Structural, optical and antibacterial activity of pure and co-doped (Fe & Ni) tin oxide nanoparticles

In this investigation, ferric (Fe) and nickel (Ni) co-doped tin oxide (SnO₂) nanoparticles structural, optical, morphological, and antibacterial characteristics were synthesised, characterised, and examined. By employing SnCl₂·2H₂O and the transition metal precursors FeCl₃ and NiCl₂·6H₂O with various Fe/Ni molar ratios, thermal annealing was carried out at a high temperature (700 °C). X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Visible spectroscopy, Photoluminescence (PL), FT-IR, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray techniques (EDX) were used to examine the materials' structural, chemical, optical, morphological, and anti-microbial capabilities. The average particle size of pure and co-doped SnO₂ nanoparticles was determined to be around 52 nm and 15 nm, and SnO₂ crystallites were observed to present tetragonal rutile structure with space group P_42/mmm (No.136). Metal ions were replaced in the Sn lattice, as shown by Fe and Ni co-doped SnO₂ nanoparticles. Pure and co-doped samples have capsule and sphere-like features in their SEM morphology. Using UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, the optical property was examined, and it was observed that the band gaps for pure and co-doped SnO₂ were 3.73 eV and 3.53 eV, respectively. The functional groups and incorporation of Fe and Ni in the prepared powder were also validated by FT-IR and EDX studies. By utilising the agar well diffusion technique and Nutrient agar, the antibacterial properties of pure, Ni-Fe co-doped SnO₂ nanoparticles annealed at 700 °C were assessed. They were evaluated against various Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus pheumoniae) and Gram-negative bacteria (Shigella dysenteria). The zone of incubation was found against the Gram +Ve and Gram -Ve bacterial strains.

Anticancer activity of Adiantum capillus veneris and Pteris quadriureta L. in human breast cancer cell lines

Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide that costs lives of millions of people every year. Plant products with potential anticancer activities have become a vital source of novel agents in treating cancer. Adiantum capillus veneris (ACV) and Pteris Quadriureta (PQ) are such traditional herbs with potential pharmacological properties. In this study, both crude methanol extract and gold nanoparticles of ACV and PQ were tested for their anticancer activities in MCF7 and BT47 cell lines. By using GC-MS, we have identified 23 and 28 bioactive compounds in ACV and PQ respectively. We analysed the effects of ACV and PQ nanoparticles on various proteins involved in cell cycle and apoptosis using western blotting and PCR. With the help of flow cytometry, we measured number of cells undergoing apoptosis. We found that both the crude extract and nanoparticles have anti-proliferative and apoptosis inducing properties against MCF7 and BT47 cell lines. We also performed molecular docking to check whether there were any interactions between proteins involved in apoptosis and cell cycle and bioactive compounds present in the plant extracts. By using docking analysis, we also showed that phytol and eicosapentaenoic acid present in ACV and PQ interact with Bcl2 and cyclin D1. These findings demonstrate that ACV and PQ possess anticancer activities by modulating proteins involved in cell cycle and apoptosis. ACV and PQ that effectively modulate various oncogenic molecules can be used as promising agent for cancer therapy.