Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are gaining importance in health and environment. This study synthesized AgNPs using the bark extract of a plant, Toxicodendron vernicifluum (Tv) as confirmed by a ...absorption peak at 420 nm corresponding to the Plasmon resonance of AgNPs. The AgNPs were spherical, oval-shaped with size range of 2-40 nm as evident by field emission transmission electron microscopy (FE-TEM) and particle size analysis (PSA). The particles formed were crystalline by the presence of (111), (220) and (200) planes, as revealed by X ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The presence of amine, amide, phenolic, and alcoholic aromatics derived from Tv extract was found to be capping and or reducing agents as evident by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra. The Tv-AgNPs were observed to be biocompatible to chick embryonic and NIH3T3 cells at various concentrations. Interestingly, Tv-AgNPs at the concentration of 320 µg. mL
induced 82.5% of cell death in human lung cancer, A549 cells and further 95% of cell death with annexin V FITC/PI based apoptosis. The Tv-AgNPs selectively targeted and damaged the cancer cells through ROS generation. The Tv-AgNPs displayed minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 8.12 µg.mL
and 18.14 µg.mL
against STEC and H. pylori respectively. This multi-potent property of Tv-AgNPs was due to shape and size specific property that facilitated easy penetration into the bacterial and cancer cells for targeted therapy.
The present work studied the effect of extracts from tissue culture-derived callus and leaf of the saltmarsh plant,
Sesuvium portulacastrum L. on synthesis of antimicrobial silver nanoparticles using ...AgNO
3 as a substrate. The callus extract could be able to produce silver nanoparticles, better than leaf extract. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles was confirmed with X-ray diffraction spectrum which exhibited intense peaks, corresponding to the (1
1
1), (2
0
0), (2
2
0), (3
1
1), and (2
2
2) sets of lattice planes of silver. The extracts incubated with AgNO
3 showed gradual change in color of the extracts to yellowish brown, with intensity increasing during the period of incubation. Control without silver nitrate did not show any change in color. The silver nanoparticles synthesized were generally found to be spherical in shape with variable size ranging from 5 to 20
nm, as evident by Transmission Electron Microscopy. There were prominent peaks in the extracts corresponding to amide I, II and III indicating the presence of the protein, as revealed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy measurement. There were also peaks that were corresponding to aromatic rings, geminal methyls and ether linkages, indicating the presence of flavones and terpenoids responsible for the stabilization of the silver nanoparticles. The silver nanoparticles were observed to inhibit clinical strains of bacteria and fungi. The antibacterial activity was more distinct than antifungal activity. The antimicrobial activity was enhanced when polyvinyl alcohol was added as a stabilizing agent. The present work highlighted the possibility of using tissue culture-derived callus extract from the coastal saltmarsh species for the synthesis of antimicrobial silver nanoparticles.
Chitosan is a commercially available derivative of chitin that has been extensively studied for its antimicrobial properties. In order to improve the water solubility and its biological activity, the ...chemical modification or derivatisation is attempted. In the present investigation, the chitosan prepared from the cuttlebone of Sepia kobiensis was being chemically modified by reacting it with orthophosphoric acid so as to obtain phosphorylated chitosan. Then the chitosan and phosphorylated chitosan were structurally characterized through FT-IR spectroscopy. Further the antibacterial activity of chitosan and phosphorylated chitosan was tested against clinically isolated human pathogens (Gram-positive: Streptococcus sp., Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative: Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, V. alginolyticus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella sp. and Proteus vulgaris) by well diffusion method and the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was also calculated. The results of the present study suggests that the chitosan and phosphorylated chitosan has concentration dependent antibacterial activity with variation against several pathogenic human pathogenic bacterial strains which indicates their possible use as antibacterial agents.
