Green Plasmonic Nanoparticles and Bio-Inspired Stimuli-Responsive Vesicles in Cancer Therapy Application

In the last years, there is a growing interest in the application of nanoscaled materials in cancer therapy because of their unique physico-chemical properties. However, the dark side of their usability is limited by their possible toxic behaviour and accumulation in living organisms. Starting from this assumption, the search for a green alternative to produce nanoparticles (NPs) or the discovery of green molecules, is a challenge in order to obtain safe materials. In particular, gold (Au NPs) and silver (Ag NPs) NPs are particularly suitable because of their unique physico-chemical properties, in particular plasmonic behaviour that makes them useful as active anticancer agents. These NPs can be obtained by green approaches, alternative to conventional chemical methods, owing to the use of phytochemicals, carbohydrates, and other biomolecules present in plants, fungi, and bacteria, reducing toxic effects. In addition, we analysed the use of green and stimuli-responsive polymeric bio-inspired nanovesicles, mainly used in drug delivery applications that have revolutionised the way of drugs supply. Finally, we reported the last examples on the use of metallic and Au NPs as self-propelling systems as new concept of nanorobot, which are able to respond and move towards specific physical or chemical stimuli in biological entities.

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Physico-Chemical Properties of Inorganic NPs Influence the Absorption Rate of Aquatic Mosses Reducing Cytotoxicity on Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Model

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules26102885 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (10) ◽

pp. 2885

Author(s):

Valeria De Matteis ◽

Makarena Rojas ◽

Mariafrancesca Cascione ◽

Stefano Mazzotta ◽

Gian Pietro Di Sansebastiano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chemical Properties ◽

Epithelial Barrier ◽

Intestinal Epithelial ◽

Intestinal Epithelial Barrier ◽

Ag Nps ◽

Moss Species ◽

Au Nps ◽

Tio2 Nps ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

Barrier Model

Noble metals nanoparticles (NPs) and metal oxide NPs are widely used in different fields of application and commercial products, exposing living organisms to their potential adverse effects. Recent evidences suggest their presence in the aquifers water and consequently in drinking water. In this work, we have carefully synthesized four types of NPs, namely, silver and gold NPs (Ag NPs and Au NPs) and silica and titanium dioxide NPs (SiO2 NPs and TiO2 NPs) having a similar size and negatively charged surfaces. The synthesis of Ag NPs and Au NPs was carried out by colloidal route using silver nitrate (AgNO3) and tetrachloroauric (III) acid (HAuCl4) while SiO2 NPs and TiO2 NPs were achieved by ternary microemulsion and sol-gel routes, respectively. Once the characterization of NPs was carried out in order to assess their physico-chemical properties, their impact on living cells was studied. We used the human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (Caco-2), known as the best representative intestinal epithelial barrier model to understand the effects triggered by NPs through ingestion. Then, we moved to explore how water contamination caused by NPs can be lowered by the ability of three species of aquatic moss, namely, Leptodictyum riparium, Vesicularia ferriei, and Taxiphyllum barbieri, to absorb them. The experiments were conducted using two concentrations of NPs (100 μM and 500 Μm as metal content) and two time points (24 h and 48 h), showing a capture rate dependent on the moss species and NPs type. Then, the selected moss species, able to actively capture NPs, appear as a powerful tool capable to purify water from nanostructured materials, and then, to reduce the toxicity associated to the ingestion of contaminated drinking water.

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Impact of Quantum Dot Surface on Complex Formation with Chlorin e6 and Photodynamic Therapy

Nanomaterials ◽

10.3390/nano9010009 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 9 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Artiom Skripka ◽

Dominyka Dapkute ◽

Jurga Valanciunaite ◽

Vitalijus Karabanovas ◽

Ricardas Rotomskis

Keyword(s):

Photodynamic Therapy ◽

Cancer Therapy ◽

Complex Formation ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Disease Diagnosis ◽

Chlorin E6 ◽

Deep Tissue ◽

Physico Chemical

Nanomaterials have permeated various fields of scientific research, including that of biomedicine, as alternatives for disease diagnosis and therapy. Among different structures, quantum dots (QDs) have distinctive physico-chemical properties sought after in cancer research and eradication. Within the context of cancer therapy, QDs serve the role of transporters and energy donors to photodynamic therapy (PDT) drugs, extending the applicability and efficiency of classic PDT. In contrast to conventional PDT agents, QDs’ surface can be designed to promote cellular targeting and internalization, while their spectral properties enable better light harvesting and deep-tissue use. Here, we investigate the possibility of complex formation between different amphiphilic coating bearing QDs and photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6). We show that complex formation dynamics are dependent on the type of coating—phospholipids or amphiphilic polymers—as well as on the surface charge of QDs. Förster’s resonant energy transfer occurred in every complex studied, confirming the possibility of indirect Ce6 excitation. Nonetheless, in vitro PDT activity was restricted only to negative charge bearing QD-Ce6 complexes, correlating with better accumulation in cancer cells. Overall, these findings help to better design such and similar complexes, as gained insights can be straightforwardly translated to other types of nanostructures—expanding the palette of possible therapeutic agents for cancer therapy.

