Acute and subchronic toxicity analysis of surface modified paclitaxel attached hydroxyapatite and titanium dioxide nanoparticles

Hemocompatible and biocompatible hybrid nanocarriers for enhanced oral bioavailability of paclitaxel: in vivo evaluation

Oral administration of BCS class IV anticancer agents has always remained challenging and frequently results in poor oral bioavailability. The goal of the current study was to develop hybrid nanoparticles (HNPs) employing cholesterol and poloxamer-407 to boost paclitaxel's (PTX) oral bioavailability. A series of HNPs with different cholesterol and poloxamer-407 ratios were developed utilizing a single-step nanoprecipitation technique. The PTX loaded HNPs were characterized systematically via particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, surface morphology, in vitro drug release, FTIR, DSC, XRD, acute oral toxicity analysis, hemolysis evaluation, accelerated stability studies, and in vivo pharmacokinetic analysis. The HNPs were found within the range of 106.6±55.60 - 244.5±88.24 nm diameter with the polydispersity index ranging from 0.20±0.03 - 0.51±0.11. SEM confirmed circular, nonporous, and smooth surfaces of HNPs. PTX loaded HNPs exhibited controlled release profile. The compatibility between the components of formulation, thermal stability, and amorphous nature of HNPs were confirmed by FTIR, DSC, and XRD, respectively. Acute oral toxicity analysis revealed that developed system have no deleterious effects on the animals' cellular structures. HNPs demonstrated notable cytotoxic effects and were hemocompatible at relatively higher concentrations. In vivo pharmacokinetic profile (AUC0-∞, AUMC0-∞, t1/2, and MRT0-∞) of the PTX loaded HNPs was improved as compared to pure PTX. It is concluded from our findings that the developed HNPs are hemocompatible, biocompatible and have significantly enhanced the oral bioavailability of PTX.

High doses of hydroxyapatite nanoparticle (nHAP) impairs microcirculation in vivo

Nanoparticles has surrounded the population by their use in electronics, medicine and cosmetics. The exposure to nanoparticles coming from different sources is uncountable as the amount of nanoparticles in which a person is exposed daily. In this direction and considering that microcirculation is the main and most affected system by nanoparticles in the first moment, responsible to transport and deal with nanoparticles internally, we evaluated a massive exposure (1 g/Kg) of a well-known nanoparticle (hydroxyapatite) and the impact on the microvessels. The results showed a massive destruction of venules, arterioles, and capillaries when nHAPs were administered topically. However, systemic administration of high doses of nHAP did not affect microcirculation but altered biochemical parameters of blood samples from treated animals. The data demonstrated that even well documented nanoparticles at high doses might affect the whole-body homeostasis. Finally, the results raise the necessity for further investigation of the effect of nanoparticles in microcirculation and the impact in the whole-body homeostasis.

Decreased Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Count Predicts Poor Treatment Response in Peritoneal Dialysis-Associated Peritonitis

Purpose

Peripheral blood lymphocyte counts is a pivotal parameter in assessing the host's immune response during maladies and the equilibrium of the immune system which has been found to correlate with various diseases progression and prognosis. However, there was no study on patients with peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis (PDAP). We sought to investigate the prognostic value of baseline peripheral blood lymphocyte count in PDAP patients.

Patients and methods

This retrospective study analyzed data from 286 PDAP patients over nine years. Episodes were categorized according to the tertiles of peripheral blood lymphocyte counts (Very Low Lymphocyte Count (VLLC) Group, <0.72×106/L; Low Lymphocyte Count (LLC) Group, 0.72-1.11×106/L; Normal Lymphocyte Count (NLC) Group, ≥ 1.11×106/L). Demographic, laboratory, and infection-related variables were analyzed. Cox regression and generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were used to estimate the association between lymphocyte counts and PDAP treatment failure, which included PD catheter removal and death.

Results

After adjusting for other potential predictors, decreased lymphocyte counts exhibited an incremental relationship with the risk of treatment failure. The VLLC group indicated a 270% (95% CI, 1.168-6.247, P=0.020) and 273% (95% CI, 1.028-7.269, P=0.044) increased venture of treatment failure in Cox regression and GEE analyses, respectively, compared with the NLC group. As a continuous variable, the restricted cubic spline showed a linear negative correlation between lymphocyte counts and the treatment failure risk (P for overall = 0.026). The multivariate model C (combined lymphocyte count with baseline age, sex, dialysis age, Charlson Comorbidity index (CCI), etiology of kidney failure, hemoglobin, albumin, total bilirubin and infection type) showed an area under the curve of 0.824 (95% CI, 0.767-0.881, P=0.001) for the prediction of treatment failure.

