Fabrication of eco-friendly chitosan functionalized few-layered WS2 nanocomposite implanted with ruthenium nanoparticles for in vitro antibacterial and anticancer activity: Synthesis, characterization, and pharmaceutical applications

Fabrication of MoS2 restrained magnetic chitosan polysaccharide composite for the photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes

Chitosan (CS) polysaccharide is expected to exhibit greater ionic conductivity, which can be attributed to its increased amino group content when it is blended with different semiconducting materials. Herein, the work used this conducting ability of chitosan and prepared a heterogeneous MoS2-induced magnetic chitosan (MF@CS) composite via the co-precipitation method, which was used to scrutinize the catalytic performance with Methylene Blue (MB) and Malachite Green (MG) dyes by visible light irradiation. The saturation magnetization value of the MF@CS composite is found to be 7.8 emu/g, which is less when compared to that of pristine Fe3O4 (55.7 emu/g) particles. The bandgap of the MF@CS composite is ∼ 2.17eV, which exceeds the bandgap (Eg) of bare MoS2 of 1.80 eV. The maximum color removal of 96.3 % and 93.4 % for MB and MG dyestuffs is recognized in the exposure of the visible spectrum, respectively. At a starting dye dosage of 30 mg/L, 0.1 g/L of MF@CS, a pH level of 8-11, and 70 min of contact with direct light. The photocatalyst provides extremely good durability for a maximum of five phases. Hence, the MF@CS matrix is a viable and appropriate substance for the efficient treatment of effluents containing dye molecules.

Ultralow Loading Copper-Intercalated MoO3 Nanobelts with High Activity against Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

In recent years, the infection rate of antibiotic resistance has been increasing year by year, and the prevalence of super bacteria has posed a great threat to human health. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find new antibiotic alternatives with long-term inhibitory activity against a broad spectrum of bacteria and microorganisms in order to avoid the proliferation of more multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. The presence of natural van der Waals (vdW) gaps in layered materials allows them to be easily inserted by different guest species, providing an attractive strategy for optimizing their physicochemical properties and applications. Here, we have successfully constructed a copper-intercalated α-MoO3 nanobelt based on nanoenzymes, which is antibacterial through the synergistic effect of multiple enzymes. Compared with α-MoO3, MoO3-x/Cu nanobelts with a copper loading capacity of 2.11% possess enhanced peroxidase (POD) catalytic activity and glutathione (GSH) depletion, indicating that copper intercalation significantly improves the catalytic performance of the nanoenzymes. The MoO3-x/Cu nanobelts are effective in inducing POD and oxidase (OXD) and catalase (CAT) activities in the presence of H2O2 and O2, which resulted in the generation of large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which were effective in bacterial killing. Interestingly, MoO3-x/Cu nanobelts can serve as glutathione oxidase (GSHOx)-like nanoenzymes, which can deplete GSH in bacteria and thus significantly improve the bactericidal effect. The multienzyme-catalyzed synergistic antimicrobial strategy shows excellent antimicrobial efficiency against β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-E. coli) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). MoO3-x/Cu exhibits excellent spectral bactericidal properties at very low concentrations (20 μg mL-1). Our work highlights the wide range of antibacterial and anti-infective biological applications of copper-intercalated MoO3-x/Cu nanobelt catalysts.

Nanotechnology-based delivery systems to overcome drug resistance in cancer

Cancer nanomedicine is defined as the application of nanotechnology and nanomaterials for the formulation of cancer therapeutics that can overcome the impediments and restrictions of traditional chemotherapeutics. Multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer cells can be defined as a decrease or abrogation in the efficacy of anticancer drugs that have different molecular structures and mechanisms of action and is one of the primary causes of therapeutic failure. There have been successes in the development of cancer nanomedicine to overcome MDR; however, relatively few of these formulations have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of cancer. This is primarily due to the paucity of knowledge about nanotechnology and the fundamental biology of cancer cells. Here, we discuss the advances, types of nanomedicines, and the challenges regarding the translation of in vitro to in vivo results and their relevance to effective therapies.

Synthesis of novel liquid phase exfoliation of chitosan/Bi2Se3 hybrid nanocomposites for in-vitro wound healing

Numerous studies have recently established the potential of chitosan (Chi) to enhance wound healing. Chi is a carbohydrate biopolymer that is biocompatible, low-cost, toxic-free, and has excellent antibacterial properties. In this study, we synthesized Chi/Bi2Se3 hybrid nanocomposites (NCs) using a liquid exfoliation approach. The physicochemical characterization of the hybrid NCs was investigated using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transforms infrared, Thermogravimetric, Scanning electron microscope, and Transmission electron microscope. The antibacterial ability has been investigated versus two pathogens, S. aureus and E. coli. In comparison to bare materials, the hybrid NCs demonstrated better antibacterial activity against both bacterial strains. As a result, the electrostatic attraction of positively charged Chi can easily attract the negatively charged surface of the bacteria cell membrane and NCs generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). This ROS can attack bacteria's intracellular components and eventually kill bacteria. The biocompatibility of the Chi/Bi2Se3 NCs was evaluated against L929 mice fibroblast cells, and there was no evident cytotoxicity. Furthermore, an in-vitro wound scratch test was carried out on L929 mouse fibroblast cells and the Chi/Bi2Se3 hybrid NCs promote wound healing and cell proliferation. These findings suggest that the Chi/Bi2Se3 hybrid NCs as a promising future material for bacteria-infected in-vivo wound healing.