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Separation of Biological Entities from Human Blood by Using Magnetic Nanocomposites Obtained from Zeolite Precursors

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules25081803 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (8) ◽

pp. 1803

Author(s):

Serena Esposito ◽

Antonello Marocco ◽

Gianfranco Dell’Agli ◽

Barbara Bonelli ◽

Franca Mannu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Human Blood ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Industrial Process ◽

High Sensitivity ◽

Point Of View ◽

The Novel ◽

Magnetic Adsorbents ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

Magnetic Metal ◽

Biological Entities

In this work, three novel magnetic metal–ceramic nanocomposites were obtained by thermally treating Fe-exchanged zeolites (either A or X) under reducing atmosphere at relatively mild temperatures (750–800 °C). The so-obtained materials were thoroughly characterized from the point of view of their physico-chemical properties and, then, used as magnetic adsorbents in the separation of the target gene factors V and RNASE and of the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria DNA from human blood. Such results were compared with those obtained by using a top ranking commercial separation system (namely, SiMAG-N-DNA by Chemicell). The results obtained by using the novel magnetic adsorbents were similar to (or even better than) those obtained by using the commercial system, both during manual and automated separations, provided that a proper protocol was adopted. Particularly, the novel magnetic adsorbents showed high sensitivity during tests performed with small volumes of blood. Finally, the feasible production of such magnetic adsorbents by an industrial process was envisaged as well.

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Foundations of Biology

Symmetry ◽

10.3390/sym13091701 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 1701

Author(s):

Jean-Louis Sikorav ◽

Alan Braslau ◽

Arach Goldar

Keyword(s):

Natural Selection ◽

Deductive Reasoning ◽

Laws Of Nature ◽

Logical Structure ◽

Principle Of Sufficient Reason ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

Logical Content ◽

The Origin Of Life ◽

Living Organisms ◽

Biological Entities

It is often stated that there are no laws in biology, where everything is contingent and could have been otherwise, being solely the result of historical accidents. Furthermore, the customary introduction of fundamental biological entities such as individual organisms, cells, genes, catalysts, and motors remains largely descriptive; constructive approaches involving deductive reasoning appear, in comparison, almost absent. As a consequence, both the logical content and principles of biology need to be reconsidered. The present article describes an inquiry into the foundations of biology. The foundations of biology are built in terms of elements, logic, and principles, using both the language and the general methods employed in other disciplines. This approach assumes the existence of a certain unity of human knowledge that transcends discipline boundaries. Leibniz’s principle of sufficient reason is revised through a study of the complementary concepts of symmetry and asymmetry and of necessity and contingency. This is used to explain how these concepts are involved in the elaboration of theories or laws of nature. Four fundamental theories of biology are then identified: cell theory, Darwin’s theory of natural selection, an informational theory of life (which includes Mendel’s theory of inheritance) and a physico-chemical theory of life. Atomism and deductive reasoning are shown to enter into the elaboration of the concepts of natural selection, individual living organisms, cells, and their reproduction, genes, as well as catalysts and motors. This work contributes to clarify the philosophical and logical structure of biology and its major theories. This should ultimately lead to a better understanding of the origin of life, of system and synthetic biology, and of artificial life.

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NanoE-Tox: New and in-depth database concerning ecotoxicity of nanomaterials

Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology ◽

10.3762/bjnano.6.183 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. 1788-1804 ◽

Cited By ~ 77

Author(s):

Katre Juganson ◽

Angela Ivask ◽

Irina Blinova ◽

Monika Mortimer ◽

Anne Kahru

Keyword(s):