Conclusion

Lower lymphocyte counts are linked to increased PDAP treatment failure risk. This highlights lymphocyte count's potential as a prognostic indicator for PDAP.

A Novel Paclitaxel Derivative for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Chemotherapy

Paclitaxel-triethylenetetramine hexaacetic acid conjugate (PTX-TTHA), a novel semi-synthetic taxane, is designed to improve the water solubility and cosolvent toxicity of paclitaxel in several aminopolycarboxylic acid groups. In this study, the in vitro and in vivo antitumor effects and mechanisms of PTX-TTHA against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and its intravenous toxicity were evaluated. Results showed the water solubility of PTX-TTHA was greater than 5 mg/mL, which was about 7140-fold higher than that of paclitaxel (<0.7 µg/mL). PTX-TTHA (10-10⁵ nmol/L) could significantly inhibit breast cancer proliferation and induce apoptosis by stabilizing microtubules and arresting the cell cycle in the G2/M phase in vitro, with its therapeutic effect and mechanism similar to paclitaxel. However, when the MDA-MB-231 cell-derived xenograft (CDX) tumor model received PTX-TTHA (13.73 mg/kg) treatment once every 3 days for 21 days, the tumor inhibition rate was up to 77.32%. Furthermore, PTX-TTHA could inhibit tumor proliferation by downregulating Ki-67, and induce apoptosis by increasing pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax, cleaved caspase-3) and TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) positive apoptotic cells, and reducing anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2). Moreover, PTX-TTHA demonstrated no sign of acute toxicity on vital organs, hematological, and biochemical parameters at the limit dose (138.6 mg/kg, i.v.). Our study indicated that PTX-TTHA showed better water solubility than paclitaxel, as well as comparable in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity in TNBC models. In addition, the antitumor mechanism of PTX-TTHA was related to microtubule regulation and apoptosis signaling pathway activation.

Improvement of the antioxidant activity of thyme essential oil against biosynthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles-induced oxidative stress, DNA damage, and disturbances in gene expression in vivo

BACKGROUND

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂-NPs) are widely utilized in medicine and industry; however, their safety in biological organisms is still unclear. In this study, we determined the bioactive constitutes of thyme essential oil (TEO) and utilized the nanoemulsion technique to improve its protective efficiency against oxidative stress, genotoxicity, and DNA damage of biosynthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂-NPs).

METHODS

TEO nanoemulsion (TEON) was prepared using whey protein isolate (WPI). Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups and treated orally for 21 days including the control group, TEO, or TEON- treated groups (5 mg/kg b.w), TiO₂-NPs-treated group (50 mg/kg b.w) and the groups received TiO₂-NPs plus TEO or TEON. Blood and tissues samples were collected for different assays.

RESULTS

The GC-MS analysis identified 17 bioactive compounds in TEO and thymol and carvacrol were the major compounds. TEON was irregular with average particles size of 230 ± 3.7 nm and ζ-potential of -24.17 mV. However, TiO2-NPs showed a polygonal shape with an average size of 50 ± 2.4 nm and ζ-potential of -30.44 mV. Animals that received TiO2-NPs showed severe disturbances in liver and kidney indices, lipid profile, oxidant/antioxidant indices, inflammatory cytokines, gene expressions, increased DNA damage, and pathological changes in hepatic tissue. Both TEO and TEON showed potential protection against these hazards and TEON was more effective than TEO.

CONCLUSION

The nanoemulsion of TEO enhances the oil bioactivity, improves its antioxidant characteristics, and protects against oxidative damage and genotoxicity of TiO2-NPs.

Investigation on visible light-driven antimicrobial and mechanistic activity of GO/TiO2(V–N) nanocomposite against wound pathogens

GO/TiO2(V–N) is fabricated as a visible light driven efficient antimicrobial material. In the presence of light, GO/TiO2(V–N) was employed as a photocatalytic active material against wound pathogens.

