A new amperometric H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> biosensor based on nanocomposite films of chitosan–MWNTs,hemoglobin, and silver nanoparticles

A new H₂O₂ biosensor was fabricated on the basis of nanocomposite films of hemoglobin (Hb), silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs)–chitosan (Chit) dispersed solution immobilized on glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The immobilized Hb displayed a pair of well-defined and reversible redox peaks with a formal potential (E ^θ′) of −22.5 mV in 0.1 M pH 7.0 phosphate buffer solution. The apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constants (k _s) in the Chit–MWNTs film was evaluated as 2.58 s⁻¹ according to Laviron’s equation. The surface concentration (Γ*) of the electroactive Hb in the Chit–MWNTs film was estimated to be (2.48 ± 0.25) × 10⁻⁹ mol cm⁻². Meanwhile, the Chit–MWNTs/Hb/AgNPs/GCE demonstrated excellently electrocatalytical ability to H₂O₂. Its apparent Michaelis–Menten constant (K _M^app) for H₂O₂ was 0.0032 mM, showing a good affinity. Under optimal conditions, the biosensors could be used for the determination of H₂O₂ ranging from 6.25 × 10⁻⁶ to 9.30 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 3.47 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ (S/N = 3). Furthermore, the biosensor possessed rapid response to H₂O₂ and good stability, selectivity, and reproducibility.     

Comparative toxicity study of Ag, Au, and Ag–Au bimetallic nanoparticles on Daphnia magna

A comparative assessment of the 48-h acute toxicity of aqueous nanoparticles synthesized using the same methodology, including Au, Ag, and Ag–Au bimetallic nanoparticles, was conducted to determine their ecological effect in freshwater environments through the use of Daphnia magna, using their mortality as a toxicological endpoint. D. magna are one of the standard organisms used for ecotoxicity studies due to their sensitivity to chemical toxicants. Particle suspensions used in toxicity testing were well-characterized through a combination of absorbance measurements, atomic force or electron microscopy, flame atomic absorption spectrometry, and dynamic light scattering to determine composition, aggregation state, and particle size. The toxicity of all nanoparticles tested was found to be dose and composition dependent. The concentration of Au nanoparticles that killed 50% of the test organisms (LC₅₀) ranged from 65–75 mg/L. In addition, three different sized Ag nanoparticles (diameters = 36, 52, and 66 nm) were studied to analyze the toxicological effects of particle size on D. magna; however, it was found that toxicity was not a function of size and ranged from 3–4 μg/L for all three sets of Ag nanoparticles tested. This was possibly due to the large degree of aggregation when these nanoparticles were suspended in standard synthetic freshwater. Moreover, the LC₅₀ values for Ag–Au bimetallic nanoparticles were found to be between that of Ag and Au but much closer to that of Ag. The bimetallic particles containing 80% Ag and 20% Au were found to have a significantly lower toxicity to Daphnia (LC₅₀ of 15 μg/L) compared to Ag nanoparticles, while the toxicity of the nanoparticles containing 20% Ag and 80% Au was greater than expected at 12 μg/L. The comparison results confirm that Ag nanoparticles were much more toxic than Au nanoparticles, and that the introduction of gold into silver nanoparticles may lower their environmental impact by lowering the amount of Ag which is bioavailable.     

Ag nanoparticles deposited onto silica,titania, and zirconia mesoporous films synthesized by sol–gel template method

A variety of Ag nanoparticles/oxide mesoporous films with templated silica, titania, and zirconia was synthesized by sol–gel method at glass, aluminum, and silicon substrates using metal alkoxides (tetraethoxysilane, titanium tetraisopropoxide, and zirconium tetrapropoxide) and AgNO₃ as precursors of oxide films and Ag nanoparticles, respectively, and Pluronic P123 as a template agent. Oxide films alone and Ag/oxide composites were characterized using hexane adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and ultraviolet (UV)/vis spectroscopies, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods. The distribution of Ag nanoparticles within the films, their sizes, intensity, and position of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorbance band at λ = 400 nm, as well as the textural and structural characteristics of whole films depend on treatment temperature, types of substrates and oxide matrices, oxide crystallization, and Ag content. Ag nanoparticles form preferably on the outer surface of the films under lower sintering temperatures if the amount of loaded silver is low. Oxide crystallization (e.g., TiO₂) promotes silver embedding into the outer film layer. At higher silver content (≥10 at.%) and higher calcination temperature (873 K), silver nanoparticles could be entrapped more uniformly along the film profile because of more intensive evaporation of silver droplets from the outer surface of the films on heating.     

