Green Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles of Myrtus communis L (AgMC) Extract Inhibits Cancer Hallmarks via Targeting Aldose Reductase (AR) and Associated Signaling Network

Apoptotic efficiency of Dicoma anomala biosynthesized silver nanoparticles against A549 lung cancer cells

Lung cancer is one of the common forms of cancer that affects both men and women and is regarded as the leading cause of cancer related deaths. It is characterized by unregulated cell division of altered cells within the lung tissues. Green nanotechnology is a promising therapeutic option that is adopted in cancer research. Dicoma anomala (D. anomala) is one of the commonly used African medicinal plant in the treatment of different medical conditions including cancer. In the present study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using D. anomala MeOH root extract. We evaluated the anticancer efficacy of the synthesized AgNPs as an individual treatment as well as in combination with pheophorbide a (PPBa) mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) in vitro. UV-VIS spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) was used to confirm the formation of D.A AgNPs. Post 24 h treatment, A549 cells were evaluated for ATP proliferation, morphological changes supported by LIVE/DEAD assay, and caspase activities. All experiments were repeated four times (n=4), with findings being analysed using SPSS statistical software version 27 set at 0.95 confidence interval. The results from the present study revealed a dose-dependent decrease in cell proliferation in both individual and combination therapy of PPBa mediated PDT and D.A AgNPs on A549 lung cancer cells with significant morphological changes. Additionally, LIVE/DEAD assay displayed a significant increase in the number of dead cell population in individual treatments (i.e., IC50's treated A549 cells) as well as in combination therapy. In conclusion, the findings from this study demonstrated the anticancer efficacy of green synthesized AgNPs as a mono-therapeutic drug as well as in combination with a chlorophyll derivative PPBa in PDT. Taken together, the findings highlight the therapeutic potential of green nanotechnology in medicine.

Production and Biomedical Applications of Bioactive Compounds

The development of drug resistance to presently available synthetic medicines leads us to investigate naturally produced small bioactive molecules to treat drug-resistant diseases, such as cancer and other diseases [...]

Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems in cancer: A focus on inflammatory pathways

It has become necessary to accept the clinical reality of therapeutic agents targeting the cancer-associated immune system. In recent decades, several investigations have highlighted the role of inflammation in cancer development. It has now been recognized that inflammatory cells secrete mediators, including enzymes, chemokines, and cytokines. These secreted substances produce an inflammatory microenvironment that is critically involved in cancer growth. Inflammation may enhance genomic instability leading to DNA damage, activation of oncogenes, or compromised tumor suppressor activity, all of which may promote various phases of carcinogenesis. Conventional cancer treatment includes surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. However, treatment failure occurs because current strategies are unable to achieve complete local control due to metastasis. Nanoparticles (NPs) are a broad spectrum of drug carriers typically below the size of 100 nm, targeting tumor sites while reducing off-target consequences. More importantly, NPs can stimulate innate and adaptive immune systems in the tumor microenvironment (TME); hence, they induce a cancer-fighting immune response. Strikingly, targeting cancer cells with NPs helps eliminate drug resistance and tumor recurrence, as well as prevents inflammation. Throughout this review, we provide recent data on the role of inflammation in cancer and explore nano-therapeutic initiatives to target significant mediators, for example, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukins (ILs) associated with cancer-related inflammation, to escort the immunomodulators to cancer cells and associated systemic compartments. We also highlight the necessity of better identifying inflammatory pathways in cancer pathophysiology to develop effective treatment plans.

Olive mill wastewater phytoremediation employing economically important woody plants

In this study two plant species, Punica granatum L. and Myrtus communis L., have been tested as candidates for phytoremediation of olive mill wastewater (OMW) through recirculation in soil pilot units, according to the proposed patented technology by Santori and Cicalini [EP1216963 A. 26 Jun 2002]. Wastewater was treated in batches of low to high organics strength (COD: 2 700-45 700 mg/L) during summer months of two consecutive years. Dynamics of the most important wastewater parameters were investigated, and corresponding removal rates were estimated. During treatment of low organic load OMW, average removal rate of organics, phenolics, total nitrogen and total phosphorus were 0.68 g-COD/kg-soil d, 0.073 g-TPh/kg-soil d, 0.033 g-TN/kg-soil d and 0.0074 g-TP/kg-soil d respectively and plants proved to be tolerant to the OMW. During treatment of high organic load OMW removal rates were roughly 10-fold higher although phytotoxic symptoms were observed. Plants were found to contribute greatly to the OMW treatment process since organics removal rates in pilot units were found to be at least 10-fold higher than in wastewater treatment in non-vegetated soil. Plant species with high added value products such as pomegranate and myrtle trees were used in this study, improving the circular economy potential of the aforementioned technology. Moreover, its efficiency has been demonstrated by quantification of the overall removal rates of key constituents as well as the contribution of the plants in the OMW treatment.

Pollen Bee Aqueous Extract-Based Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles and Evaluation of Their Anti-Cancer and Anti-Bacterial Activities

Bee pollens are rich source of essential amino acids and are often considered as complete food for human beings. Herein, we exploited the potential reducing abilities of Bee pollens extract for the eco-friendly preparation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs-G). The resulting NPs were characterized using a combination of microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The analyses confirm the formation of spherical Ag NPs. AgNPs-G obtained from the aqueous extract of bee pollens was used to study their antibacterial properties against Gram-positive and Gram-negative microbes using the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration 50 (MIC50) method. The antibacterial properties of AgNPs-G were compared to the properties of chemically synthesized Ag NPs (AgNPs-C) using sodium borohydride as a reducing agent. The green synthesized nanoparticles (AgNPs-G) exhibited a better antibacterial activity against most of the studied strains when compared to the chemically synthesized Ag NPs (AgNPs-C). In addition, the anti-cancer activity of Ag NPs was also studied against human liver and breast carcinoma cell lines by applying MTT-assay. The Ag NPs demonstrated considerable anticancer activity against the studied cell lines and exhibited high IC50 values in both MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines.