Biosynthesis of Nanoparticles and Their Potential Application in Food and Agricultural Sector

Mycosynthesis of selenium nanoparticles using Penicillium tardochrysogenum as a therapeutic agent and their combination with infrared irradiation against Ehrlich carcinoma

Over the past years, the assessment of myco-fabricated selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) properties, is still in its infancy. Herein, we have highly stable myco-synthesized SeNPs using molecularly identified soil-isolated fungus; Penicillium tardochrysogenum OR059437; (PeSeNPs) were clarified via TEM, EDX, UV-Vis spectrophotometer, FTIR and zeta potential. The therapeutic efficacy profile will be determined, these crystalline PeSeNPs were examined for antioxidant, antimicrobial, MIC, and anticancer potentials, indicating that, PeSeNPs have antioxidant activity of (IC50, 109.11 μg/mL) using DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Also, PeSeNPs possess antimicrobial potential against Penicillium italicum RCMB 001,018 (1) IMI 193,019, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ATCC 4330 and Porphyromonas gingivalis RCMB 022,001 (1) EMCC 1699; with I.Z. diameters and MIC; 16 ± 0.5 mm and MIC 500 µg/ml, 11.9 ± 0.6 mm, 500 µg/ml and 15.9±0.6 mm, 1000 µg/ml, respectively. Additionally, TEM micrographs were taken for P. italicum treated with PeSeNPs, demonstrating the destruction of hyphal membrane and internal organelles integrity, pores formation, and cell death. PeSeNP alone in vivo and combined with a near-infrared physiotherapy lamp with an energy intensity of 140 mW/cm2 showed a strong therapeutic effect against cancer cells. Thus, PeSeNPs represent anticancer agents and a suitable photothermal option for treating different kinds of cancer cells with lower toxicity and higher efficiency than normal cells. The combination therapy showed a very large and significant reduction in tumor volume, the tumor cells showed large necrosis, shrank, and disappeared. There was also improvement in liver ultrastructure, liver enzymes, and histology, as well as renal function, urea, and creatinine.

Silver Nanostructures prepared via novel green approach as an effective platform for biological and environmental applications

Silver nanoparticles play a significant role in biomedical sciences due to their unique properties allowing for their use as an effective sensing and remediation platform Herein, the green synthesis of silver nanostructures (Ag NSs), prepared via aqueous extract of waste Brassica oleracea leaves in the presence of silver nitrate solution (10^-4 M), is reported. The Ag NSs are fully characterized and their efficacy with respect to 4-nitrophenol reduction, glucose sensing, and microbes is determined. Visually, the color of silver nitrate containing solution altered from colorless to yellowish, then reddish grey, confirming the formation of Ag NSs. HRTEM and SEAD studies revealed the Ag NSs to have different morphologies (triangular, rod-shaped, hexagonal, etc., within a size range of 20–40 nm) with face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure. The Ag NSs possess high efficacy for nitrophenol reduction (<11 min and degradation efficiency of 98.2%), glucose sensing (LOD: 5.83 µM), and antimicrobial activity (E. coli and B. subtilis with clearance zones of 18.3 and 14 mm, respectively). Thus, the current study alludes towards the development of a cost-effective, sustainable, and efficient three-in-one platform for biomedical and environmental applications.

Green approaches for the synthesis of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles using microbial and plant extracts

Green synthesis approaches are gaining significance as promising routes for the sustainable preparation of nanoparticles, offering reduced toxicity towards living organisms and the environment. Nanomaterials produced by green synthesis approaches can offer additional benefits, including reduced energy inputs and lower production costs than traditional synthesis, which bodes well for commercial-scale production. The biomolecules and phytochemicals extracted from microbes and plants, respectively, are active compounds that function as reducing and stabilizing agents for the green synthesis of nanoparticles. Microorganisms, such as bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and algae, have been used in nanomaterials' biological synthesis for some time. Furthermore, the use of plants or plant extracts for metal and metal-based hybrid nanoparticle synthesis represents a novel green synthesis approach that has attracted significant research interest. This review discusses various biosynthesis approaches via microbes and plants for the green preparation of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles and provides insights into the molecular aspects of the synthesis mechanisms and biomedical applications. The use of agriculture waste as a potential bioresource for nanoparticle synthesis and biomedical applications of biosynthesized nanoparticles is also discussed.

Green approaches for the synthesis of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles using microbial and plant extracts

Green synthesis approaches are gaining significance as promising routes for the sustainable preparation of nanoparticles, offering reduced toxicity towards living organisms and the environment.

Application of Nanomaterials to Ensure Quality and Nutritional Safety of Food

Nanomaterials (NMs) are emerging novel tools for preserving quality, enhancing shelf life, and ensuring food safety. Owing to the distinctive physicochemical characters, engineered NMs under varying sizes and dimensions have great potentials for application in the manufacturing, packaging, processing, and safety of quality agrifood. The promise of various kinds of novel NMs that are useful for food industries has opened a possibility of a new revolution in agroprocessing industries in both the emerging and advanced nations. The rapid advancement of nanoscience has provided a great impact on material science that has allowed researchers to understand every aspect of molecular complexity and its functions in life sciences. The reduced size of NMs that increase the surface area is useful in the specific target of different organs, and biodegradable nanospheres are helpful in the transport of bioactive molecules across the cellular barriers. However, nanotechnology creates a great revolution in several sections including agriculture and food industry and also reduces environmental pollution, while the toxicity of some NMs in the food industry poses a great concern to researchers for their greater application. However, most of the developed countries have regulatory control acts but developing countries do not have them yet. Therefore, for the safe use of NMs and also to minimize the health and environmental risks in both the developed and developing countries, it is indispensable to recognize the toxicity-constructed, toxicodynamic, and toxicokinetic features of NMs, which should carefully be emphasized at the home and industrial levels. The current study highlights the updates of the NMs to safeguard the quality and nutritional safety of foods at home and also at the industrial level.

Mechanism of Producing Metallic Nanoparticles, with an Emphasis on Silver and Gold Nanoparticles, Using Bottom-Up Methods

Bottom-up nanoparticle (NP) formation is assumed to begin with the reduction of the precursor metallic ions to form zero-valent atoms. Studies in which this assumption was made are reviewed. The standard reduction potential for the formation of aqueous metallic atoms-E0(Mn+aq/M0aq)-is significantly lower than the usual standard reduction potential for reducing metallic ions Mn+ in aqueous solution to a metal in solid state. E0(Mn+aq/M0solid). E0(Mn+aq/M0aq) values are negative for many typical metals, including Ag and Au, for which E0(Mn+aq/M0solid) is positive. Therefore, many common moderate reduction agents that do not have significantly high negative reduction standard potentials (e.g., hydrogen, carbon monoxide, citrate, hydroxylamine, formaldehyde, ascorbate, squartic acid, and BH4-), and cannot reduce the metallic cations to zero-valent atoms, indicating that the mechanism of NP production should be reconsidered. Both AgNP and AuNP formations were found to be multi-step processes that begin with the formation of clusters constructed from a skeleton of M+-M+ (M = Ag or Au) bonds that is followed by the reduction of a cation M+ in the cluster to M0, to form Mn0 via the formation of NPs. The plausibility of M+-M+ formation is reviewed. Studies that suggest a revised mechanism for the formation of AgNPs and AuNPs are also reviewed.