Measuring silver nanoparticle dissolution in complex biological and environmental matrices using UV-visible absorbance

Distinguishing the toxic effects of nanoparticles (NPs) themselves from the well-studied toxic effects of their ions is a critical but challenging measurement for nanotoxicity studies and regulation. This measurement is especially difficult for silver NPs (AgNPs) because in many relevant biological and environmental solutions, dissolved silver forms AgCl NPs or microparticles. Simulations predict that solid AgCl particles form at silver concentrations greater than 0.18 and 0.58 μg/mL in cell culture media and moderately hard reconstituted water (MHRW), respectively. The AgCl NPs are usually not easily separable from AgNPs. Therefore, common existing total silver techniques applied to measure AgNP dissolution, such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) or atomic absorption, cannot accurately measure the amount of silver remaining in AgNP form, as they cannot distinguish Ag oxidation states. In this work, we introduce a simple localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) UV–visible absorbance measurement as a technique to measure the amount of silver remaining in AgNP form for AgNPs with constant agglomeration states. Unlike other existing methods, this absorbance method can be used to measure the amount of silver remaining in AgNP form even in biological and environmental solutions containing chloride because AgCl NPs do not have an associated LSPR absorbance. In addition, no separation step is required to measure the dissolution of the AgNPs. After using ICP-MS to show that the area under the absorbance curve is an accurate measure of silver in AgNP state for unagglomerating AgNPs in non-chloride-containing media, the absorbance is used to measure dissolution rates of AgNPs with different polymer coatings in biological and environmental solutions. We find that the dissolution rate decreases at high AgNP concentrations, 5 kDa polyethylene glycol thiol coatings increase the dissolution rate, and the rate is much higher in cell culture media than in MHRW.     

Studies on Silver Accumulation and Nanoparticle Synthesis By <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cochliobolus lunatus</Emphasis>

Development of reliable and eco-friendly processes for synthesis of metallic nanoparticles is an important step in the field of application of nanotechnology. Biological systems provide a useful option to achieve this objective. In this study, potent fungal strain was selectively isolated from soil samples on silver supplemented medium, followed by silver tolerance (100–1,000 ppm) test. The isolated fungus was subjected to morphological, 18S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenic studies and confirmed as Cochliobolus lunatus. The silver accumulation and nanoparticle formation potential of wet cell mass of C. lunatus was investigated. The accumulation and nanoparticle formation by wet fungal cell mass with respect to pH change was also studied. The desorbing assay was used to recover accumulated silver from cell mass. C. lunatus was found to produce optimum biomass (0.94 g%) at 635 ppm of silver. Atomic absorption spectroscopy study showed that at optimum pH (6.5 ± 0.2), cell mass accumulates 55.6% of 100 ppm silver. SEM and FTIR studies revealed that the cell wall of C. lunatus is the site of silver sorption, and certain organic groups such as carbonyl, carboxyl, and secondary amines in the fungal cell wall have an important role in biosorption of silver in nanoform. XRD determined the FCC crystalline nature of silver nanoparticles. TEM analysis established the shape of the silver nanoparticles to be spherical with the presence of very small-sized nanoparticles. Average size of silver nanoparticles (14 nm) was confirmed by particle sizing system. This study reports the synthesis and accumulation of silver nanoparticles through reduction of Ag⁺ ions by the wet cell mass of fungus C. lunatus.     

Biological synthesis of silver nanoparticles in Tribulus terrestris L. extract and evaluation of their photocatalyst,antibacterial, and cytotoxicity effects

In recent years, progress of biological synthesis of nanoparticles is inevitable due to its important applications. In this research, a new and simple method for the synthesis of AgNPs from plant extracts is presented. The extract from shoots of the plant Tribulus terrestris L. was mixed with AgNO₃ with the aim of biologically synthesizing AgNPs. The biomolecules existing in the extract were accountable for the fast reduction of silver ions (Ag⁺) to AgNPs. Characterization of biosynthesized AgNPs was performed by UV–Vis, TEM, DLS, and XRD. The AgNPs exhibit a strong peak at 434 nm, and sphere-shaped AgNPs were found to be ~?25 nm. The biosynthesized silver nanoparticles have demonstrated high antibacterial effect against pathogenic bacteria (i.e., Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). In addition, the in vitro cytotoxicity effect of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles was also investigated and was detected to be up to 15.62 μg/mL in the treated Neuro2A cells. The plant-mediated biosynthesis of AgNPs has comparatively rapid, eco-friendly, inexpensive and wide-ranging application in modern medicine and the food industry.

     

Sol–gel synthesis of nanosilver embedded hybrid materials using combined organosilica precursors

A facile sol–gel route to the fabrication of size-controllable nanosilver embedded hybrid materials at room-temperature is presented. The preparation process involves using three kind of organosilica precursors, i.e. tetraethoxysilane, 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane and polymethylhydrosiloxane, which behaved as framework constructor, complexing agent toward metal ions and in situ reducing agent for Ag⁺ ions, respectively, under alcohol-rich synthesis conditions. The prepared hybrid materials were characterized by Ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectra, Fourier transform infrared, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements. It was shown that well-dispersed silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with small particle size were successfully embedded in the hybrid skeleton, and the mean particle size of AgNPs could be controlled at ca. 2–5 nm.     

Green synthesis and formulation a modern chemotherapeutic drug of Spinacia oleracea L. leaf aqueous extract conjugated silver nanoparticles; Chemical characterization and analysis of their cytotoxicity,antioxidant, and anti-acute myeloid leukemia properties in comparison to doxorubicin in a leukemic mouse model

There is an increasing commercial demand for nanoparticles due to their wide applicability in various areas such as electronics, catalysis, chemistry, energy, and medicine. Recently, researchers have tried to synthesize the chemotherapeutic drugs from metallic nanoparticles especially gold and silver nanoparticles. In the current study, silver nanoparticles using Spinacia oleracea L. leaf aqueous extract (AgNPs) are reported for the first time to exert a dietary remedial property compared to doxorubicin in an animal model of acute myeloid leukemia. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized using different techniques including UV-Vis., EDS, TEM, FT-IR, and FE-SEM. UV-Vis. indicates an absorption band at 462 nm that is related to the surface plasmon resonance of AgNPs. In EDS, metallic silver nanocrystals indicated an optical absorption peak at roughly 4keV. TEM and FE-SEM images exhibited a uniform spherical morphology and diameters of 20–40 nm for the nanoparticles. FT-IR findings suggested antioxidant compounds in the nanoparticles were the sources of reducing power, reducing silver ions to AgNPs. In vivo design, induction of acute myeloid leukemia was done by 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene in 75 mice. Then, the animals were randomly divided into six subgroups, including control, untreated, AgNO₃, S. oleracea, AgNPs, and doxorubicin. Similar to doxorubicin, AgNPs significantly (p ≤ 0.01) reduced the pro-inflammatory cytokines, and the total WBC, blast, neutrophil, monocyte, eosinophil, and basophil counts and increased the weight of the body, the anti-inflammatory cytokines and the lymphocyte, platelet, and RBC parameters as compared to the untreated mice. DPPH free radical scavenging test was done to evaluate the antioxidant potentials of AgNO₃, S. oleracea, AgNPs, and doxorubicin. DPPH test revealed similar antioxidant potentials for doxorubicin and AgNPs. For the analyzing of cytotoxicity effects of AgNO₃, S. oleracea, AgNPs, and doxorubicin, MTT assay was used on HUVEC, Human HL-60/vcr, 32D-FLT3-ITD, and Murine C1498 cell lines. AgNPs similar to doxorubicin had low cell viability dose-dependently against Human HL-60/vcr, 32D-FLT3-ITD, and Murine C1498 cell lines without any cytotoxicity on HUVEC cell line. These results reveal that the inclusion of S. oleracea leaf aqueous extract improves the remedial effects of AgNPs, which led to a significant enhancement in the antioxidant, cytotoxicity, and anti-acute myeloid leukemia potentials of the nanoparticles. It seems that AgNPs can be applied as a chemotherapeutic supplement or drug for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia in the clinical trial.     

