Cellulose and chitosan with remarkable biocompatibility and sophisticated physiochemical characteristics can be a new dawn to the advanced drug nano-carriers in cancer treatment. This study aims to synthesize layer-by-layer bionanocomposites from chitosan and rice straw cellulose encapsulated 5-Fluorouracil (CS-CF/5FU BNCs) using the ionic gelation method and the sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) cross-linker. Data from X-ray and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed successful preparation of CS-CF/5FU BNCs. Based on images of scanning electron microscopy, 48.73 ± 1.52 nm was estimated for an average size of the bionanocomposites as spherical chitosan nanoparticles mostly coated rod-shaped cellulose reinforcement. 5-Fluorouracil indicated an increase in thermal stability after its encapsulation in the bionanocomposites. The drug encapsulation efficiency was found to be 86 ± 2.75%. CS-CF/5FU BNCs triggered higher drug release in a media simulating the colorectal fluid with pH 7.4 (76.82 ± 1.29%) than the gastric fluid with pH 1.2 (42.37 ± 0.43%). In in vitro cytotoxicity assays, cellulose fibers, chitosan nanoparticles and the bionanocomposites indicated biocompatibility towards CCD112 normal cells. Most promisingly, CS-CF/5FU BNCs at 250 µg/mL concentration eliminated 56.42 ± 0.41% of HCT116 cancer cells and only 8.16 ± 2.11% of CCD112 normal cells. Therefore, this study demonstrates that CS-CF/5FU BNCs can be considered as an eco-friendly and innovative nanodrug candidate for potential colorectal cancer treatment.

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Tuberculosis (TB), derived from bacterium named Mycobacterium tuberculosis, has become one of the worst infectious and contagious illnesses in the world after HIV/AIDS. Long-term therapy, a high pill burden, lack of compliance, and strict management regimens are disadvantages which resulted in the extensively drug-resistant (XDR) along with multidrug-resistant (MDR) in the treatment of TB. One of the main thrust areas for the current scenario is the development of innovative intervention tools for early diagnosis and therapeutics towards Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). This review discusses various nanotherapeutic agents that have been developed for MTB diagnostics, anti-TB drugs and vaccine. Undoubtedly, the concept of employing nanoparticles (NPs) has strong potential in this therapy and offers impressive outcomes to conquer the disease. Nanocarriers with different types were designed for drug delivery applications via various administration methods. Controlling and maintaining the drug release might be an example of the benefits of utilizing a drug-loaded NP in TB therapy over conventional drug therapy. Furthermore, the drug-encapsulated NP is able to lessen dosage regimen and can resolve the problems of insufficient compliance. Over the past decade, NPs were developed in both diagnostic and therapeutic methods, while on the other hand, the therapeutic system has increased. These "theranostic" NPs were designed for nuclear imaging, optical imaging, ultrasound, imaging with magnetic resonance and the computed tomography, which includes both single-photon computed tomography and positron emission tomography. More specifically, the current manuscript focuses on the status of therapeutic and diagnostic approaches in the treatment of TB.

Chitosan nanoparticles (ChNPs) have been extensively examined for various biomedical applications due to their advantages include large surface area, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. The purpose of this research was to synthesize ChNPs using a simple ionic gelation technique by the interaction of low molecular weight chitosan (LMWC) and sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) as a cross-linking agent. ChNPs, TPP, and LMWC were analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) spectra that indicated the formation of ChNPs, attributing to the rearrangement of the nanoparticles after adding the TPP cross-linker into the LMWC solution. XRD analysis exhibited that ChNPs were amorphous, due to the effect of TPP cross-linker. Dynamic light scattering showed the nano-dimension of ChNPs with a hydrodynamic size of 68.50 nm. Thus, the obtained results indicated that the properties of chitosan were improved through converting it into nanoparticles using TPP initiated ionic gelation procedure.

Polysaccharide-based nanomaterials with significant biocompatibility and physiochemical features have been widely analyzed in modern biomedical nanotechnology. Chitosan-coating is an advantageous procedure to provide several pharmacological characteristics of chitosan on the reinforcement. Here, we fabricated polysaccharide nanocomposites using the facile ionic gelation method and sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) cross-linker. The polysaccharide nanocomposites comprised natural cellulose and chitosan as reinforcement and coating agents, respectively. From the image of the scanning electron microscope, the nanocomposites indicated almost spherical dimensions with sizes below 60 nm. Results from X-ray powder diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed multifunctional properties of the nanocomposites related to both cellulose and chitosan. Therefore, the ionic gelation method is potentially appropriate to synthesize the polysaccharide nanocomposites for medically-related applications.

Fluorapatite (FA) can be used as a bioactive substance in the body, especially the teeth implants. The FA nanoparticle was synthesized by adding the fluorine to the structure of HA using sol–gel method and the heat treatment of 700 °C. Being low costs, eco-friendly and safer features are obvious advantages of the green synthesis of FA nanoparticles by using bio stabilizer of sodium alginate. Calcium nitrate tetrahydrate, diammonium phosphate, ammonium fluoride were used as precursors of Ca, P and F respectively with the ratio of 1:67 Ca/P. The presence of crystal structure of HA and FA investigated by the results of XRD which confirmed the substitution of hydroxyl groups with the fluorine in the crystal structure of apatite. FTIR obtained that fluorine was substituted by hydroxyl groups in the structure of fluoridated hydroxyapatite by disappearing the hydroxyl groups at 3600 cm-1 in the FA. TGA investigated the thermal stability of the nanoparticles that showed the discrepancy of weight loss for HA and FA between 600?C to 800?C. By using TEM, average sizes of 35 and 49 nm were determined for HA and FA respectively. FESEM results confirmed the shapes and distribution of particles of HA and FA in that, round like for the former and rode like for the later. The overall performance of utilizing sodium alginate (SA) as a bio-stabilizer is to obtain better precipitate which leads to having better crystallinity and smaller particle size and thermal stability remarkably improved.

ZnO and a series of Ag/ZnO photocatalysts were prepared by a precipitation- irradiation method and their photocatalytic performance in photodegradation of methyl orange dye was evaluated. The physicochemical properties of the catalysts were characterized by various characterization techniques. The photocatalysts have a hexagonal phase and were highly agglomerated. TEM images showed a change in morphology of ZnO from rod to nearly spherical with the addition of Ag. Ag/ZnO catalysts exhibited better photocatalytic activity in the degradation of methyl orange compared to pure ZnO. Ag/ZnO contains 2% silver shows the best performance as photocatalyst.