In this report, copper oxide nanoparticles (TA-CuO NPs) were synthesized using cell-free extract of Trichoderma asperellum and assessed their photothermal induced anticancerous activity. The fungal ...mediated TA-CuO NPs was confirmed by the surface plasmon resonance at 285–295 nm. The amide (CO) and aromatic (CC) groups in secondary metabolites of the extract was found to be an encapsulating or reducing agents for TA-CuO NPs, as indicated by IR spectra. Crystalline nature by cubic face-centered structure of the TA-CuO NPs was confirmed by XRD and their size ranges from 10 to 190 nm and an average of 110 nm by particle size analyzer (PSA). The Ultra HRSEM study revealed spherical shaped TA-CuO NPs. The FETEM results were also in strong agreement with PSA and UHR SEM. The survey-scan spectrum of XPS indicated the presence of C1s (47.83%), Cu2p (16.11%), Na1s (2.2%) and O1s (33.86%). The cell death was significantly found higher in photothermal induced by near-infrared laser (TA-CuO NPs-NIR) treated than that of TA-CuO NPs treatment. The level of ROS (35.62%) was higher in the treated cells than that of the untreated control, in accordance with the nucleus damage and losses in the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). The upregulation of Bcl-2 in the untreated cells and Cas-3 in TA-CuO NPs-NIR treated cells was confirmed by western blot analysis. This work agreed with the potential biogenic TA-CuO NPs for promising in vitro photothermolysis of cancer cells, for the development of anticancer nanotherapeutics.
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•CuO NPs were synthesized from aqueous extracts of Trichoderma sp.•High through-put techniques were adopted for characterization of CuO NPs.•The synthesized CuO NPs found to have photothermolysis of A549 cancer cells.
Burrowing crabs are considered to be ecosystem engineers, playing a vital role in mangrove ecosystems through bio-geochemical transformation. This process depends on the size and shape of burrows. ...The present study analyzes the architecture of burrows constructed by crabs in a restored mangrove habitat. Fourteen crab species were found to construct burrows of 13 different shapes, with a predominance of I-, J-, and L-shapes. Sesarmids were larger in size than fiddlers, and made burrows with wider openings mostly in the Rhizophora zone. Fiddlers constructed complex burrows with a vertical position, and made longer and deeper burrows in contrast to sesarmids, which formed simple burrows with a horizontal position, digging shorter and shallower burrows in Avicennia or open zones. The sesarmids had smaller burrows without branching in mangrove zones, whereas the fiddlers had larger burrows with or without branching in open and Avicennia zones. The burrows of fiddler crabs, especially Austruca occidentalis and A. annulipes, had separate openings and passages for exit and entry as an adaptation against predators. The present work identified Austruca occidentalis and A. annulipes as the most potent bioturbating crab species in restored mangrove habitats due to their efficiency in soil excavation and formation of large-sized burrows.
India is of prime interest due to the large past and ongoing use of pesticidal persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Rapid dissipation of POPs to the atmosphere in the tropical climate of India ...infers an atmospheric outflow of these chemicals. Yet data on POPs in the atmosphere of India are sparse. Passive air samplers consisting of polyurethane foam disks were therefore deployed concurrently at 18 locations and exposed for 6 weeks from July 30, 2006, to September 26, 2006, along the coastal length of India to screen for POPs in the atmosphere. The sampling sites were selected to form categories of urban, rural, and background (mangrove/wetlands) locations. Derived air concentrations (pg/m3) ranged as follows: the sum of 28 PCB congeners, 120−1080; DDTs, 16−2950; HCHs, 66−5400; chlordanes, 9−921; endosulfans, 0.45−1120; and the sum of 9 PBDE congeners, 1−181. The highest levels of all the detected POPs (except endosulfan) were observed at the urban sites, indicating the dominant areas of usage and emissions. An urban−rural composition fractionation of PCBs indicates their atmospheric movement. The γ-HCH levels were more than double those of α-HCH, indicating the sporadic use of lindane. DDT concentrations were elevated, at levels comparable to China, but with much higher percentages of p,p′-DDE, reflecting a more ‘weathered’ feature. Although no dicofol use was recorded in India, the o,p′-/p,p′-DDT ratios were observed to be even higher than in China. Chlordanes showed high trans-/cis-chlordane (TC/CC) ratios, indicative of the current use of technical chlordane and a contribution from heptachlor usage.
