Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Induced by the Fungus Penicillium citrinum

Purpose: To evaluate a green process for the extracellular production of silver (Ag) nanoparticles synthesized and stabilized using Penicillium citrinum isolated from soil.Methods: The pure colonies of Penicillium citrinum were cultured in Czapek dox broth. The supernatant of the broth was examined for the ability to produce silver nanoparticles. The reactions were performed in a dark compartment at 28 oC. After 24 h, the synthesized silver nanoparticles were filtered through a membrane filter (0.45 ƒÊ) and characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for particle size, shape and the presence of different functional groups in the nanoparticles.Results: The silver nanoparticles formed were fairly uniform in size with a spherical shape and a Zaverage diameter of 109 nm. FTIR spectra revealed the presence of amide linkage groups which were also found in the fungal extract itself.Conclusion: The current approach suggests that rapid synthesis of nanoparticles of silver nitrate would be suitable for developing a biological process for mass scale production of formulations.Keywords: Green synthesis, Penicillium citrinum, silver nanoparticles

Electrowetting-on-Dielectric Actuation of a Vertical Translation and Angular Manipulation Stage

Adhesion and friction during physical contact of solid components in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) often lead to device failure. Translational stages that are fabricated with traditional silicon MEMS typically face these tribological concerns. This work addresses these concerns by developing a MEMS vertical translation, or focusing, stage that uses electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) as the actuating mechanism. EWOD has the potential to eliminate solid-solid contact by actuating through deformation of liquid droplets placed between the stage and base to achieve stage displacement. Our EWOD stage is capable of linear spatial manipulation with resolution of 10 μm over a maximum range of 130 μm and angular deflection of approximately ±1°, comparable to piezoelectric actuators. We also developed a model that suggests a higher intrinsic contact angle on the EWOD surface can further improve the translational range, which was validated experimentally by comparing different surface coatings. The capability to operate the stage without solid-solid contact offers potential improvements for applications in micro-optics, actuators, and other MEMS devices.United States. Office of Naval ResearchNational Science Foundation (U.S.). Graduate Research Fellowship Program (Grant 1122374)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Major Research Instrumentation Grant for Rapid Response Research (MRI-RAPID)

Antineoplastic Biogenic Silver Nanomaterials to Combat Cervical Cancer: A Novel Approach in Cancer Therapeutics

Nanomedicine is a rapidly growing and promising field to combat cancer. This study was aimed to systematically review the original published articles to evaluate the efficacy of biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against cervical cancer cells through in vitro investigations. The articles were selected through the online databases, including Cochrane, Embase, Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, ProQuest, and Web of Science for the articles published up to 31 August 2019. Sixty-five articles were found eligible to enter into our study. Our finding revealed that a vast 92.3 of articles stated the significant cytotoxicity of biogenic AgNPs against cervical cancer cells, while 7.7 of articles represented no cytotoxicity against cervical cancer cells. The proposed molecular mechanisms of anticancer activity of biogenic AgNPs against cervical cancer cells included the release of silver cations from AgNPs in the cell culture medium, generation of intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), induction of apoptosis pathways, and DNA damage. This study provided significant preliminary evidence from the anticancer potential of biogenic AgNPs against cervical cancer cells. Future molecular studies will elucidate the exact molecular mechanisms of biogenic AgNPs-induced cytotoxicity in cervical cancer cells. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Emerging Theranostic Gold Nanomaterials to Combat Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review

According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer remains one of the leading cause of cancer death in the US. It is an urgent need to explore new strategies to combat colorectal cancer. Hence, the current study was aimed to systematically review the original published articles to assess the efficacy of biogenic gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) against colorectal cancer cells for the first time. The electronic databases involving Cochrane, Web of Science, ProQuest, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Science Direct were searched for the articles published up to 19 June 2019. Different natural sources including bacterium, alga, plant, and fungus were applied for bioreduction of AuNPs. Besides, most of the studies reported the size distribution of AuNPs less than 50 nm with different morphologies. However, most of the studies reported spherical shaped AuNPs. This study revealed that although several studies reported less toxicity of biogenic AuNPs, most of studies represented significant anticancer activity of biogenic AuNPs against colorectal cancer cells through in vitro model. We provided strong preliminary evidence indicating the considerable anticancer potential of biogenic AuNPs against colorectal cancer cells. Future studies should be conducted on in vivo efficacy of biogenic AuNPs against colorectal cancer cells. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Emerging Theranostic Silver Nanomaterials to Combat Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of one-quarter of all cancer deaths and it�s a major public health problem worldwide. Nanotechnology offers a novel strategy to combat lung cancer. Recently, biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has attracted significant attention for their anticancer effects against lung cancer. Thereby, the current study was aimed to systematically review the efficacy of these nanoparticles (NPs) against lung cancer through in vitro models. The articles were collected through online databases comprising Cochrane, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, ProQuest, and Embase. Among all studies, the plant-mediated synthesis of AgNPs was the general approach. Besides, A549 lung cancer cell line was the predominant cell line that was applied for cytotoxicity assessment among all studies. Most of the AgNPs were synthesized with spherical morphology less than 100 nm. Interestingly, in almost all of the studies, AgNPs exhibited the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) against lung cancer cells. We provided preliminary evidence indicating the significant anticancer activity of biogenic AgNPs. We also discussed the proposed anticancer mechanisms. However, further studies are required to evaluate the anticancer efficacy of biogenic AgNPs through in vivo models. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Emerging Theranostic Silver Nanomaterials to Combat Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review

