Rizwan Wahab

ZnO nanoparticles induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in HepG2 and MCF-7 cancer cells and their antibacterial activity.

Liver and breast cancer are the most traumatic diseases because they affect the major organs of the body. Nanomedicine recently emerged as a better option for the treatment of these deadly diseases. As a result, many nanoparticles have been used to treat cancer cell lines. Of the various nanoparticles, zinc oxide exhibits biocompatibility. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) against HepG2 and MCF-7 cells. The NPs (∼13±2 nm) were prepared via a non-protonated chemical route and were well-characterized through standard techniques. The study showed that treatment with NPs is notably effective against the proliferation of HepG2 and MCF-7 cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. The MTT (3-(4,5-dimethyl thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide, a tetrazole) assays revealed the concentration-dependent cytotoxic effects of NPs in range of 2.5-100 μg/ml. HepG2 and MCF-7 cells were exposed to ZnO-NPs and exhibited a significant reduction in their cell viability (95% and 96%; p<0.05) in response to a very low concentration (25 μg/ml) of the ZnO-NPs; this finding was confirmed with FACS (fluorescence-activated cell sorting) data. The reduction in cell viability in response to NP treatment induces cytotoxicity in the cultured cells. The quantitative RT-PCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction) results demonstrate that the exposure of HepG2 cells to ZnO-NPs results in significant upregulation of the mRNA expression level of Bax, p53, and caspase-3 and the down regulation of the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2. The NPs were also tested against five pathogenic bacteria through the disk diffusion method, and their antibacterial activities were compared with that of ZnO salt.

Reactive Oxygen Species Mediated Bacterial Biofilm Inhibition via Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Their Statistical Determination

The formation of bacterial biofilm is a major challenge in clinical applications. The main aim of this study is to describe the synthesis, characterization and biocidal potential of zinc oxide nanoparticles (NPs) against bacterial strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These nanoparticles were synthesized via soft chemical solution process in a very short time and their structural properties have been investigated in detail by using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy measurements. In this work, the potential of synthesized ZnO-NPs (∼10–15 nm) has been assessed in-vitro inhibition of bacteria and the formation of their biofilms was observed using the tissue culture plate assays. The crystal violet staining on biofilm formation and its optical density revealed the effect on biofilm inhibition. The NPs at a concentration of 100 µg/mL significantly inhibited the growth of bacteria and biofilm formation. The biofilm inhibition by ZnO-NPs was also confirmed via bio-transmission electron microscopy (Bio-TEM). The Bio-TEM analysis of ZnO-NPs treated bacteria confirmed the deformation and damage of cells. The bacterial growth in presence of NPs concluded the bactericidal ability of NPs in a concentration dependent manner. It has been speculated that the antibacterial activity of NPs as a surface coating material, could be a feasible approach for controlling the pathogens. Additionally, the obtained bacterial solution data is also in agreement with the results from statistical analytical methods.

Formation of ZnO Micro-Flowers Prepared via Solution Process and their Antibacterial Activity.

This paper presents the fabrication and characterization of zinc oxide micro-flowers and their antibacterial activity. The micro-flowers of zinc oxide composed of hexagonal nanorods have been prepared via solution process using precursor zinc acetate di-hydrate and sodium hydroxide in 3 h of refluxing time at ~90°C. The antibacterial activities of grown micro-flowers were investigated against four pathogenic bacteria namely S. aureus, E. coli, S. typhimurium and K. pneumoniae by taking five different concentrations (5–45 μg/ml) of ZnO micro-flowers (ZnO-MFs). Our investigation reveals that at lowest concentration of ZnO-MFs solution inhibiting the growth of microbial strain which was found to be 5 μg/ml for all the tested pathogens. Additionally, on the basis of morphological and chemical observations, a chemical reaction mechanism of ZnO-MFs composed of hexagonal nanorods was also proposed.

Glucose sensor based on nano-baskets of tin oxide templated in porous alumina by plasma enhanced CVD.