Chemical Properties ◽

Alternative Methods ◽

Ag Nps ◽

Nano Structure ◽

Test Species ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

Information File ◽

Ecotoxicity Testing ◽

Toxicity Mechanisms ◽

Toxic Potential

The increasing production and use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) inevitably results in their higher concentrations in the environment. This may lead to undesirable environmental effects and thus warrants risk assessment. The ecotoxicity testing of a wide variety of ENMs rapidly evolving in the market is costly but also ethically questionable when bioassays with vertebrates are conducted. Therefore, alternative methods, e.g., models for predicting toxicity mechanisms of ENMs based on their physico-chemical properties (e.g., quantitative (nano)structure-activity relationships, QSARs/QNARs), should be developed. While the development of such models relies on good-quality experimental toxicity data, most of the available data in the literature even for the same test species are highly variable. In order to map and analyse the state of the art of the existing nanoecotoxicological information suitable for QNARs, we created a database NanoE-Tox that is available as Supporting Information File 2. The database is based on existing literature on ecotoxicology of eight ENMs with different chemical composition: carbon nanotubes (CNTs), fullerenes, silver (Ag), titanium dioxide (TiO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), cerium dioxide (CeO2), copper oxide (CuO), and iron oxide (FeO x ; Fe2O3, Fe3O4). Altogether, NanoE-Tox database consolidates data from 224 articles and lists altogether 1,518 toxicity values (EC50/LC50/NOEC) with corresponding test conditions and physico-chemical parameters of the ENMs as well as reported toxicity mechanisms and uptake of ENMs in the organisms. 35% of the data in NanoE-Tox concerns ecotoxicity of Ag NPs, followed by TiO2 (22%), CeO2 (13%), and ZnO (10%). Most of the data originates from studies with crustaceans (26%), bacteria (17%), fish (13%), and algae (11%). Based on the median toxicity values of the most sensitive organism (data derived from three or more articles) the toxicity order was as follows: Ag > ZnO > CuO > CeO2 > CNTs > TiO2 > FeO x . We believe NanoE-Tox database contains valuable information for ENM environmental hazard estimation and development of models for predicting toxic potential of ENMs.

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Microwave Accelerated Green Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using Gum Arabic and their Physico-Chemical Properties Assessments

Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie ◽

10.1515/zpch-2017-1001 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 232 (3) ◽

pp. 325-343 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Maryam Eskandari-Nojehdehi ◽

Hoda Jafarizadeh-Malmiri ◽

Abbas Jafarizad

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Particle Size ◽

Gold Nanoparticles ◽

Exposure Time ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Gum Arabic ◽

Au Nps ◽

Synthesis Conditions ◽

Microwave Exposure ◽

Physico Chemical

AbstractMicrowave enhanced gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were synthesized using gum Arabic as both reducing and stabilizing agents. Response surface methodology was applied to study effects of the Au NPs synthesized parameters, namely, microwave exposure time (90–180 s) and the amount of AgNO3solution (1–10 mL) on the mean particle size, mixture solution color and concentration of the synthesized Au NPs. The colloidal solution containing well-dispersed and spherical fabricated Au NPs with mean particle size (22 nm) and maximum concentration (159 ppm) and color (1.12 absorbance unit, a.u.), were obtained at the optimal synthesis conditions, using 8.17 mL of HAuCl4(1 mM) and 2 mL of gum Arabic solution (4% w/v) during microwave exposure time of 180 s. The physico-chemical properties of the synthesized Au NPs at obtained optimum synthesis conditions were characterized by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy.

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Weak interactions-Strong effects: Key role of hydrophobic interaction in the formation of stimuli-responsive viscoelastic gel of worm-like micelles

BIBECHANA ◽

10.3126/bibechana.v11i0.10249 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Swapan K. Saha

Keyword(s):

Weak Interactions ◽

Hydrophobic Effect ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Stimuli Responsive ◽

New Materials ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

Fundamental Understanding ◽

Morphological Transitions ◽

Points Of View

Among all the weak interactions, which are operative in the domain of chemistry, hydrophobic effect is one that leads to new structural motifs like molecular self-assemblies viz., micelles, vesicles etc. Worm-like micelles are polymer like aggregates which have been formed in aqueous surfactant solutions in the presence of additives. These are relatively new materials with exciting material properties. These stimuli-responsive viscoelastic materials are interesting from both fundamental understanding as well as application points of view. The physico-chemical properties of worm-like micelles are studied and the morphological transitions to vesicle as functions of various parameters have been investigated.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/bibechana.v11i0.10249 BIBECHANA 11(1) (2014) 1-7

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Gold/Silver-Polymer Hybrid Nanostructures as Thermoreversible Optical Sensors and Probes for the Quantification Radical Compounds

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/opl.2015.833 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 1802 ◽

pp. 41-44 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Eun Chul Cho ◽

Ju A La ◽

Sora Lim ◽

Ji Eun Song

Keyword(s):

