The Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using <i>Amaranthus spinosus</i>Leaf Extract and Study of Their Optical Properties

We report here the application of a medicinally important plant Amaranthus spinosus for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Different concentrations of ethanolic leaf extract of the plant were reacted with aqueous solution of HAuCl4·4H2O under mild reaction conditions. Synthesis of AuNPs was confirmed from the UV-Vis study of surface plasmon resonance property of the colloidal solution. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed particles as spherical and triangular in shape. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the crystalline nature of AuNPs with average size of 10.74 nm as determined by Debye-Scherrer’s Equation. Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR) analysis of leaf extract and lyophilized AuNPs showed the presence of various functional groups present in diverse phytochemicals. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) of purified AuNPs confirmed the formation of AuNPs and surface adsorption of biomolecules. We further investigated the toxicity of the synthesized AuNPs and found non toxic to the cancer cell lines and could be used for biomedical applications.

In vitro screening of probiotic properties of Lactobacillus plantarum isolated from fermented milk product

Objectives:The screening of traditional fermented products is essential for the assessment of safety,security,and further development of functional foods for the well-being of human health.The aim of the present study was to isolate and identify bacteria from fermented raw milk samples that exhibit health benefits upon consumption.Methods:In order to confirm the isolates as probiotics,several in vitro assays were conducted to assess the probiotic properties of isolated bacteria.The initial screening includes tolerance to acid,bile,pancreatin,and NaCl.The cell surface properties demonstrate their interaction with mucosal epithelium,which includes hydrophobicity and auto-aggregation assay.Safety assessment was done by performing haemolytic test and antibiotic susceptibility test.The antagonistic activity of probiotic strain was further evaluated against some pathogenic bacteria.Results:Lactobacillus plantarum(L.plantarum)isolated from fermented raw milk was preliminarily identified by biochemical tests and further confirmed using 16S rRNA identification.The isolate designated as L.plantarum strain GCC_19M1 demonstrated significant tolerance to low pH,0.3%bile,0.5%pancreatin,and 5%NaCl.In the presence of simulated gastric juice(at pH 3),the isolate exhibited a survival rate of 93.48-96.97%.Furthermore,the development of ecological niches in the human gut and their successful accumulation have been revealed by auto-aggregation and hydrophobicity properties.Absence of haemolytic activity ensures the non-virulent nature of the strain.Lactobacillus plantarum strain GCC_19M1 showed susceptibility towards gentamicin,tetracycline,kanamycin,meropenem,and ceftriaxone and exhibited an antagonistic effect on pathogenic bacteria.Conclusion:The obtained results conveyed that L.plantarum strain GCC_19M1 has strong probiotic potential,and its presence in the fermented raw milk products may serve as a potent functional probiotic food.

Green synthesis of biocompatible gold nanoparticles using Fagopyrum esculentum leaf extract

This report describes the use of ethnolic extract of Fagopyrum esculentum leaves for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles. UV-visible spectroscopy analysis indicated the successful formation of gold nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, high resolution TEM （HRTEM） and were found to be spherical, hexagonal and triangular in shape with an average size of 8.3 nm. The crystalline nature of the gold nanoparticles was confirmed from X.ray diffraction （XRD） and selected-area electron diffraction （SAED） patterns. Fourier transform infrared （FT-IR） and energy.dispersive X-ray analysis （EDX） suggested the presence of organic biomolecules on the surface of the gold nanoparticles. Cytotoxicity tests against human HeLa, MCF-7 and IMR-32 cancer cell lines revealed that the gold nanoparticles were non-toxic and thus have potential for use in various biomedical applications.

Biosurfactant-assisted phytoremediation of potentially toxic elements in soil:Green technology for meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Biosurfactants are biomolecules produced by microorganisms, low in toxicity, biodegradable, and relatively easy to synthesize using renewable waste substrates. Biosurfactants are of great importance with a wide and versatile range of applications, including the bioremediation of contaminated sites. Plants may accumulate soil potentially toxic elements(PTEs), and the accumulation efficacy may be further enhanced by the biosurfactants produced by rhizospheric microorganisms. Occasionally, the growth of bacteria slows down in adverse conditions, such as highly contaminated soils with PTEs. In this context,the plant's phytoextraction capacity could be improved by the addition of metal-tolerant bacteria that produce biosurfactants. Several sources, categories,and bioavailability of PTEs in soil are reported in this article, with the focus on the cost-effective and sustainable soil remediation technologies, where biosurfactants are used as a remediation method. How rhizobacterial biosurfactants can improve PTE recovery capabilities of plants is discussed, and the molecular mechanisms in bacterial genomes that support the production of important biosurfactants are listed. The status and cost of commercial biosurfactant production in the international market are also presented.

Private somatic mutations identified with liquid biopsy lead tumor progression in solid cancers

Aim:Primary tumors can be divided into oncogene-addicted(e.g.,lung)and non-oncogene addicted(e.g.,breast).Only the former group has an Achilles-heel single gene for successful target therapy,whereas the latter has mutations of multiple causative genes.Currently,tissue biopsy used for genetic surveys do not give a complete picture of the molecular profile and clonal evolution,but only provide static information over time.Methods:A series of 133 patients with 16 different solid tumors were enrolled.Blood samples were collected and cell-free DNA(cfDNA)was extracted.cfDNA libraries were analyzed using AVENIO circulating tumor DNA(ctDNA)Expanded Kit and Illumina NextSeq 550 for sequencing was used.In order to evaluate the clinical evolution over time,a second cfDNA analysis was performed after a mean interval of 2 months.Results:Through the cfDNA liquid biopsy,we found 89 pathogenic variants in 54 genes.Breast,lung,and prostate cancers showed the largest number of mutated genes.TP53,PIK3CA,FGFR3,KRAS,and ERBB2 were the most frequently mutated genes among 16 different tumors.Gene distribution didn’t show any type of prevalence.In particular,every patient with disease progression seems to have a“private”combination of gene pair mutations,with TP53 as the most frequently mutated gene.Conclusion:We showed that the clonal evolution of tumors includes a private combination of genes,regardless of tumor type.In the future,the cancer treatment can be the targeted therapy against specific tumor mutation(s).The present approach seems promising to both identify key cancer genes and follow clonal evolution over time.