Mohd Shoeb

ROS-dependent anticandidal activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized by using egg albumen as a biotemplate

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have attracted great attention because of their superior optical properties and wide application in biomedical science. However, little is known about the anticandidal activity of ZnO NPs against Candida albicans (C. albicans). This study was designed to develop the green approach to synthesize ZnO NPs using egg white (denoted as EtZnO NPs) and investigated its possible mechanism of antimicrobial activity against C. albicans 077. It was also notable that anticandidal activity of EtZnO NPs is correlated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in a dose dependent manner. Protection of histidine against ROS clearly suggests the implication of ROS in anticandidal activity of EtZnO NPs. This green approach based on egg white-mediated synthesis of ZnO NPs paves the way for developing cost effective, eco-friendly and promising antimicrobial nanomaterial for applications in medicine.

Co-precipitation synthesis and characterization of Co doped SnO2 NPs, HSA interaction via various spectroscopic techniques and their antimicrobial and photocatalytic activities

Sn1-xCoxO2 (x=0.00, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05) nanoparticles (NPs) of average size ∼30-40nm were synthesized by co-precipitation method. The interaction of Co doped SnO2 NPs with human serum albumin (HSA) and their photocatalytic and antimicrobial properties were studied. The structural analysis and morphology of Co doped SnO2 NPs were analysed via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Besides the structural and morphological analysis, the interaction of Co doped SnO2 NPs with HSA were studied by UV-vis, Circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence spectroscopy. Fluorescence quenching results suggest that Co doped SnO2 NPs interact with an HSA molecule through static mechanism. CD indicates that α-helicity of HSA increases due to the interaction of Co doped SnO2 NPs. The photocatalytic activities of the NPs with increased doping concentration were evaluated through a degradation process in the presence of methylene-blue (MB) dye under UV light irradiation, which exhibited that the surface area of NPs with increased doping concentration plays a major role in improving the photocatalytic activity. The antimicrobial effect of undoped and Co-doped SnO2 NPs was determined using agar-well diffusion method and analyzed against gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus Cereus MC 2434). In our results, we have found that as the doping concentration increases into NPs, zone of inhibition increases, which could be ascribed to the production of ROS and large surface area of the NPs.

Scaffold of Selenium Nanovectors and Honey Phytochemicals for Inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Quorum Sensing and Biofilm Formation

Honey is an excellent source of polyphenolic compounds that are effective in attenuating quorum sensing (QS), a chemical process of cell-to-cell communication system used by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa to regulate virulence and biofilm formation. However, lower water solubility and inadequate bioavailability remains major concerns of these therapeutic polyphenols. Its therapeutic index can be improved by using nano-carrier systems to target QS signaling potently. In the present study, we fabricated a unique drug delivery system comprising selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs; non-viral vectors) and polyphenols of honey (HP) for enhancement of anti-QS activity of HP against P. aeruginosa PAO1. The developed selenium nano-scaffold showed superior anti-QS activity, anti-biofilm efficacy, and anti-virulence potential in both in-vitro and in-vivo over its individual components, SeNPs and HP. LasR is inhibited by selenium nano-scaffold in-vitro. Using computational molecular docking studies, we have also demonstrated that the anti-virulence activity of selenium nano-scaffold is reliant on molecular binding that occurs between HP and the QS receptor LasR through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. Our preliminary investigations with selenium-based nano-carriers hold significant promise to improve anti-virulence effectiveness of phytochemicals by enhancing effective intracellular delivery.

Kinetic Study on Mutagenic Chemical Degradation through Three Pot Synthesiszed Graphene@ZnO Nanocomposite

The study was taken up with the objective to synthesize graphene-zinc oxide nano particles (NPs) nanocomposite (Gr@ZnO-Nc) via In-situ synthesis method. The structural, optical, thermal, electrical and photocatalytic properties of the synthesized Gr@ZnO-Nc were studied. The characterization data confirmed that the ZnO NPs were successfully incorporated into the graphene sheets. Further, TGA/DTA results exhibited an enhanced thermal stability of the Gr@ZnO-Nc compared with the graphene. The Gr@ZnO-Nc, graphene sheets were uniformly wrapped by ZnO NPs, which can protect graphene and delay their oxidation in air. The synthesized Gr@ZnO-Nc was used for the efficient photodegradation of a carcinogenic methyl orange (MO) dye. The results exhibited promising photodegradation of the MO dye under UV light irradiation through the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The promising effect of Gr@ZnO-Nc on the photodegradation properties was conferred by the large surface area which increased adsorption capacity, and the strong electron transfer ability. Thus, it is encouraging to conclude that the synthesized Gr@ZnO-Nc has environmental significance with its utility in remediation in the hazardous MO dye.

