Advancements in Green Nanoparticle Technology: Focusing on the Treatment of Clinical Phytopathogens

Opportunistic pathogenic microbial infections pose a significant danger to human health, which forces people to use riskier, more expensive, and less effective drugs compared to traditional treatments. These may be attributed to several factors, such as overusing antibiotics in medicine and lack of sanitization in hospital settings. In this context, researchers are looking for new options to combat this worrying condition and find a solution. Nanoparticles are currently being utilized in the pharmaceutical sector; however, there is a persistent worry regarding their potential danger to human health due to the usage of toxic chemicals, which makes the utilization of nanoparticles highly hazardous to eukaryotic cells. Multiple nanoparticle-based techniques are now being developed, offering essential understanding regarding the synthesis of components that play a crucial role in producing anti-microbial nanotherapeutic pharmaceuticals. In this regard, green nanoparticles are considered less hazardous than other forms, providing potential options for avoiding the extensive harm to the human microbiome that is prevalent with existing procedures. This review article aims to comprehensively assess the current state of knowledge on green nanoparticles related to antibiotic activity as well as their potential to assist antibiotics in treating opportunistic clinical phytopathogenic illnesses.

Carbohydrate polymers-based surface modified nano delivery systems for enhanced target delivery to colon cancer - A review

Carbohydrate polymers-based surface-modified nano-delivery systems have gained significant attention in recent years for enhancing targeted delivery to colon cancer. These systems leverage carbohydrate polymers' unique properties, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and controlled release. These properties make them suitable candidates for drug delivery applications. Nano-delivery systems loaded with bioactive compounds are well-studied for targeted colorectal cancer delivery. However, those drugs' target reach is still limited in various nano-delivery systems. To overcome this limitation, surface modification of nanoparticles with carbohydrate polymers like chitosan, pectin, alginate, and guar gum showed enhanced target-reaching capacity along with enhanced anticancer efficacy. Recently, a chitosan-decorated PLGA nanoparticle was constructed with tannic acid and vitamin E and showed long-term release of specific targets along with higher anticancer efficacy. Similarly, Chitosan-conjugated glucuronic acid-coated silica nanoparticles loaded with capecitabine were studied against colon cancer and found to be the pH-responsive controlled release of capecitabine with higher anticancer efficacy. Surface-modified carbohydrate polymers have promising potential for improving colon cancer target delivery. By leveraging the unique properties of these polymers, such as surface modification, pH responsiveness, mucoadhesion, controlled drug release, and combination therapy, researchers are working toward developing more effective and targeted treatment strategies for colon cancer.

Organometallic Phyllosilicate-Gold Nanocomplex: An Effective Oral Delivery System of Methotrexate for Enhanced in vivo Efficacy Against Colorectal Cancer

Purpose

Oral administration, although convenient and preferred for treating colorectal cancer (CRC), faces challenges due to limited CRC-related intestinal positioning and a dense mucus barrier. In the present study, a gold-nanoparticle decorated-organometallic phyllosilicate nanocomposite (AC-Au), with a pH-dependent surface coating, was employed for more effective oral delivery of anticancer drugs to treat CRC.

Methods

The organometallic AC-Au was synthesized using the in-situ sol-gel method. Subsequently, methotrexate (MTX) was loaded into AC-Au, and the complex (AC-Au/MTX) was surface-coated with poly (methacrylic acid-co-methyl methacrylate) (1:2), a pH-dependent polymer (E/AC-Au /MTX). The in vitro characteristics of nanoparticles were examined using various analytical methods. In vivo efficacy studies were also conducted using an HCT-116 orthotopic colorectal cancer model.