A feasibility study of glucose oxidase (GOx) immobilized tin oxide thin films, consisting of nano-baskets, for glucose sensing is presented. The nano-baskets of SnO(2) were grown on in-house fabricated anodized aluminum oxide pores of approximately 80-nm diameter using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at an RF power of 60W. Hydrated stannic chloride was used as a precursor and O(2) (20 sccm) as a reactant gas. The deposition was carried out from 350 to 450 degrees C at a pressure of 0.2 Torr for 15 min each. Deposition at 450 degrees C resulted in crystalline film with basket-like (nano-sized) structure. GOx was immobilized by physical adsorption (soaking films in GOx solution containing 1000 units for 3h). Increase in film conductivity was noticed after GOx immobilization. The immobilized films were found sensitive to glucose (C(2)H(12)O(6), dextrose) concentration from 10 to 360 mg/dl. Sensitivity increases linearly with glucose concentration. Nano-baskets resulted in higher sensitivity in comparison with other structures. From the elemental analyses of the films after GOx immobilization, GOx was found covalently attached with tin oxide, as evident by N 1s peak in the photoelectron spectra. A possible sensing mechanism is presented and discussed.

Statistical analysis of gold nanoparticle-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in myoblast (C2C12) cells.

Nanoscale gold particles (Au-NPs) with a diameter below 20nm are notably important candidates for various important applications because of their extraordinary quantum size effects. Their high surface area-to-volume ratio facilitates their very high reactivities; therefore, they can be utilised in different ways in biomedical applications. For example, these nanoparticles can penetrate into cells and bind with proteins or DNA and are therefore potential nanostructures employed for sensing and detecting various biological identities. In the present work, we synthesised Au-NPs via a colloidal process using chloroauric acid (HAuCl4·4H2O) and trisodium citrate dihydrate (N3C6H5O7) as a reducing agent. The shape evolution and the structural properties of these NPs were investigated in detail using TEM and high resolution HR-TEM investigations. Different doses of Au NPs have been applied to treat C2C12 myoblast cells in a 24-h incubation period, and a dose-dependent study has also been performed. The cells were cultivated in DMEM with FBS and antibiotics (strepto-penicillin) at 37°C in a 5% humidified environment of CO2 and 95% air. Cell viability analysis using MTT assays revealed that increased concentration of Au NPs (100-1000 ng/mL) resulted in a decreased density of cells. The amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in C2C12 cells analysed with Au-NPs (in a dose-dependent manner), and the RT-PCR data demonstrated the up-regulation of caspase-3 and caspase-7 genes in C2C12 cells after treatment with Au-NPs. These results have been confirmed by detailed confocal microscopy (CLSM) studies. In addition, the quantitative analysis of the Au-NPs was also confirmed by statistical analytical parameters, such as precision, accuracy, linearity, limits of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ), quantitative recoveries and relative standard deviation (RSD), and the analyses again exhibited a significant and large effect of Au NPs on C2C12 cells.

Self-Styled ZnO Nanostructures Promotes the Cancer Cell Damage and Supresses the Epithelial Phenotype of Glioblastoma.

Extensive researches have been done on the applications of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) for the biological purposes. However, the role and toxicity mechanisms of ZnO nanostructures (ZnO-NSts) such as nanoplates (NPls), nanorods (NRs), nanosheets (NSs), nanoflowers (NFs) on cancer cells are not largely known. Present study was focused to investigate the possible mechanisms of apoptosis induced by self-designed ZnO-NSts, prepared at fix pH via solution process and exposed against human T98G gliomas including various cancers and non-malignant embryonic kidney HEK293, MRC5 fibroblast cells. NSts were used for the induction of cell death in malignant human T98G gliomas including various cancers and compared with the non-malignant cells. Notably, NRs were found to induce higher cytotoxicity, inhibitory effects on cancer and normal cells in a dose dependent manner. We also showed that NRs induced cancer cell death through oxidative stress and caspase-dependent pathways. Furthermore, quantitative and qualitative analysis of ZnO-NSts have also been confirmed by statistical analytical parameters such as precision, accuracy, linearity, limits of detection and limit of quantitation. These self-styled NSts could provide new perception in the research of targeted cancer nanotechnology and have potentiality to improve new therapeutic outcomes with poor diagnosis.

Synthesis of thermally stable monodispersed Au@SnO2 core–shell structure nanoparticles by a sonochemical technique for detection and degradation of acetaldehyde

A simple ultrasound assisted chemical precipitation technique for the synthesis of Au@SnO2 core–shell structure nanoparticles is reported. Au nanoparticles were synthesized via chemical reduction of metal salt followed by sonochemical deposition of a tin dioxide shell with controlled shell thickness. The phase and morphology have been investigated by an X-ray diffraction technique (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) respectively. Au@SnO2 core–shell nanocomposites have shown a distinct surface plasmon peak in the UV-visible spectrum at 540 nm. The core–shell morphology is confirmed from the TEM images. XRD patterns have suggested the formation of gold and tin dioxide in the face-centered cubic and Cassiterite form respectively. Our investigations suggested that the formation of a core–shell structure results in the enhanced thermal stability of the system. The synthesized material is used for the detection and oxidation of acetaldehyde gas. Our investigations suggest the potential application of sonochemically synthesized Au@SnO2 nanoparticles for realization of a sense and shoot device for indoor air purification.