Optical Sensors ◽

Polymeric Materials ◽

Hybrid Nanostructures ◽

Stimuli Responsive ◽

Ag Nps ◽

Au Nps ◽

Optical Signals ◽

Gold Silver ◽

Wide Range ◽

Color Switching

ABSTRACTWe present gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) could be used not only for stimuli-responsive optical sensors but also for the quantification of radical compounds when these nanoparticles are suitably combined with polymeric materials. When Au NPs are assembled 2-dimensionally on the surface of hydrogel NPs which respond to temperatures, the hybrid NPs displayed thermoreversible multiple color switching. Accordingly, optical bandwidths of the hybrid NPs are reversibly changed with temperatures: with hybrid NPs assembled with 51 nm Au NPs, prominent optical signals are recorded at 900 nm at 50 °C while most of extinction signals are shown below 600 nm at room temperatures. In addition, we demonstrate the modification of Ag NPs’ surfaces (nanocubes and nanospheres) with polyelectrolytes (either positive or negative) could extend the quantifiable detection ranges of radical compounds. Through the surface modification of Ag NPs, the polyelectrolytes protect the Ag NPs by probably either retarding (forming diffusion barriers) or preventing (blocking/entrapping/scavenging) the arrival of radicals to Ag NPs or both. The roles of the polyelectrolytes are demonstrated by using radical compounds produced from tetrahydrofuran and H2O2. From the results, we could obtain calibration curves for the wide-range quantification of radical compounds.

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Caramel colors in terms of scientific research, with particular consideration of their toxicity

Postępy Higieny i Medycyny Doświadczalnej ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0014.8497 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 75 ◽

pp. 246-264

Author(s):

Marta Buczkowska ◽

Kamila Paciorek ◽

Anna Kapcińska ◽

Michał Górski

Keyword(s):

International Organizations ◽

Developmental Toxicity ◽

Food Additives ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Class Iii ◽

Neurotoxic Effect ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

Living Organisms ◽

Harmful Effects ◽

Molecular Compounds

Caramel colors, the most common food additives in the world, are divided into four classes (IIV), marked with the symbols E150 a-d, respectively. Individual classes of caramel colors differ from each other in physico-chemical properties and the method of preparation, which affects the formation of various compounds that are important for the assessment of food safety A number of studies on all caramel classes of have been performed, including toxicokinetic, genotoxic, carcinogenic and reproductive and developmental toxicity studies, which have not shown harmful effects of these additives at doses not exceeding ADI. However, there is an increasing number of scientific reports of the possible toxic effects present in caramels of low-molecular compounds. Currently, three compounds are considered to be toxicologically important and resulting from the possible concentration in the final product: 5-HMF (present in all classes), 4(5)-MeI (present in caramel classes III and IV) or THI (present in caramel class III). 4(5)-MeI has a neurotoxic effect and was considered in 2011 as a possible human carcinogen (class 2B, according to IARC). In the case of THI, studies have confirmed its lymphopenic activity, probably secondary to its immunosuppressive effect. Consequently, in the 1980s, JECFA set acceptable levels 4(5)-MeI and THI, for the caramel classes in which these compounds may be present. The toxicity of 5-HMF has not been confirmed unequivocally, but studies have shown that this compound is not neutral to living organisms. Currently, most international organizations and scientific institutes recognize these additives as safe for consumers, but at the same time scientists emphasize the need for further research.

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Decoration of specific sites on freeze-fractured membranes

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100081565 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

pp. 140-141

Author(s):

H. Gross ◽

H. Moor

Keyword(s):

Pure Water ◽

Freeze Fracture ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Surface Forces ◽

Sulfate Pentahydrate ◽

Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

Water Of Hydration ◽

Small Container ◽

Binding Forces

Fracturing under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV, p ≤ 10-9 Torr) produces membrane fracture faces devoid of contamination. Such clean surfaces are a prerequisite foe studies of interactions between condensing molecules is possible and surface forces are unequally distributed, the condensate will accumulate at places with high binding forces; crystallites will arise which may be useful a probes for surface sites with specific physico-chemical properties. Specific “decoration” with crystallites can be achieved nby exposing membrane fracture faces to water vopour. A device was developed which enables the production of pure water vapour and the controlled variation of its partial pressure in an UHV freeze-fracture apparatus (Fig.1a). Under vaccum (≤ 10-3 Torr), small container filled with copper-sulfate-pentahydrate is heated with a heating coil, with the temperature controlled by means of a thermocouple. The water of hydration thereby released enters a storage vessel.

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