanoparticles was worse than green ZnO NPs. More tissue damage was found in chemical nanoparticles than green synthesized nanoparticles. It was concluded that chemical nanoparticles can be replaced by green nanoparticles, as green nanoparticles are eco-friendly with less toxicological effects. This replacement can limit the toxic effect of nanoparticles when they get accumulated in high amounts in water bodies.

Synergism of Zinc Oxide Nano-Powder with Active Compound from Turmeric and Lemongrass as Bacterial Inhibitor

Green nanoparticles are receiving great attention due to their broad fields of application. Plant extracts are promising sources, since the synergizing process is easy and cost-effective. Green synergism offers safer nanomaterials for both human health and the environment. The antimicrobial application of prepared nanoparticles is due to special capabilities at the nanoscale size. Green zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) from lemongrass and turmeric revealed good antibacterial properties. Antibacterial active compounds were extracted from lemongrass and turmeric using methanol as a solvent. The extracts were introduced to zinc oxide solution to create synergized green ZnONPs and tested for their antibacterial properties. The samples were characterized by means of XRD, SEM, FTIR, and GC-MS. The zones of inhibition of synergized green ZnONPs were successfully measured using the disc diffusion method. The findings using gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli. showed a higher antibacterial inhibition zone, with a diameter of 1.6 cm. The gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus., showed low antibacterial inhibition. The addition of ZnO had positively revealed greater inhibition. Green ZnONPs synthesized using plant extracts will be further tested for various applications. HIGHLIGHTS Green zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) prepared from lemongrass and turmerics Plant extracts are significant in reducing and stabilizing metallic ions The synergism of ZnONPs was successfully prepared from plant extract active and evaluated for their antibacterial activity using Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli The zones of inhibition of synergized green ZnONPs measured using the disc diffusion method showed a higher antibacterial inhibition zone Antibacterial activity revealed the potential applications of green synergism of ZnONPs for treatment of contaminated water, medical applications, and cosmetics GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Reusability performance of green zinc oxide nanoparticles for photocatalysis of bathroom greywater

Abstract This study aims to investigate the potential of green zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in reusability performance for photocatalysis of bathroom greywater. It was found that ZnO NPs photocatalytic treatment of real bathroom greywater (RBGW) effluent reduces both the COD and BOD5 concentrations by 72.01, 62.75 and 57.79% (COD) and 70.18, 60.32 and 57.56% (BOD5) respectively for the first, second and third cycle. Meanwhile for the photocatalysis of ABGW, it was observed that COD and BOD5 were removed by 82.27, 68.27 and 60.96% (COD) and 82.91, 74.37 and 60.39% (BOD5) for the first, second and third cycle respectively. Besides, TSS and turbidity were reduced by 52.34, 46.85 and 37.98% (TSS) and 80.38, 67.65 and 56.81% (turbidity) respectively in RBGW and for ABGW, TSS and turbidity were reduced by 60.94, 52.37 and 41.95% (TSS) and 80.68, 72.63 and 69.91% (turbidity) for the first, second and third experimental run respectively. This designates that green ZnO NPs can be reused multiple times as an effective photocatalyst. However, ZnO NPs were used in the dispersed form, which causes difficulty in the separation of ZnO NPs from the greywater. Thus, further investigation in producing appropriate fixed film should be focused. Moreover, phytotoxicity analysis of V. radiate seeds in the treated ABGW and RBGW was not significantly different from their germination in water. This assured the less lethal nature of the degradation metabolites in greywater effluent. This investigation would be a solution to wastewater treatment plant for reusing photocatalyst in order to achieve the development of advanced and greener technologies.

Synthesis and Characterization of Green Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles with Antiproliferative Effects through Apoptosis Induction and MicroRNA Modulation in Breast Cancer Cells.