Antibacterial studies and statistical design set data of quasi zinc oxide nanostructures

The present paper describes a systematic study of bacterial growth measured and analysed via UV-visible spectroscopy, which reveals a strong dependence on pH. The morphology of the zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures (from sheets to flowers) varies with respect to change in pH and hence their different abilities to inhibit the bacterial (E. coli, S. aureus and K. pneumoniae) densities. The solution of zinc acetate dihydrate (Zn(CH3COO)2·2H2O) was optimized by the addition of NaOH and HCl to obtain various pH values, ranging from pH 7 to 12. The optimized (pH 7, 10 and 12) solutions of zinc acetate dihydrate were further refluxed to obtain the different morphologies, and subsequently qualitative and quantitative determinations were studied. Absorption spectra of the resulting solutions were recorded at desired pH values, and all measurements were obtained at 600 nm with respect to corresponding control solution or blank. The linearity of the proposed method was evaluated at five concentration levels in the range from 0.5 to 2.0 μg mL−1. Minute quantities of the different morphological nanostructures were used to determine the analytical parameters, such as correlation coefficient (r2 = 0.9995, 0.9998, 0.9990), limit of detection (LOD, 0.053, 0.027 and 0.072 μg mL−1), limit of quantitation (LOQ, 0.016, 0.083 and 0.220 μg mL−1), respectively. Relative standard deviation and quantitative recoveries (RSD%) range from 0.113 to 1.58% and 98.66–100.88%. The morphologies of bacteria (E. coli, S. aureus and K. pneumoniae) and their interactions with synthesized ZnO nanostructures were analysed with Bio-TEM. The study suggests that the grown ZnO nanostructures with variable morphologies exhibit good accuracy and precision, revealed by statistical parameters and recovery data.

Effective inhibition of bacterial respiration and growth by CuO microspheres composed of thin nanosheets

This study describes the synthesis, characterization and biocidal potential of copper oxide micro-spheres composed of thin sheets (CuOMSs-Ths). Microscopic observations of synthesized CuOMSs-Ths revealed the clusters of thin sheets arranged in small flower like micro-spheres. Diameter of each micro-sphere was determined in the range of 2-3 μm, whereas the size of each sheet was ∼ 80 nm. These micro-flowers like nanostructures were synthesized using copper nitrate hexahydrate and sodium hydroxide via solution process. The CuOMSs-Ths exhibited a broad-spectrum anti-bacterial activity involving significant growth inhibition of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus luteus. The IC50 values of these engineered NPs against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and M. luteus were determined to be 195, 200, 131 and 184 μg/ml, respectively. Also, the respiration of Gram+ ve organisms (M. luteus and S. aureus) was inhibited significantly (p value < 0.005) at relatively lower concentrations of 12.5 and 50 μg/ml, respectively, as compared to the Gram- ve bacteria (E. coli and P. aeruginosa), where the growth inhibition occurred at a much greater concentration of 100 μg/ml. The results explicitly demonstrated anti-microbial activity of CuOMSs-Ths with a higher level of toxicity against the Gram+ ve vis-a-vis Gram- ve bacteria.

Synthesis of Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles by Sol-Gel Process

Cubic shaped Magnesium oxide nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by sol-gel method using magnesium nitrate and sodium hydroxide at room temperature. Hydrated Magnesium oxide nanoparticles were annealed in air at 300 and 500°C. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that the obtain nanoparticles are in good crystallinity, pure magnesium oxide periclase phase with (200) orientation. Morphological investigation by FESEM reveals that the typical sizes of the grown nanoparticles are in the range of 50-70nm. Powder composition was analyzed by the FTIR spectroscopy and the results confirms that the conversion of brucite phase magnesium hydroxide in to magnesium oxide periclase phase was achieved at 300°C.The Thermo-gravimetric analysis showed the phase transition of the synthesized magnesium oxide nanoparticles occurs at 280-300°C.