Fluorescent polyacrylamide nanoparticles for naproxen recognition

We present the synthesis of fluorescent acrylamide nanoparticles (FANs) capable of recognizing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in buffered aqueous solutions. Within this important group, we selected naproxen, one of the 2-arylpropionic acids (profens), due to its use for the treatment of moderate pain, fever, and inflammation. The nanosensors were prepared under mild conditions of inverse microemulsion polymerization using aqueous acrylamide as the monomer and N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide as the cross-linker, employing the surfactants polyoxyethylene-4-lauryl ether (Brij?30) and sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate in hexane. Furthermore, a fluorescent monomer, (E)-4-[4-(dimethylamino)styryl]-1-[4-(methacryloyloxymethyl)benzyl]pyridinium chloride (mDMASP) has been synthesized and incorporated into the nanoparticles. The nanosensors exhibit a broad absorbance at around 460 nm and a structureless fluorescence band with maximum at 590 nm in 0.5 M phosphate buffer (pH = 7.2). The recognition process is performed on the basis of ionic interactions which are monitored by the fluorescence increase at 590 nm upon addition of different concentrations of naproxen. The FANs show a size distribution in the range of 20–80 nm, with a hydrodynamic diameter of 34 nm. In order to assess the selectivity of the FANs, a systematic study was conducted on the effect produced by drugs and biomolecules that could interfere with the analysis of naproxen.     

Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Geotricum</Emphasis> sp.

Nanoparticles are usually 1–100 nm in each spatial dimension considered as building blocks of the next generation of optoelectronics, electronics, and various chemical and biochemical sensors. In the synthesis of nanoparticles use of microorganisms emerges as an eco-friendly and exciting approach that reduce waste products (ultimately leading to atomically precise molecular manufacturing with zero waste); the use of nanomaterials as catalysts for greater efficiency in current manufacturing processes by minimizing or eliminating the use of toxic materials (green chemistry principles); the use of nanomaterials and nanodevices to reduce pollution (e.g. water and air filters); and the use of nanomaterials for more efficient alternative energy production (e.g. solar and fuel cells). Fungi have many advantages for nanoparticle synthesis compared with other organisms. In this study, Geotricum sp. found to successfully produce Ag nanoparticles. Geotricum sp. was grown in SDA (Sabro Dextrose Agar) medium at 25 ± 1 °C for 96 h. The mycelia were used to convert silver nitrate solution into nano-silver. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized using these fungi (Geotricum sp.) extracellularly. UV–VIS spectroscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy images shows the nanoparticle formation in the medium. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) also confirmed that silver nanoparticles in the range of 30–50 nm were synthesized extracellularly. FTIR analyses confirmed the presence of amide (I) and (II) bands of protein as capping and stabilizing agent on the surface of nanoparticles.     

Biosynthesis of Bixa orellana seed extract mediated silver nanoparticles with moderate antioxidant,antibacterial and antiproliferative activity

Biosynthesis of metallic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has gained much interest and offers an attractive alternate to physical and chemical approaches. In recent year several safe, easy, cost-effective, reproducible, and environmentally friendly synthesis approaches for silver nanoparticles have been developed. In this research work, a simple, cheap, and unexplored method was applied on green synthesis of AgNPs using secondary metabolites extracted from Bixa orellana seeds. The seeds are rich of flavonoids and phenolic compounds which presumably responsible for the fast reduction and stabilization of silver ion into silver nanoparticles. The biosynthesis process is very likely to be able to reduce silver ions under simple physiological conditions. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) that was appeared at 420 nm in UV–vis spectrum, had confirmed the formation of AgNPs. Moreover, the functional groups in secondary metabolite that act as reducing, capping and stabilizing agents for silver nanoparticles, are identified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. An X-ray diffraction analysis generated four peaks for Bixa orellana seed extract mediated AgNPs positioned at 2θ angles of 38.1°, 44.2°, 64.6°, and 77.5° corresponding to crystal planes (1 1 1), (2 0 0), (2 2 0), and (3 1 1). Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images confirmed the formation of nanosized silver particles. The z-average of the synthesized particles measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS) was found to be 92.9 nm. AgNPs synthesized exhibited remarkable antioxidant activity, antibacterial and antiproliferative activity against human breast (MCF-7) cell line. On the basis of our results, we conclude that biologically synthesized AgNPs exhibited favorable characteristics and have the potential to be used in biomedical fields.     