Gum Arabic-mediated liquid exfoliation of transition metal dichalcogenides as photothermic anti-breast cancer candidates

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have gained considerable attention for a broad range of applications, including cancer therapy. Production of TMD nanosheets using liquid exfoliation provides an inexpensive and facile route to achieve high yields. In this study, we developed TMD nanosheets using gum arabic as an exfoliating and stabilizing agent. Different types of TMDs, including MoS₂, WS₂, MoSe₂, and WSe₂ nanosheets, were produced using gum arabic and were characterized physicochemically. The developed gum arabic TMD nanosheets exhibited a remarkable photothermal absorption capacity in the near-infrared (NIR) region (808 nm and 1 W⋅cm^-2). The drug doxorubicin was loaded on the gum arabic-MoSe₂ nanosheets (Dox-G-MoSe₂), and the anticancer activity was evaluated using MDA-MB-231 cells and a water-soluble tetrazolium salt (WST-1) assay, live and dead cell assays, and flow cytometry. Dox-G-MoSe₂ significantly inhibited MDA-MB-231 cancer cell proliferation under the illumination ofan NIR laser at 808 nm. These results indicate that Dox-G-MoSe₂ is a potentially valuable biomaterial for breast cancer therapy.

The Novel 5-Fluorouracil Loaded Ruthenium-based Nanocarriers Enhanced Anticancer and Apoptotic Efficiency while Reducing Multidrug Resistance in Colorectal Cancer Cells

Recently, nanocarriers have been made to eliminate the disadvantages of chemotherapeutic agents by nanocarriers. Nanocarriers show their efficacy through their targeted and controlled release. In this study, 5-fluorouracil (5FU) was loaded into ruthenium (Ru)-based nanocarrier (5FU-RuNPs) for the first time to eliminate the disadvantages of 5FU, and its cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on HCT116 colorectal cancer cells were compared with free 5FU. 5FU-RuNPs with a size of approximately 100 nm showed a 2.61-fold higher cytotoxic effect compared to free 5FU. Apoptotic cells were detected by Hoechst/propidium iodide double staining, and the expression levels of BAX/Bcl-2 and p53 proteins, in which apoptosis occurred intrinsically, were revealed. In addition, 5FU-RuNPs was also found to reduce multidrug resistance (MDR) according to BCRP/ABCG2 gene expression levels. When all the results were evaluated, the fact that Ru-based nanocarriers alone did not cause cytotoxicity proved that they were ideal nanocarriers. Moreover, 5FU-RuNPs did not show any significant effect on the cell viability of normal human epithelial cell lines BEAS-2B. Consequently, the 5FU-RuNPs synthesized for the first time may be ideal candidates for cancer treatment because they can minimize the potential drawbacks of free 5FU.

Evaluation of the Antibacterial Activity of Eco-Friendly Hybrid Composites on the Base of Oyster Shell Powder Modified by Metal Ions and LLDPE

Transforming biological waste into high-value-added materials is currently attracting extensive research interest in the medical and industrial treatment fields. The design and use of new antibacterial systems are urgently needed. In this study, we used discarded oyster shell powder (OSP) to prepare calcium oxide (CaO). CaO was mixed with silver (Ag), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) ions as a controlled release and antibacterial system to test the antibacterial activity. The inhibition zones of various modified metals were between 22 and 29 mm for Escherichia coli (E. coli) and between 21 and 24 mm for Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). In addition, linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) combined with CaO and metal ion forms can be an excellent alternative to a hybrid composite. The strength modulus at 1% LLDPE to LLDPE/CaO Ag increased from 297 to 320 MPa. In addition, the antimicrobial activity of LLDPE/CaO/metal ions against E. coli had an antibacterial effect of about 99.9%. Therefore, this hybrid composite material has good potential as an antibacterial therapy and biomaterial suitable for many applications.

Review of the Design of Ruthenium-Based Nanomaterials and Their Sensing Applications in Electrochemistry

In this review, ruthenium nanoparticles (Ru NPs)-based functional nanomaterials have attractive electrocatalytic characteristics and they offer considerable potential in a number of fields. Ru-based binary or multimetallic NPs are widely utilized for electrode modification because of their unique electrocatalytic properties, enhanced surface-area-to-volume ratio, and synergistic effect between two metals provides as an effective improved electrode sensor. This perspective review suggests the current research and development of Ru-based nanomaterials as a platform for electrochemical (EC) sensing of harmful substances, biomolecules, insecticides, pharmaceuticals, and environmental pollutants. The advantages and limitations of mono-, bi-, and multimetallic Ru-based nanocomposites for EC sensors are discussed. Besides, the relevant EC properties and analyte sensing approaches are also presented. On the basis of these insights, we highlighted recent results for synthesizing techniques and EC environmental pollutant sensors from the perspectives of diverse supports, including graphene, carbon nanotubes, silica, semiconductors, metal sulfides, and polymers. Finally, this work overviews the modern improvements in the utilization of Ru-based nanocomposites on the basis for electroanalytical sensors as well as suggestions for the field's future development.