Past studies have reported several persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in different environmental matrices from a tropical coastal site, Parangipettai (PI), located along the bank of the Vellar ...River in Tamil Nadu, south India. Hence to fill the data gap after the strict ban on several POPs, high volume air sampling was conducted in PI to study the variability of atmospheric organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) during summer, pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons. Emission source regions were tracked by using five days back trajectory analysis. Range of air concentrations in pg/m3 were: dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), 13 - 1976; hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), 260–1135, hexachlorocyclobenzene (HCB), 52–135, chlordanes, 36–135 and endosulfans, 66–1013. Six PBDE congeners ranged between 25 and 155 pg/m3 with the highest concentration in summer followed by pre-monsoon and monsoon. Atmospheric DDT and HCH in PI have drastically reduced from the past report thereby showing the strict ban on agricultural use of these compounds. During monsoon, fresh source of o,p′‐DDT, trans‐chlordane and α‐endosulfan was evident. Higher level of endosulphan sulfate in PI seems to be likely affected by the air mass, originating from a neighbouring state Kerela, where endosulfan has been extensively used for cashew plantations. Similarly in summer, the day recorded with the highest level of PBDEs, the sample was concurrently impacted by air parcel comprised of two major clusters, 1 (25%) and 2 (49%) that traversed through the metropolitan cities like Bangalore and Chennai. Dominance of BDE-99 over BDE-47 in PI is in line with the PBDE profile reported from Chennai city during similar time frame. Average concentration of tetra and penta BDE congeners in summer samples were nearly 2–3 folds higher than pre-monsoon or monsoon. Given the fact that strong localised sources for heavier BDE congeners are lacking in PI, regional atmospheric transport from the strong emission source regions in Chennai might have impacted PBDE concentration in PI.
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•In Parangipettai, atmospheric HCH and DDT concentrations have drastically reduced from the past report.•α-Endosulfan, trans-chlordane and o,p′-DDT were high during monsoon suggesting fresh source.•Regional atmospheric transport from the metropolitan cities like Chennai and Bangalore is possibly the major contributor for atmospheric PBDEs in Parangipettai.
This article reviews the evils of cigarette smoking and the promise of mangroves to cure them.Chemicals in cigarette smoke are leading cause of death to both smokers and nonsmokers.Plant is the ...potential source to produce medicine for almost all the diseases.Mangroves are promising as a novel source of anti-cancer drugs in regulating the cancer pathways and stimulating immunity in the body system.Research on medicine from mangroves for the treatment of cancer has not only been shown to have an effect on cancer,but also provided important methods for the study of cancer therapy and mechanism.This report may help to explore the medicinal properties of the mangroves.
•Fish growth performance of Asian seabass and water quality were analysed in IMAS and OAS without mangroves.•Fish biomass and survival were higher in IMAS than those in OAS without mangroves.•Fish ...performance was attributed to better water quality of integrated mangrove-aquaculture system.•Integrating mangroves with fish farming is beneficial for better seabass fish survival and growth.
The potential use of mangrove swamp for fish farming industry is not clearly known. Therefore, current study was conducted to assess the growth performance of the Asian Seabass, Lates calcarifer cultivated in integrated mangrove-aquaculture system (IMAS) and open aquaculture system without mangroves (OAS). Fish survival and biomass production were higher by 11% and 12.5% respectively in the IMAS than those in the OAS. The fish growth performance was higher in monsoon than that in other seasons. It was in association with water quality parameters such as, high levels of DO, chlorophylls-a,b, nitrate-N, DOC, TOC; low levels of light intensity, temperature (air, water), SPM, chlorophyll-c, nitrite-N, ammonia, total phosphate, reactive silicate, and POC; as well with moderate salinity. The water quality seemed to be favourable for growth and survival of the fish. Therefore, integrating the mangroves with fish farming of the Asian seabass is beneficial for better fish survival and biomass production.
Biopolymers are ubiquitous in biomedical and healthcare application. Its nanocomposites have gained more attention as antimicrobials, a drug carrier, sensors, disease diagnosis, tissue engineering, ...wound healing, and cancer therapy. These biopolymer composites are efficient in holding, protecting and releasing bioactive drugs such as pharmaceutics, nutraceuticals, enzymes, and probiotics. Several studies revealed a polymer-based drug delivery system in cancer therapy and microbial treatments. However, this mini-review emphasized the source, extraction, and characterizations of the biopolymers and their use in the fabrication of various drug or metals based nanocomposites followed by its utilization as drug carrier or drug to treat the various diseases such as antimicrobial infections and cancer.
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