Single-pot derivatisation strategy for enhanced gliotoxin detection by HPLC and MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry

Gliotoxin is produced by non-ribosomal peptide synthesis and secreted from certain fungi, including Aspergillus fumigatus. It is an epipolythiodioxopiperazine that contains an intact disulphide bridge and is the focus of intense research as a consequence of its negative immunomodulatory properties. Gliotoxin detection is generally enabled by reversed-phase–high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), with absorbance detection (220–280 nm), or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, yet detection is not readily achievable by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF MS). We have developed a single-pot derivatisation strategy which uses sodium borohydride-mediated reduction of gliotoxin followed by immediate alkylation of exposed thiols by 5′-iodoacetamidofluorescein to yield a stable product, diacetamidofluorescein-gliotoxin (GT-(AF)₂), of molecular mass 1103.931 Da ((M + H)+). This product is readily detectable by RP-HPLC and exhibits a 6.8-fold increase in molar absorptivity compared with gliotoxin, which results in a higher sensitivity of detection (40 ng; 125 pmoL). GT-(AF)₂ also fluoresces (excitation/emission, 492:518 nm). Unlike free gliotoxin, the product (>800 fmol) is detectable by MALDI-ToF MS. Sporidesmin A can also be detected by RP-HPLC and MALDI-ToF MS (>530 fmol) using this strategy. We also demonstrate that the strategy facilitates detection of gliotoxin (mean ± SD = 3.55 ± 0.07 μg 100 μL⁻¹; n = 2) produced by A. fumigatus, without the requirement for organic extraction of culture supernatants and associated solvent removal. GT-(AF)₂ is also detectable (150 ng; 460 pmol) by thin-layer chromatography.     

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using root extract of Duchesnea indica and assessment of its biological activities

Treatment of microbial infections and inflammatory conditions have many challenges in terms of efficacy and safety issues. Novel approaches such as nanoparticles based drug delivery system have shown promising results to solve some of these problems. The aim of this study was to exploit the efficacy of the synthesized silver nanoparticles. In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesized using root extract (aqueous) of Duchesnea indica. They were characterized using different techniques such as, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectrophotometry, transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM and SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and zetasizer. The UV–Vis spectra gave a characteristic peak at 423 nm; XRD confirmed its crystalline structure; FTIR confirmed the involvement of phytochemicals in their capping and reduction; TEM images confirmed their spherical shape with average width of 20.49 nm and average area of 319.25 nm². Various biological activities were performed on these NPs, such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and muscle relaxant, which showed significant results as follow. Among bacterial strains, Salmonella typhi (MIC: 0.01 mg/ml) and Escherichia coli (MIC: 0.01 mg/ml), while among that of fungal Microsporum canis (MIC: 0.53 mg/ml) and Alternaria alternata (MIC: 0.51 mg/ml) were most susceptible. The AgNPs showed maximum anti-inflammatory activity (46.15 and 56.85%) at 20 mg/kg after 3 and 5 h of drug administration, comparable to that of standard. In-vivo model exhibited concentration dependent inhibition of both COX-2 and 5-LOX enzymes. Similarly, it exhibited maximum analgesic activity (54.24%) at 20 mg/kg dose after 60 min. of pain induction. Furthermore, they depicted maximum muscle relaxation (P < 0.01) after 60 and 90 min of drug administration. Above results suggest that these AgNPs can be studied further for the development of more effective and safe formulations.     