Changes in the expression of microRNAs can affect cancer cells' viability and behavior and the impact on cancer treatment. In this study, the expression of miR-155-5p, miR-203a-3p, and miR-223-3p in the MCF7 cancer cell line was studied when exposed to ZnO nanoparticles synthesized through a green route. Mentioned ZnO-NPs were well characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, DLS, XRD, FTIR, FE-SEM, EDX, zeta potential, and AFM analyses. Cellular studies were conducted using ZnO-NPs before miRNA investigations including MTT cytotoxicity test against MCF7, MDA-MB-231, and HFF cell lines. Moreover, apoptosis assays were performed using morphological analysis, fluorescent dyes, flow cytometry, and evaluation of caspase-3 and caspase-8 gene expression. Biological properties such as the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of these novel ZnO-NPs were considered. MTT assays showed that the inhibitory concentration (IC50) of ZnO-NPs after 24 h was 11.16 μg/mL, 60.08 μg/mL, and 26.3 μg/mL on MCF7, MDA-MB-231, and HFF cells, respectively. The qRT-PCR results showed reduced expression of miR-155-5p, miR-203a-3p, and miR-223-3p when the MCF7 cells were treated with the IC50 concentration of ZnO-NPs (11.16 μg/mL). The antioxidant activity results showed EC50 values at 57.19 μg/mL and 31.5 μg/mL in DPPH and ABTS assays, respectively. The antimicrobial activity of ZnO-NPs was determined on Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains and fungi using MIC and MBC assays. These NPs had a significant effect in reducing the expression of microRNAs in breast cancer cells. Finally, ZnO-NPs exerted antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles with green tea extract complex in the pancreas of rats against monosodium glutamate toxicity.

Nanotechnology is an exciting field for investigators. Green zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) with Camellia sinensis extract complex are proved to be used in the treatment of the toxicity of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in the liver, kidney, and testis of rats. Therefore, the synthesized complex of green nanoparticles using green tea extract (GTE) was tested against the toxicity of MSG on the pancreas. The glucose and insulin levels were estimated aswell as some biochemical parameters for evaluating theantioxidant status of the pancreas tissue. The histopathological change of the pancreas also has been determined. It indicates the biomedical capability of ZnO NPs/GTE to act as potent antidiabetic through decreasing blood glucose and increasing serum insulin also, inhibition of lipid peroxidation and enhancement of the antioxidant parameters. The ZnO NPs/GTE enhanced the pancreatic cell and Langerhans islets as well lowered the sugar levels and stimulated insulin.

Investigation of Cytotoxicity Apoptotic and Inflammatory Responses of Biosynthesized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles from Ocimum sanctum Linn in Human Skin Keratinocyte (Hacat) and Human Lung Epithelial (A549) Cells.

Pristine and engineered metal nanoparticles are widely applied in various fields of industry, and as consequences, they are useful as well as harmful to human health and environment. This study aimed at synthesizing the green zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnNPs) using the leaf extract of Ocimum sanctum Linn and assessing its toxicity on human skin epidermal (HaCaT) and human lung epithelial (A549) cells. The synthesized green ZnNPs (gZnNPs) were characterized by using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and a high-resolution transmission electron microscope. The average size of gZnNPs obtained was 62 nm with a spherical shape. The effects of gZnNPs on the viability of HaCaT and A549 cells were investigated using tetrazolium salt (MTT) for 24 h. We have seen more reduction of cell viability of A549 cells in comparison to HaCaT cells. The induction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured using DCFDA assay and showed a slightly high intensity of green fluorescence in A549 than HaCaT cells. The different oxidative stress biomarkers such as ROS generation and lipid peroxide were increased, and GSH was decreased in a dose-dependent manner. The apoptotic and necrotic effect of gZnNPs in both cells was carried out using Annexin-V-FITC and propidium iodide staining. More apoptotic and necrotic cells were found at a higher concentration of gZnNPs exposure. Also, we determined the effect of gZnNPs at the molecular level by evaluating the apoptotic and inflammatory markers, in which gZnNPs downregulated Bcl2 and upregulated Bax, caspase-3, and TNF-α in HaCaT and A549 cells. Ultimately, gZnNPs exerted toxicity and apoptosis in HaCaT and A549 cells.

Green Synthesis of ZnO NPs via Salvia hispanica: Evaluation of Potential Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Mammalian Cell Viability, H1N1 Influenza Virus Inhibition and Photocatalytic Activities.