Abstract: Cancer nanotechnology has emerged as the promising cutting edge of researches to combat cancer. Cancer nanotechnology can be described as the science of synthesizing and utilizing nanoscale materials for cancer theranostics. Colorectal cancer is a common type of cancers worldwide and a leading cause of cancer-related death. Up to know, a number of laboratory studies represented the anticancer potential of biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) against colorectal cancers. This study was aimed to systematically review the published articles to assess the cytotoxicity of biogenic AgNPs against colorectal cancer cells through the laboratory in vitro investigations. The international electronic databases involving Cochrane, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, Science Direct, and Embase were searched to identify the records. The results revealed different biological resources for the synthesis of AgNPs such as plants, bacteria, fungi, and algae. Most of the AgNPs were synthesized with spherical morphology and particle size of less than 100 nm. Most of the studies showed considerable anticancer effects of AgNPs with the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) against colorectal cancer cells. The findings of this study promise the bright future of biogenic AgNPs for colorectal cancer therapy. Graphic Abstract: Figure not available: see fulltext.. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Emerging Theranostic Gold Nanomaterials to Combat Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review

Lung cancer remains the significant cause of deaths in males and females worldwide and many attempts have been made for diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. Nanotechnology has emerged as a novel strategy to design smart nanostructure weapons to combat lung cancer. Recently, the biogenic gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have attracted highlighted interest for lung cancer theranostics. The current systematic review served to evaluate the anticancer potential of biologically synthesized AuNPs against lung cancer cells through in vitro studies. We provided valuable information regarding the efficacy of biogenic AuNPs suggesting their potential for next generation of anticancer drugs. The articles were identified through international databases involving Cochrane, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, ProQuest, and Embase. Eighteen articles were found eligible to enter into the current study. Our findings represented that although some studies reported nontoxicity of biogenic AuNPs against lung cancer cells, most of the studies reported significant anticancer activity of these nanoparticles (NPs) against lung cancer cells. Although the in vitro studies provided preliminary evidence for lung anticancer potential of biogenic AuNPs, further in vivo investigations are required to confirm the efficacy of these NPs through animal models. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Emerging Theranostic Silver and Gold Nanomaterials to Combat Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review

Prostate cancer has emerged as the common malignancy in men and is considered as a global issue. Among different strategies to combat prostate cancer, nanobiotechnology appears as a novel approach for prostate cancer theranostics. The current systematic review discussing the recent development in the prostate anticancer activity of biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) through laboratory investigations. The databases including Cochrane, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, ProQuest, and Embase were used to identify the records. It was found that most of the studies used herbal extracts for preparation of AgNPs and/or AuNPs. Majority of biosynthesized nanoparticles (NPs) were formed with spherical morphology. Besides, all studies reported the size of NPs less than 100 nm. Moreover, PC-3 prostate cancer cell was the predominant cell line that was evaluated for prostate anticancer activity of NPs. In the present study, we provided valuable information suggesting the significant prostate anticancer potential of biogenic AgNPs and/or AuNPs. However, further, in vivo investigations are required to provide stronger evidence of the efficacy of bio-mediated synthesized AgNPs and/or AuNPs to combat prostate cancer. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Emerging Antineoplastic Gold Nanomaterials for Cervical Cancer Therapeutics: A Systematic Review

Cervical cancer, a malignant neoplasm arising from cervix cells, remains one of the leading global cause of women cancer-related deaths. The present study was aimed to conduct a comprehensive systematic review to show the anticancer activity of biological mediated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) against cervical cancer cells. To identify the articles, a systematic search was performed through the electronic databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, ProQuest, Embase, and Cochrane for the articles published up to 31 August 2019. Thirty-three articles met our eligibility criteria and were entered into the present systematic review. Our finding showed that twenty-eight articles stated the biogenic AuNPs-induced cytotoxicity against cervical cancer cells, whereas five reports said no cytotoxicity. In this study, the proposed molecular mechanisms of biogenic AuNPs-induced cytotoxicity were discussed. In total, the studies suggested the induction of apoptosis and overgeneration of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) through the AuNPs-treated cervical cells. The information of this study may help the researchers for translation laboratory setting studies to clinical researches. Future investigations are required to represent the efficacy of biogenic AuNPs through in vivo models alone or combination with other anticancer drugs. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature