Synthesis and antimicrobial activity assessment of calcium and iron phosphate nanoparticles prepared by a facile and cost-effective method

Iron/Copper/Phosphate nanocomposite as antimicrobial, antisnail, and wheat growth-promoting agent

BACKGROUND

One of the current challenges is to secure wheat crop production to meet the increasing global food demand and to face the increase in its purchasing power. Therefore, the current study aimed to exploit a new synthesized nanocomposite to enhance wheat growth under both normal and drought regime. The effectiveness of this nanocomposite in improving the microbiological quality of irrigation water and inhibiting the snail's growth was also assessed.

RESULTS

Upon the employed one-step synthesis process, a spherical Fe/Cu/P nanocomposite was obtained with a mean particle size of 4.35 ± 1.524 nm. Cu2+, Fe2+, and P4+ were detected in the dried nanocomposite at 14.533 ± 0.176, 5.200 ± 0.208, and 34.167 ± 0.203 mg/ml concentration, respectively. This nanocomposite was found to exert antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi. It caused good inhibition percent against Fusarium oxysporum (43.5 ± 1.47%) and reduced both its germination rate and germination efficiency. The lethal concentration 50 (LC50) of this nanocomposite against Lanistes carinatus snails was 76 ppm. The treated snails showed disturbance in their feeding habit and reached the prevention state. Significant histological changes were observed in snail digestive tract and male and female gonads. Drought stress on wheat's growth was mitigated in response to 100 and 300 ppm treatments. An increase in all assessed growth parameters was reported, mainly in the case of 100 ppm treatment under both standard and drought regimes. Compared to control plants, this stimulative effect was accompanied by a 2.12-fold rise in mitotic index and a 3.2-fold increase in total chromosomal abnormalities.

CONCLUSION

The finding of the current study could be employed to mitigate the effect of drought stress on wheat growth and to enhance the microbiological quality of irrigation water. This is due to the increased efficacy of the newly synthesized Fe/Cu/P nanocomposite against bacteria, fungi, and snails. This methodology exhibits potential for promoting sustainable wheat growth and water resource conservation.

Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Antimicrobial Polymers Based on the Inclusion of Polyethylene Glycol/TiO2 Nanocomposites in Cyclodextrin as Drug Carriers for Sulfaguanidine

Polymers and their composites have recently attracted attention in both pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a versatile polymer extensively used in medicine. Herein, three novel PEG-based polymers that are pseudopolyrotaxane (PEG/α-CD) (1), titania–nanocomposite (PEG/TiO₂NPs) (2), and pseudopolyrotaxane–titania–nanocomposite (PEG/α-CD/TiO₂NPs) (3), were synthesized and characterized. The chemical structure, surface morphology, and optical properties of the newly materials were examined by FT-IR, ¹H-NMR, SEM, and UV–Vis., respectively. The prepared polymers were used as drug carriers of sulfaguanidine as PEG/α-CD/Drug (4), PEG/TiO₂NPs/Drug (5), and PEG/α-CD/TiO₂NPs/Drug (6). The influence of these drug-carrying formulations on the physical and chemical characteristics of sulfaguanidine including pharmacokinetic response, solubility, and tissue penetration was explored. Evaluation of the antibacterial and antibiofilm effect of sulfaguanidine was tested before and after loading onto the prepared polymers against some Gram-negative and positive bacteria (E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)), as well. The results of this work turned out to be very promising as they confirmed that loading sulfaguanidine to the newly designed polymers not only showed superior antibacterial and antibiofilm efficacy compared to the pure drug, but also modified the properties of the sulfaguanidine drug itself.