Among different forms of metallic nanoparticles (NPs), zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs with a very special bandgap of 3.37 eV and considerable binding energy of excitation (60 meV at room temperature), have been classified as high-tech nanoparticles. This study aimed to synthesize ZnO NPs using the extract from Salvia hispanica leaves. The synthesized nanoparticles were fully characterized and the photocatalytic activity was evaluated through the degradation of methylene blue. Additionally, the potential in vitro biological activities of such ZnO NPs in terms of their antibacterial activity were determined, as well as their antioxidant (30 minutes), antiviral (48 hours) and mammalian cell viability properties (48 and 72 hours). This study is the first investigation into the synthesis of such green ZnO NPs mediated by this plant extract, in which both photocatalytic and biomedical properties were found to be promising. The IC50 values for the antibacterial activities were found to be around 17.4 μg mL-1 and 28.5 μg mL-1 for S. aureus and E. coli, respectively, and the antioxidant activity was comparable with the standard BHT. However, the H1N1 inhibition rate using the present green ZnO NPs was lower than oseltamivir (up to about 40% for ZnO NPs and above 90% for oseltamivir) which was expected since it is a drug, but was higher than many synthetic nanoparticles reported in the literature. In addition, the mammalian cell viability assay showed a higher than 80% cellular viability in the presence of 5, 10 and 20 μg mL-1 nanoparticles, and showed a higher than 50% cellular viability in the presence of 50 and 75 μg mL-1 nanoparticles. In this manner, this study showed that these green ZnO NPs should be studied for a wide range of medical applications.

Evaluations of Potential Antiviral Effects of Green Zinc Oxide and Silver Nanoparticles against Bovine Herpesvirus-1

Evaluations of Potential Antiviral Effects of Green Zinc Oxide and Silver Nanoparticles against Bovine Herpesvirus-1

Wound-Healing Activity of Green and Chemical Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) Gels in Equine Wounds: A clinical Study

This study was aimed to evaluate the wound healing activity of both green and chemical Zinc oxide Nanoparticles in equine. Ten animals (nine donkeys and one horse) suffered from traumatized infected or non-infected wounds were used in this study. The visible signs of wound infection were evaluated in six cases, while the other four cases were admitted with fresh recent wounds. Animals were topically treated once a day in and day out and monitored for three weeks. It was observed that, the macroscopic wound contraction percents in animals treated with green Zinc oxide Nanoparticles gel in 1st, 2nd and 3rd weeks were 45%, 76%, and 93.6% respectively. While, those which treated with chemical Zinc oxide Nanoparticles gel were 40.4%, 67.2%, and 90.6% respectively. The study revealed that, green Zinc oxide Nanoparticles gel accelerated the wound healing and cleared the wound infection faster when compared to chemical Zinc oxide Nanoparticles gel. It was concluded that, topical green Zinc oxide Nanoparticles gel can significantly accelerate the process of wound healing and clear the wound infections in wounded equine from clinical field cases.

Evaluation of the effects of the green nanoparticles zinc oxide on monosodium glutamate-induced toxicity in the brain of rats.

BackgroundMonosodium glutamate (MSG) is used extensively as a food additive in the diets of many countries around the world.Aim of the studyOur aim was to determine the effects of green zinc oxide nanoparticles on MSG-induced oxidative damage, neurotransmitter changes, and histopathological alternation in the cerebral cortexes of rats.MethodsMSG was administered orally at two doses of 6 and 17.5 mg/kg body weight. The higher dose was associated with a significant decline in the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase, as well as the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glutathione (GSH) in the cerebral cortex of rats.ResultsThe administration of zinc oxide nanoparticles/green tea extract (ZnO NPs/GTE) to 17.5 mg/kg MSG-treated rats was associated with significant improvements in all parameters previously shown to be altered by MSG. The higher dose of MSG induced significant histopathological variation in brain tissue. Co-treatment of rats with ZnO NPs/GTE and MSG-HD inhibited the reduction of neurotransmitters and acetylcholinesterase by MSG.ConclusionsZnO NPs/GTE have the potential to protect against oxidative stress and neuronal necrosis induced by MSG-HD. ZnO NPs/GTE conferred a greater benefit than the control treatment or ZnO NPs or GTE administered separately.

Biomass Derived Antimicrobial Hybrid Cellulose Hydrogel with Green ZnO Nanoparticles for Curcumin Delivery and its Kinetic Modelling

Regenerated cellulose obtained from sugarcane bagasse was used for hydrogel preparation using epichlorohydrin (crosslinker) and green zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZNPs) which were phytosynthesised from musk melon seed extract. The synthesised ZNPs were characterised using FESEM and EDAX. The swelling capacity of the hydrogel was determined by swelling measurements. For drug delivery studies from hydrogel, curcumin was selected as the model drug for its appealing anticancer and antimicrobial activity. The presence of ZNPs and curcumin in the hybrid hydrogel was analysed using FTIR, XRD, TGA and SEM analysis. The drug loading efficiency was optimised by Taguchi method. The drug release studies were performed under varying pH and initial drug loading concentration. The kinetic studies showed the best fit with case II type of transport with polymer swelling as the drug release mechanism. Antimicrobial activity for curcumin loaded hybrid hydrogel and pure cellulose hydrogel was performed using Staphylococcus aureus (bacteria) and Trichophyton rubrum (fungi). Thus, the developed curcumin loaded biomass derived hybrid hydrogel could find potential application towards skin infective applications.

