Zakia Khanam

Current Trends in the Preparation of Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery

The efficiency of a drug depends on target specificity and its solubility. The non-specificity of the drug molecules not only needs extra doses to treat diseases but also is associated with adverse drug reactions. Thus, newly engineered nanoparticles as a vector represent an exciting example which has shifted the paradigm from conventional therapies such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation to the novel drug delivery system. Among the nanocarriers developed so far, silica and gold nanoparticles have emerged as potential candidates who can deliver different drug molecules at target sites in a controllable and sustainable approach. In the present era, drugs released and delivered by engineered nanoparticles have attracted enough attention because of the prospects in cancer therapy, in particular, and in the treatment of other ailments. The fundamental properties of nanoparticles in drug loading, releasing, and biochemical competency can be altered by means of suitable conjugation with appropriate coatings or external magnetic fields. Therefore, this book chapter is focused on preparation, development, and application of very recently reported silica and gold nanoparticle system as a drug delivery cargo.

Phytoremediation of iron from red soil of tropical region by using Centella asiatica

ABSTRACT The accumulation and removal efficiency of Fe by Centella asiatica was carried out at various Fe concentrations in soil treatments (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg Fe/kg soil). Iron accumulation in different parts of C. asiatica (leaf, stem and root) was analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Factorial experiment with a completely randomized design and Duncans test were used for data analyses. The results revealed that C. asiatica have the ability to uptake and accumulate Fe significantly (p < 0.05; r = 0.977) in the aerial parts. The different soil treatments had significant effect on the total Fe accumulations in C. asiatica (p < 0.05). The potential of C. asiatica as a metal hyperaccumulator plant, harvested for analysis, shows efficient accumulation of Fe at high concentration (p < 0.05; r = 0.977). The root showed the highest accumulation of Fe followed by the leaves (p < 0.05) and the stem (p < 0.05). The Pearson correlation coefficient between leaves and root have showed highly significant correlation (p < 0.01; r = 0.785) as compared to the leaves and stem (p < 0.01; r = 0.780). The efficiency of Fe removal by C. asiatica from the contaminated soil has been evaluated by bioconcentration factor and translocation factor, found to be >1 and <1, respectively, further supporting its metal hyperaccumulator properties.