Anthelmintic Effect of Biocompatible Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on Gigantocotyle explanatum, a Neglected Parasite of Indian Water Buffalo

Helminth parasites of veterinary importance cause huge revenue losses to agrarian economy worldwide. With the emergence of drug resistance against the current formulations, there is a need to focus on the alternative approaches in order to control this menace. In the present study, biocompatible zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were used to see their in vitro effect on the biliary amphistomes, Gigantocotyle explanatum, infecting Bubalus bubalis because these nanoparticles are involved in generation of free radicals that induce oxidative stress, resulting in disruption of cellular machinery. The ZnO NPs were synthesized by using egg albumin as a biotemplate and subsequently characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Diffraction and Spectrophotometrical, which showed that ZnO NPs were highly purified wurtzite type polycrystals, with a mean size of 16.7 nm. When the parasites were treated with lower concentrations (0.004% and 0.008%) of the ZnO NPs, the worms mounted a protective response by stimulating the antioxidant system but the treatment of G. explanatum with 0.012% ZnO NPs produced significant inhibition of the antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD) (p< 0.05) and glutathione S- transferase (GST) (p<0.01), while the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), a lipid peroxidation marker, was significantly (p< 0.01) elevated. SEM and histopathology revealed pronounced tegumental damage showing the disruption of surface papillae and the annulations, particularly in the posterior region near acetabulum. The under expression of a number of polypeptides, loss of worm motility in a time dependent manner, further reflect strong anthelmintic potential of ZnO NPs. It can be concluded that the anthelmintic effect might be due to the production of reactive oxygen species that target a variety of macromolecules such as nucleic acid, protein and lipids which are involved in different cellular processes.

Variation in band gap of lanthanum chromate by transition metals doping LaCr0.9A0.1O3 (A:Fe/Co/Ni)

Transition metal (Fe, Co, Ni) doped lanthanum chromate (LaCrO3) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by gel combustion method and calcinated at 800°C. Microstructural studies were carried by XRD and SEM/EDS techniques. The results of structural characterization show the formation of all samples in single phase without any impurity. Optical properties were studied by UV- visible and photoluminescence techniques. The energy band gap was calculated and the variation was observed with the doping of transition metal ions. Photoluminescence spectra show the emission peak maxima for the pure LaCrO3 at about 315 nm. Influence of Fe, Co, Ni doping was studied and compared with pure lanthanum chromate nanoparticles.

Strong interfacial polarization in graphene/ZnO nanocomposite for high-performance miniscule permittivity materials

In the 21st century evolution of microelectronics industries, consumptions of integrated circuits (IC’s) increases, so the demand of miniscule permittivity (MP) material with minimum loss factor arises in the electronics industries. Graphene embedded ZnO Nanoparticle (Gr/ZnO NCs) is synthesized and studied their dielectric properties In the studied frequency range 75 kHz to 7 MHz. In the sample Gr/ZnO NCs dielectric permittivity decrease gradually from 7.2 to 6.7 as the frequency increases, whereas dielectric permittivity of ZnO NPs shows also diminishing behavior in the range 75 to 20 as the frequency increases. In the Gr/ZnO NCs, Maxwell–Wagner polarization model explains strong interfacial polarization to presence of functionalization group and lattice defects on graphene sheet.In the 21st century evolution of microelectronics industries, consumptions of integrated circuits (IC’s) increases, so the demand of miniscule permittivity (MP) material with minimum loss factor arises in the electronics industries. Graphene embedded ZnO Nanoparticle (Gr/ZnO NCs) is synthesized and studied their dielectric properties In the studied frequency range 75 kHz to 7 MHz. In the sample Gr/ZnO NCs dielectric permittivity decrease gradually from 7.2 to 6.7 as the frequency increases, whereas dielectric permittivity of ZnO NPs shows also diminishing behavior in the range 75 to 20 as the frequency increases. In the Gr/ZnO NCs, Maxwell–Wagner polarization model explains strong interfacial polarization to presence of functionalization group and lattice defects on graphene sheet.

In Vitro and in Vivo Antimicrobial Evaluation of Graphene–Polyindole (Gr@PIn) Nanocomposite against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pathogen

Nowadays, the infection caused by the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and countless different types of bacterial infection cause the death of millions of people worldwide. Thereby, several strategies have explored for the advancement of better and active antimicrobial agents; one of these lies in the form of two-dimensional carbon-based nanocomposites. Herein, we demonstrate the synthesis of the graphene–polyindole (Gr@PIn) nanocomposite and polyindole (PIn) and significantly enhance the proficiency against MRSA strains which are immune to most antibiotics. The synthesized Gr@PIn and PIn have been characterized by the various biophysical techniques, especially X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron microscopy [scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)], Fourier transform infrared, Raman, UV–vis spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Electron microscopic investigations unveiled the disintegration of bacterial cell wall upon interaction with Gr@PIn. Significantly, the Gr@PIn found to be very potent in the eradication of the MRSA strain with minimal toxicity to the mammalian cells. Assessment of the antibacterial mechanism revealed that the Gr@PIn adhered toward the bacterial surface, irreversibly interrupted the membrane layer structure of the bacteria, eventually penetrated cells, and efficiently impeded protein activity, which inherently turns into bacterial apoptosis in vitro. Moreover, last, the synthesized Gr@PIn efficiently treated the S. aureus-mediated experimental skin infection in BALB/c mice as well. This work magnifies our comprehending antibacterial mechanism of nonmetallic graphene-based PIn nanocomposite and provides the support to activity anticipation.