Results

AC-Au emerged as a spherical nanoparticle with a mean size of 26.5 ± 0.43 nm, displaying a positive charge over the pH range of 2-10. Both the uncoated and coated drug-loaded nanocomplexes (AC-Au/MTX and E/AC-Au/MTX) were fabricated with high entrapment efficiency (> 80%). Various analyses, including ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, confirmed the formation of the nanocomplexes. While AC-Au/MTX achieved rapid and extensive drug release at the pH range of 1.2-7.4, E/AC-Au/MTX exhibited pH-dependent drug release, with approximately 23% at pH 1.2 and 74% at pH 7.4. Relative to free MTX, the AC-Au-based nanocomplex significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of MTX in HCT-116 cells. Furthermore, orally administered E/AC-Au/MTX significantly improved the anti-tumor activity of MTX in an HCT-116 orthotopic colorectal cancer model, resulting in approximately 60% suppression of tumor mass compared with the positive control.

Conclusion

The organometallic AC-Au nanocomplex coated with a pH-dependent polymer has the potential to be an effective colonic drug delivery system of MTX, enhancing in vivo efficacy against colorectal cancer.

Anticancer Activity of Au/CNT Nanocomposite Fabricated by Nanosecond Pulsed Laser Ablation Method on Colon and Cervical Cancer

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are increasingly being investigated for cancer management due to their physicochemical properties, low toxicity, and biocompatibility. This study used an eco-friendly technique (laser synthesis) to fabricate AuNP and Au/CNT nanocomposites. AuNPs, Au/CNTs, and CNTs were tested as potential cancer nanotherapeutics on colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT-116) and cervical cancer cells (HeLa) using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. In addition, the non-cancer embryonic kidney cells HEK-293 were taken as a control in the study. The cell viability assay demonstrated a significant reduction in cancer cell population post 48 h treatments of AuNPs, and Au/CNTs. The average cell viabilities of AuNPs, Au/CNTs, and CNTs for HCT-116 cells were 50.62%, 65.88%, 93.55%, and for HeLa cells, the cell viabilities were 50.88%, 66.51%, 91.73%. The cell viabilities for HEK-293 were 50.44%, 65.80%, 93.20%. Both AuNPs and Au/CNTs showed higher cell toxicity and cell death compared with CNT nanomaterials. The treatment of AuNPs and Au/CNTs showed strong inhibitory action on HCT-116 and HeLa cells. However, the treatment of CNTs did not significantly decrease HCT-116 and HeLa cells, and there was only a minor decrease. The treatment of AuNPs, and Au/CNTs, on normal HEK-293 cells also showed a significant decrease in cell viability, but the treatment of CNTs did not produce a significant decrease in the HEK-293 cells. This study shows that a simplified synthesis technique like laser synthesis for the preparation of high-purity nanomaterials has good efficacy for possible future cancer therapy with minimal toxicity.

The Debate between the Human Microbiota and Immune System in Treating Aerodigestive and Digestive Tract Cancers: A Review

The human microbiota comprises a group of microorganisms co-existing in the human body. Unbalanced microbiota homeostasis may impact metabolic and immune system regulation, shrinking the edge between health and disease. Recently, the microbiota has been considered a prominent extrinsic/intrinsic element of cancer development and a promising milestone in the modulation of conventional cancer treatments. Particularly, the oral cavity represents a yin-and-yang target site for microorganisms that can promote human health or contribute to oral cancer development, such as Fusobacterium nucleatum. Moreover, Helicobacter pylori has also been implicated in esophageal and stomach cancers, and decreased butyrate-producing bacteria, such as Lachnospiraceae spp. and Ruminococcaceae, have demonstrated a protective role in the development of colorectal cancer. Interestingly, prebiotics, e.g., polyphenols, probiotics (Faecalibacterium, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Burkholderia), postbiotics (inosine, butyrate, and propionate), and innovative nanomedicines can modulate antitumor immunity, circumventing resistance to conventional treatments and could complement existing therapies. Therefore, this manuscript delivers a holistic perspective on the interaction between human microbiota and cancer development and treatment, particularly in aerodigestive and digestive cancers, focusing on applying prebiotics, probiotics, and nanomedicines to overcome some challenges in treating cancer.