Biosynthesis, purification and characterization of silver nanoparticles using Escherichia coli

The application of nanoscale materials and structures, usually ranging from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm), is an emerging area of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Nanomaterials may provide solutions to technological and environmental challenges in the areas of solar energy conversion, catalysis, medicine, and water-treatment. The development of techniques for the controlled synthesis of nanoparticles of well-defined size, shape and composition, to be used in the biomedical field and areas such as optics and electronics, has become a big challenge. Development of reliable and eco-friendly processes for synthesis of metallic nanoparticles is an important step in the field of application of nanotechnology. One of the options to achieve this objective is to use ‘natural factories’ such as biological systems. This study reports the optimal conditions for maximum synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) through reduction of Ag⁺ ions by the culture supernatant of Escherichia coli. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were purified by using sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The purified sample was further characterized by UV–vis spectra, fluorescence spectroscopy and TEM. The purified solution yielded the maximum absorbance peak at 420 nm and the TEM characterization showed a uniform distribution of nanoparticles, with an average size of 50 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum of the silver nanoparticles exhibited 2θ values corresponding to the silver nanocrystal. The size-distribution of nanoparticles was determined using a particle-size analyzer and the average particle size was found to be 50 nm. This study also demonstrates that particle size could be controlled by varying the parameters such as temperature, pH and concentration of AgNO₃.     

Soft-templating synthesis and adsorption properties of mesoporous carbons with embedded silver nanoparticles

Mesoporous carbons containing silver nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized under acidic conditions by employing resorcinol and formaldehyde as carbon precursors and triblock copolymer EO₁₀₁PO₅₆EO₁₀₁ (Lutrol F127) as a soft template. Silver nanoparticles of ∼90 nm were added to the synthesis mixture to achieve 10 wt% and 20 wt% of Ag loading in the carbon. Also, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) was introduced to the system in order to improve adsorption properties of the silver-carbon composites and to reinforce its structure. The resulting carbons with incorporated silver nanoparticles featured high surface areas, large total pore volumes and primary mesopores in the range between ∼6–7 nm.     

Photodynamic cytotoxic and antibacterial evaluation of Tecoma stans and Narcissus tazetta mediated silver nanoparticles

Nanobiotechnology is the intersection of nanotechnology and biology, where nano systems are applied to help study biological systems. There is a growing interest of researchers in the application of nanotechnology in improving the efficacy of photodynamic therapy. In this study, the antioxidant, photodynamic, anticancer, and antibacterial potential of plant extracts and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were investigated. In order to synthesize AgNPs, 10 g of dried powder of Tecoma stans and Narcissus tazetta was boiled in deionized water (100 ml) and mixed with aqueous solution of silver metals, resulting in the formation of AgNPs. The synthesized AgNPs were spherical having size in a range of 15–100 nm. The application of extract (50 µl) and AgNPs to rhabdomyosarcoma cell line showed a decreased cell viability (%). Photodynamic study revealed an improvement in photosensitizer efficacy on introducing AgNPs. Both plant extracts and AgNPs had significant effect against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as well as sensitive Staphylococcus aureus with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of AgNPs lower (32–256 µg/ml) than the plant extracts. According to the current findings, these AgNPs have an enhancing effect on the photodynamic cytotoxic potential of plant extracts. Because of biological efficacy, these AgNPs may play a crucial role in determining therapeutic potential of Tecoma stans and Narcissus tazetta.     

Immobilization of flavine adenine dinucleotide onto nickel oxide nanostructures modified glassy carbon electrode: fabrication of highly sensitive persulfate sensor

A simple method was used to fabricate flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)/NiOx nanocomposite on the surface of glassy carbon (GC) electrode. Cyclic voltammetry technique was applied for deposition nickel oxide nanostructures onto GC surface. Owing to its high biocompatibility and large surface area of nickel oxide nanomaterials with immersing the GC/NiOx-modified electrode into FAD solution for a short period of time, 10–140 s, a stable thin layer of the FAD molecules immobilized onto electrode surface. The FAD/NiOx films exhibited a pair of well-defined, stable, and nearly reversible CV peaks at wide pH range (2–10). The formal potential of adsorbed FAD onto nickel oxide nanoparticles film, E ^o′ vs. Ag/AgCl reference electrode is −0.44 V in pH 7 buffer solutions was similar to dissolved FAD and changed linearly with a slope of 58.6 mV/pH in the pH range 2–10. The surface coverage and heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (k _s ) of FAD immobilized on NiOx film glassy carbon electrode are 4.66 × 10⁻¹¹ mol cm⁻² and 63 ± 0.1 s⁻¹, indicating the high loading ability of the nickel oxide nanoparticles and great facilitation of the electron transfer between FAD and nickel oxide nanoparticles. FAD/NiOx nanocomposite-modified GC electrode shows excellent electrocatalytic activity toward S₂O₈²⁻ reduction at reduced overpotential. Furthermore, rotated modified electrode illustrates good analytical performance for amperometric detection of S₂O₈²⁻. Under optimized condition, the concentration calibration range, detection limit, and sensitivity were 3 μM–1.5 mM, 0.38 μM and 16.6 nA/μM, respectively.     