Green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Punica Granatum leaf extract and its application towards photocatalytic degradation of Coomassie brilliant blue R-250 dye

Green synthesis method for nanoparticle synthesis offers many advantages over physical and chemical methods as it does not involve any hazardous chemicals and also it is a one-pot, and economically cheap process. In this regard, the present research describes the green synthesis of Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) using Punica granatum leaf extract. The various properties such as morphological, structural, and optical properties of green zinc oxide nanoparticles were characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, UV–Visible spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and X-Ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD pattern revealed the crystalline nature of ZnO-NPs and the average diameter of particles is 20 nm.TEM and FESEM analysis show the spherical shape of ZnO-NPs with size ranging from 10 to 30 nm. The synthesized ZnO-NPs shows the commendable potential towards the photocatalytic degradation of Coomassie brilliant blue R-250 dye under direct sunlight irradiations. Thus, this work provides a positive step in the area of a green photocatalyst to alleviate the noxious dyes from water.

Synergic formulation of onion peel quercetin loaded chitosan-cellulose hydrogel with green zinc oxide nanoparticles towards controlled release, biocompatibility, antimicrobial and anticancer activity.

The therapeutic prospective of a novel carrier based delivery of phyto-derived quercetin (QE) extracted from onion peel waste was studied in the present work. Dialdehyde cellulose (DAC) developed from sugarcane bagasse (SCB) cellulose effectively crosslinked chitosan hydrogel. The hydrogel matrices were embedded with green zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), phyto-synthesized using musk melon seeds. The hybrid carrier formulation was characterised using analytical techniques such as XRD, FTIR and SEM analysis. The onion peel drug (OPD) analysed for its bioactive components using HPLC was reported as a potential source of QE. Taguchi optimization for the QE drug loading in the nanohybrid hydrogel indicated a remarkable improvement by 39% in comparison to drug loading in hydrogel without ZnO NPs. The maximum QE release was obtained at an optimal drug loading condition with pH 5.0, which favoured the anticancer applications. The drug release revealed a Fickian diffusion mechanism by adopting various kinetic models. The commercial QE and QE in OPD (QE/OPD) loaded nanohybrid hydrogels were found to inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Trichophyton rubrum strains. The biocompatibility and anticancer properties of the QE/OPD loaded nanohybrid hydrogels were established against normal L929 murine fibroblast cells and A431 human skin carcinoma cell lines respectively.

Comparative toxicity evaluation of graphene oxide (GO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles on Drosophila melanogaster.

Engineered nanomaterials consisting of multiple nanoparticles (NPs) are finding their use in fields as wide and diverse as medicine, environment, cosmetics, energy and electronics. However, health and environmental impacts of these NPs need to be discerned individually to understand their true toxicity. Due to the promising application of upcoming material like GO-ZnO nanocomposite, the toxicity of ZnO and GO NPs was evaluated and compared individually in our study. This study compares the toxicity of Graphene Oxide (GO) NPs and Zinc Oxide (ZnO) NPs synthesized by Green method and Chemical method on Drosophila melanogaster. The GO, Chemical ZnO and Green ZnO NPs were synthesized and characterized using SEM, HR-TEM, FT-IR, UV-vis, EDX, XRD and DLS studies. NPs were comparatively analyzed for their cytotoxic and neurotoxic behaviors using different assays like MTT assay, mortality rate, larval crawling and climbing assay, total protein content analysis for evaluating the toxic potential of each of these NPs at different concentrations of use. Green ZnO were found to be least cytotoxic while Chemical ZnO caused the most cell damage. GO were found to have intermediary cytotoxicity. However, a different trend was observed with neurotoxicity wherein Green ZnO reportedly affected the neuromuscular coordination the most, while GO was found to have the least affect. This study provided insights into the different toxic effects caused by GO and ZnO NPs on Drosophila as well as comparative toxic effects of Chemical vs Green ZnO NPs.