Review of the Applications of Biomedical Compositions Containing Hydroxyapatite and Collagen Modified by Bioactive Components

Regenerative medicine is becoming a rapidly evolving technique in today's biomedical progress scenario. Scientists around the world suggest the use of naturally synthesized biomaterials to repair and heal damaged cells. Hydroxyapatite (HAp) has the potential to replace drugs in biomedical engineering and regenerative drugs. HAp is easily biodegradable, biocompatible, and correlated with macromolecules, which facilitates their incorporation into inorganic materials. This review article provides extensive knowledge on HAp and collagen-containing compositions modified with drugs, bioactive components, metals, and selected nanoparticles. Such compositions consisting of HAp and collagen modified with various additives are used in a variety of biomedical applications such as bone tissue engineering, vascular transplantation, cartilage, and other implantable biomedical devices.

Lipoparticles for Synergistic Chemo-Photodynamic Therapy to Ovarian Carcinoma Cells: In vitro and in vivo Assessments

PURPOSE

Lipoparticles are the core-shell type lipid-polymer hybrid systems comprising polymeric nanoparticle core enveloped by single or multiple pegylated lipid layers (shell), thereby melding the biomimetic properties of long-circulating vesicles as well as the mechanical advantages of the nanoparticles. The present study was aimed at the development of such an integrated system, combining the photodynamic and chemotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of multidrug-resistant cancers.

METHODS

For this rationale, two different sized Pirarubicin (THP) loaded poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles were prepared by emulsion solvent evaporation technique, whereas liposomes containing Temoporfin (mTHPC) were prepared by lipid film hydration method. Physicochemical and morphological characterizations were done using dynamic light scattering, laser doppler anemometry, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The quantitative assessment of cell damage was determined using MTT and reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay. The biocompatibility of the nanoformulations was evaluated with serum stability testing, haemocompatibility as well as acute in vivo toxicity using female albino (BALB/c) mice.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

The mean hydrodynamic diameter of the formulations was found between 108.80 ± 2.10 to 405.70 ± 10.00 nm with the zeta (ζ) potential ranging from -12.70 ± 1.20 to 5.90 ± 1.10 mV. Based on the physicochemical evaluations, the selected THP nanoparticles were coated with mTHPC liposomes to produce lipid-coated nanoparticles (LCNPs). A significant (p< 0.001) cytotoxicity synergism was evident in LCNPs when irradiated at 652 nm, using an LED device. No incidence of genotoxicity was observed as seen with the comet assay. The LCNPs decreased the generalized in vivo toxicity as compared to the free drugs and was evident from the serum biochemical profile, visceral body index, liver function tests as well as renal function tests. The histopathological examinations of the vital organs revealed no significant evidence of toxicity suggesting the safety and efficacy of our lipid-polymer hybrid system.

Folate conjugation improved uptake and targeting of porous hydroxyapatite nanoparticles containing epirubicin to cancer cells

As hydroxyapatite (HAp) with the hexagonal crystal structure is biocompatible and bioactive. In the present study, HAp nanoparticles were synthesized and functionalized with polyethylene glycol and folic acid. The anticancer drug, epirubicin, was loaded to the folic acid-conjugated polyethylene glycol-coated HAp (FA-PEG-HAp) nanoparticles. The prepared nanoparticles were used for in vitro and in vivo experiments. Particle size analyzer showed that the hydrodynamic size of PEG-HAp and FA-PEG-HAp nanoparticles was 150.3 ± 1.5 nm and 217.2 ± 14.9 nm, respectively. The release behavior of epirubicin from nanoparticles showed an increase in the rate of release in acidic pH. The released drug in acidic pH was 2.5 fold more than pH 7.4. The results of in vitro study indicated an increase in cellular uptake of nanoparticles due to folate ligand. In vivo treatment with both PEG-HAp and FA-PEG-HAp nanoparticles had notably higher inhibition efficacy towards tumor growth than free epirubicin. In conclusion, folate conjugation provided higher uptake and better targeting of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles to cancer cells.

Effects of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Exposure on Human Health-a Review

Recently, an increased interest in nanotechnology applications can be observed in various fields (medicine, materials science, pharmacy, environmental protection, agriculture etc.). Due to an increasing scope of applications, the exposure of humans to nanoparticles (NPs) is inevitable. A number of studies revealed that after inhalation or oral exposure, NPs accumulate in, among other places, the lungs, alimentary tract, liver, heart, spleen, kidneys and cardiac muscle. In addition, they disturb glucose and lipid homeostasis in mice and rats. In a wide group of nanoparticles currently used on an industrial scale, titanium dioxide nanoparticles-TiO₂ NPs-are particularly popular. Due to their white colour, TiO₂ NPs are commonly used as a food additive (E 171). The possible risk to health after consuming food containing nanoparticles has been poorly explored but it is supposed that the toxicity of nanoparticles depends on their size, morphology, rate of migration and amount consumed. Scientific databases inform that TiO₂ NPs can induce inflammation due to oxidative stress. They can also have a genotoxic effect leading to, among others, apoptosis or chromosomal instability. This paper gives a review of previous studies concerning the effects of exposure to TiO₂ NPs on a living organism (human, animal). This information is necessary in order to demonstrate potential toxicity of inorganic nanoparticles on human health.

PVA/SA/TiO2-CUR patch for enhanced wound healing application: In vitro and in vivo analysis

Wound healing is a complex multistep process. Wound healing materials should have good antibacterial activity against wound infection causing microbes. Curcumin has effective antimicrobial activity, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant property. Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is a biocompatible, nontoxic material used for many biomedical applications. The Usage of curcumin tagged TiO₂ nanoparticles for wound healing activity is promising due to the properties of both curcumin and TiO₂. We have synthesized curcumin tagged TiO₂ nanoparticles. The synthesized materials are characterized with XRD, FTIR and TEM. TiO₂-Cur nanocomposite was incorporated into poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) and sodium alginate (SA) patch. The PVA/SA/TiO₂-Cur patch was prepared by gel casting method. Antibacterial efficiency of PVA/SA/TiO₂-Cur patch was analyzed. Further, in vivo studies conducted on Wister rats confirmed the enhanced wound healing property of the PVA/SA/TiO₂-Cur patch. Our results suggest that this could be an ideal biomaterial for wound dressing applications.

Sustained release of amoxicillin from hydroxyapatite nanocomposite for bone infections

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is the main constituent of human bone and teeth. Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles are used for the treatment of various bone infections. Nanohydroxyapatite is a biocompatible material. It is used as a drug carrier for drugs and biomolecules for various diseases. Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles are made into nanocomposite with sodium alginate and polyvinyl alcohol. This nanocomposite is used for the sustained release of drugs. It is characterized by various characterization techniques like XRD, FTIR, TEM, and Raman. Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles are coated initially with polyvinyl alcohol and then coated with sodium alginate. Amoxicillin is used as the model drug. Studies on the drug loading and drug release have been done. The release of the drug is sustained for about 30 days. Antimicrobial studies have shown good activity against pathogens. The zone of inhibition is found to be 18 mm for a concentration of 500 µg against Bacillus subtilis and 16 µg against Klebsiella pneumonia.

Polymeric nanocapsules embedded with ultra-small silver nanoclusters for synergistic pharmacology and improved oral delivery of Docetaxel

Despite of the remarkable cytotoxic and imaging potential of ultra-small metal nanoclusters, their toxicity-free and targeted delivery to cancerous cells remains a substantial challenge that hinders their clinical applications. In this study, a polymeric scaffold was first synthesized by grafting folic acid and thiol groups to chitosan (CS) for cancer cell targeting and improved gastric permeation. Furthermore, silver nanocluster (Ag NCs) were synthesized in situ, within CS scaffold by microwave irradiation and core-shell nanocapsules (NCPs) were prepared with hydrophobic docetaxel (DTX) in the core and Ag NCs embedded CS in the shell. A significant cytotoxicity synergism (~300 folds) was observed for DTX with co-delivery of Ag NCs against breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. Following oral administration, the DTX-Ag-NCPs increased bioavailability due to enhanced drug transport across gut (9 times), circulation half-life (~6.8 times) and mean residence time (~6.7 times), as compared to the control DTX suspension. Moreover, 14 days acute oral toxicity of the DTX-Ag-NCPs was performed in mice and evaluated for changes in blood biochemistry parameters, organ to body weight index and histopathology of liver and kidney tissues that revealed no significant evidence of toxicity suggesting the safety and efficiency of the DTX-Ag-NCPs as hybrid nanocarrier for biocompatible delivery of metal nanoclusters.

Unintended effects of drug carriers: Big issues of small particles

Humoral and cellular host defense mechanisms including diverse phagocytes, leukocytes, and immune cells have evolved over millions of years to protect the body from microbes and other external and internal threats. These policing forces recognize engineered sub-micron drug delivery systems (DDS) as such a threat, and react accordingly. This leads to impediment of the therapeutic action, extensively studied and discussed in the literature. Here, we focus on side effects of DDS interactions with host defenses. We argue that for nanomedicine to reach its clinical potential, the field must redouble its efforts in understanding the interaction between drug delivery systems and the host defenses, so that we can engineer safer interventions with the greatest potential for clinical success.

Towards the Identification of an In Vitro Tool for Assessing the Biological Behavior of Aerosol Supplied Nanomaterials

Nanoparticles (NP)-based inhalation systems for drug delivery can be administered in liquid form, by nebulization or using pressurized metered dose inhalers, and in solid form by means of dry powder inhalers. However, NP delivery to the lungs has many challenges including the formulation instability due to particle-particle interactions and subsequent aggregation, causing poor deposition in the small distal airways and subsequent alveolar macrophages activity, which could lead to inflammation. This work aims at providing an in vitro experimental design for investigating the correlation between the physico-chemical properties of NP, and their biological behavior, when they are used as NP-based inhalation treatments, comparing two different exposure systems. By means of an aerosol drug delivery nebulizer, human lung cells cultured at air–liquid interface (ALI) were exposed to two titanium dioxide NP (NM-100 and NM-101), obtained from the JRC repository. In parallel, ALI cultures were exposed to NP suspension by direct inoculation, i.e., by adding the NP suspensions on the apical side of the cell cultures with a pipette. The formulation stability of NP, measured as hydrodynamic size distributions, the cell viability, cell monolayer integrity, cell morphology and pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion were investigated. Our results demonstrated that the formulation stability of NM-100 and NM-101 was strongly dependent on the aggregation phenomena that occur in the conditions adopted for the biological experiments. Interestingly, comparable biological data between the two exposure methods used were observed, suggesting that the conventional exposure coupled to ALI culturing conditions offers a relevant in vitro tool for assessing the correlation between the physico-chemical properties of NP and their biological behavior, when NP are used as drug delivery systems.

Safety against nephrotoxicity in paclitaxel treatment: Oral nanocarrier as an effective tool in preclinical evaluation with marked in vivo antitumor activity

Oral paclitaxel (PTXL) formulations freed from cremophor^® EL (CrEL) is always in utmost demand by the cancerous patients due to toxicities associated with the currently marketed formulation. In our previous investigation [Int. J. Pharm. 2014; 460:131], we have developed an oral oil based nanocarrier for the lipophilic drug, PTXL to target bioavailability issue and patient compliance. Here, we report in vivo antitumor activity and 28-day sub-chronic toxicity of the developed PTXL nanoemulsion. It was observed that the apoptotic potential of oral PTXL nanoemulsion significantly inhibited the growth of solid tumor (59.2 ± 7.17%; p < 0.001) without causing any explicit toxicity. The 6.5 mg/kg and 3 mg/kg oral PTXL nanoemulsion dose did not cause any notable alteration in haematological, biochemical/structural characteristics during 28-day sub-chronic toxicity studies in the experimental mice. Whereas, the toxicity of 12.8 mg/kg body weight dose showed decrease in RBC, haemoglobin and neutrophil counts. In contrast, marketed PTXL (Taxol^®) was found to be comparatively more toxic to the experimental animals. Taxol^® treatment resulted glomerulonephritis in histopathological examination, which could be correlated with increased level of creatinine and associated nephrotoxicity. This investigations conclude that the developed oral nanoemulsion presents a viable therapeutics bio-system to step towards clinical application as well as substitute CrEL based PTXL formulations.

Cell to rodent: toxicological profiling of folate grafted thiomer enveloped nanoliposomes

Polymeric nanomaterials, hybridized with lipid components, e.g. phosphocholine or fatty acids, are currently being explored for efficient nano-platforms for hydrophobic drugs. However, their toxicology and toxicokinetics need to be established before enabling their clinical potential. The aim of this study was to investigate the toxicological profile of thiomer enveloped hybrid nanoliposomes (ENLs) and bare nanoliposomes (NLs), loaded with docetaxel (DTX) hydrophobic drug, biocompatible nano-carriers for therapeutic cargo. The in vitro toxicity of hybrid ENLs and NLs was evaluated towards the HCT-116 colon cancer cell line. Biocompatibility was explored against macrophages and acute oral toxicity was examined in mice for 14 days. The anticancer IC50 for ENLs was 0.148 μg ml-1 compared with 2.38 μg ml-1 for pure docetaxel (DTX). The human macrophage viability remained above 65% and demonstrated a high level of biocompatibility and safety of ENLs. In vivo acute oral toxicity showed slight changes in serum biochemistry and haematology but no significant toxicities were observed referring to the safety of DTX loaded hybrid ENLs. On histological examination, no lesions were determined on the liver, heart and kidney. These studies showed that hybrid ENLs can serve as a safe and biocompatible platform for oral delivery of hydrophobic drugs.

Nonactivated titanium-dioxide nanoparticles promote the growth of Chlamydia trachomatis and decrease the antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles

AIMS

Chlamydia trachomatis and herpes simplex virus (HSV) are the most prevalent bacterial and viral sexually transmitted infections. Due to the chronic nature of their infections, they are able to interact with titanium-dioxide (TiO₂ ) nanoparticles (NPs) applied as food additives or drug delivery vehicles. The aim of this study was to describe the interactions of these two prevalent pathogens with the TiO₂ NPs.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Chlamydia trachomatis and HSV-2 were treated with nonactivated TiO₂ NPs, silver NPs and silver decorated TiO₂ NPs before infection of HeLa and Vero cells. Their intracellular growth was monitored by quantitative PCR. Unexpectedly, the TiO₂ NPs (100 μg ml^-1 ) increased the growth of C. trachomatis by approximately fourfold, while the HSV-2 replication was not affected. Addition of TiO₂ to silver NPs decreased their antimicrobial activity against C. trachomatis up to 27·92-fold.

CONCLUSION

In summary, nonactivated TiO₂ NPs could increase the replication of C. trachomatis and decrease the antimicrobial activity of silver NPs.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The food industry or drug delivery use of TiO₂ NPs could enhance the growth of certain intracellular pathogens and potentially worsen disease symptoms, a feature that should be further investigated.

Exploring the in vivo toxicity of nanoparticles

Toxicological tests of a xenobiotic play a key role to determine the safety of the new compound before it reaches the market. In this review article, we describe the main types of toxicological studies that can be performed in vivo to detect a possible undesired effect of a xenobiotic with especial emphasis on the data available for the different types of nanoparticles. The different procedures described in this review allow to obtain valuable information about the possible toxic effects of a xenobiotic to minimize the possible risks for patients once the compound has been approved for therapeutic use.

Toxicity mechanism of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles against food pathogens

Food preservation is an important field of research. It extends the shelf life of major food products. Our current study is based on food preservation through TiO₂ and ZnO nanoparticles. TiO₂ and ZnO are biocompatible nanomaterial. The biocompatibility of the materials were established through toxicity studies on cell lines. Titanium dioxide and Zinc Oxide nanoparticle were synthesized by wet chemical process. They are characterized by X-Ray diffraction and TEM. The antibacterial activities of both the materials were analysed to ensure their effectiveness as food preservative against Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Shigella flexneri. The results indicates that TiO₂ and ZnO nanoparticle inhibits Salmonella, Klebsiella and Shigella. The mode of action is by the generation of ROS in cases of Salmonella, Klebsiella. Mode of action in Shigella is still unclear. It was also proved that TiO₂ and ZnO nanoparticle are biocompatible materials.

Reversal of Vascular Calcification and Aneurysms in a Rat Model Using Dual Targeted Therapy with EDTA- and PGG-Loaded Nanoparticles

Degeneration of elastic lamina and vascular calcification are common features of vascular pathology such as aortic aneurysms. We tested whether dual therapy with targeted nanoparticles (NPs) can remove mineral deposits (by delivery of a chelating agent, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA)) and restore elastic lamina (by delivery of a polyphenol, pentagalloyl glucose (PGG)) to reverse moderate aneurysm development. EDTA followed by PGG NP delivery led to reduction in macrophage recruitment, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity, elastin degradation and calcification in the aorta as compared to delivery of control blank NPs. Such dual therapy restored vascular elastic lamina and improved vascular function as observed by improvement in circumferential strain. Therefore, dual targeted therapy may be an attractive option to remove mineral deposits and restore healthy arterial structures in moderately developed aneurysms.