Applications of nanostructured Pt-Au hybrid film for the simultaneous determination of catecholamines in the presence of ascorbic acid

Nanostructured platinum-gold (Pt–Au) hybrid film modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was fabricated by electro-deposition method in the presence of 2 × 10⁻⁴ mol l⁻¹ l-cysteine. To examine the surface morphological analysis, the (Pt–Au) hybrid film were electrochemically deposited on transparent semiconductor indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) studies. From the SEM analysis, it was observed that the deposited nanoplatinum (250–400 nm) was formed as a cauliflower-shaped structure with the gold nanoparticles (30–90 nm). The concentration variation of additive l-cysteine results in the formation of cauliflower-shaped platinum nanoparticles. Further, the Pt–Au hybrid film modified GCE could be used for the detection of catecholamine neurotransmitters epinephrine (EP), norepinephrine (NEP) individually and in the presence of ascorbic acid (AA) in pH 7 phosphate-buffered solutions (PBS). Furthermore, the proposed Pt–Au hybrid film could be applied for the detection of epinephrine in injection solution and ascorbic acid from commercially available vitamin C tablets.     

Antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of nanochelating based silver nanoparticles against several nosocomial pathogens

The emergence of multi‐drug resistant (MDR) bacteria and dynamic pattern of infectious diseases demand to develop alternative and more effective therapeutic strategies. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are among the most widely commercialized engineered nanomaterials, because of their unique properties and increasing use for various applications in nanomedicine. This study for the first time aimed to evaluate the antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of newly synthesized nanochelating based AgNPs against several Gram‐positive and ‐negative nosocomial pathogens. Nanochelating technology was used to design and synthesize the AgNPs. The cytotoxicity was tested in human cell line using the MTT assay. AgNPs minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by standard broth microdilution. Antibiofilm activity was assayed by a microtiter‐plate screening method. The two synthesized AgNPs including AgNPs (A) with the size of about 20‐25 nm, and AgNPs (B) with 30‐35 nm were tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. AgNPs exhibited higher antibacterial activity against Gram‐positive strains. AgNPs were found to significantly inhibit the biofilm formation of tested strains in concentration 0.01 to 10 mg/mL. AgNPs (A) showed significant effective antibiofilm activity compared to AgNPs (B). In summary, our results showed the promising antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of our new nanochelating based synthesized AgNPs against several nosocomial pathogens.     

Fabrication of gold nanoparticles/polypyrrole composite-modified electrode for sensitive hydroxylamine sensor design

A highly sensitive hydroxylamine (HA) electrochemical sensor is developed based on electrodeposition of gold nanoparticles with diameter of 8 nm on the pre-synthesized polypyrrole matrix and formed gold nanoparticles/polypyrrole (GNPs/PPy) composite on glassy carbon electrode. The electrochemical behavior and electrocatalytic activity of the composite-modified electrode are investigated. The GNPs/PPy composite exhibits a distinctly higher electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of HA than GNPs with twofold enhancement of peak current. The enhanced electrocatalytic activity is attributed to the synergic effect of the highly dispersed gold metal particles and PPy matrix. The overall numbers of electrons involved in HA oxidation, the electron transfer coefficient, catalytic rate constant, and diffusion coefficient are investigated by chronoamperometry. The sensor presents two wide linear ranges of 4.5 × 10⁻⁷–1.2 × 10⁻³ M and 1.2 × 10⁻³–19 × 10⁻³ M with the detection limit of 4.5 × 10⁻⁸ M (s/n = 3). In addition, the proposed electrode shows excellent sensitivity, selectivity, reproducibility, and stability properties.