Manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) and manganese-cobalt ferrite (Mn0.5Co0.5Fe2O4) fine powders were produced by glycol-thermal technique. Fine powders were then milled with chitosan for different times ranging from 5 hours to 60 hours. XRD patterns of the as-prepared and milled oxides confirm cubic phase structure with an average crystallite size of 11 nm. The observed values of lattice parameter decrease with milling due to the inversion of cations induced by milling. TEM results reveal nanoparticles with spherical shape and average particle sizes correlating to XRD data. No aggregation of particles was observed after milling suggesting effective chitosan coating. Magnetization studies performed at room temperature in fields up to 14 kOe revealed the superparamagnetic nature of both naked and coated nanoparticles with spontaneous and saturation magnetizations decreasing with milling. Larger coercive fields observed in Mn-Co oxides were attributed to higher magnetic anisotropy associated with Co ions. A reduction of coercive field due to milling duration was observed. 57Fe Mössbauer spectra of Mn0.5Co0.5Fe2O4 samples show ordered magnetic states, while paramagnetic nature is revealed in MnFe2O4 samples. Hence, current results suggest that chitosan coating can be successfully achieved through mechanical milling resulting in nanoparticles with potential for biomedical applications. The differences in the magnetic properties of the samples are discussed based on Stoner-Wohlfarth theory.

We report the influence of polymer coatings on structural and magnetic properties of MnFe2O4 and Mn0.5Co0.5Fe2O4 nanoferrites synthesized by glycol thermal technique and then coated with chitosan viz. CHI-MnFe2O4 and CHI-Mn0.5Co0.5Fe2O4. The compounds were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetization measurements. The powder XRD patterns of naked nanoferrites confirmed single-phase spinel cubic structure with an average crystallite size of 13 nm, while the coated samples exhibited an average particle size of 15 nm. We observed a reduction in lattice parameters with coating. HRTEM results correlated well with XRD results. 57Fe Mössbauer spectra showed ordered magnetic spin states in both nanoferrites. This study shows that coatings have significant effects on the structural and magnetic properties of Mn-nanoferrites. Magnetization studies performed at room temperature in fields up to 14 kOe revealed the superparamagnetic nature of both naked and coated nanoparticles with spontaneous magnetizations at room temperature of 49.2 emu/g for MnFe2O4, 23.6 emu/g for coated CHI–MnFe2O4 nanoparticles, 63.2 emu/g for Mn0.5Co0.5Fe2O4 and 33.2 emu/g for coated CHI–Mn0.5Co0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles. We observed reduction in coercive fields due to coating. Overall, chitosan-coated manganese and manganese-cobalt nanoferrites present as suitable candidates for biomedical applications owing to physicochemical, and magnetic properties exhibited.

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Diabetes mellitus is recognized as the leading contributor to cardiovascular disease and associated mortality rates worldwide. Despite the use of pharmaceutical drugs to treat diabetes, its prevalence continues to rise alarmingly. Therefore, exploring remedies with a lower toxicity profile is crucial while remaining safe and effective in addressing this global public health crisis. Punica granatum Linn (pomegranate), known for its properties and safety profile, has been investigated in applied research and preclinical and clinical trials. However, conflicting reports still exist regarding its effects in diabetes. According to our knowledge, no systematic review has been conducted to critically analyze evidence from preclinical and clinical trials simultaneously, explicitly focusing on oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial function in diabetes. Therefore, in this systematic review, we searched for evidence on the impact of pomegranate in diabetes using databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Our inclusion criteria were limited to studies published in English. Of the 170 retrieved studies, 46 were deemed relevant and underwent critical analysis. The analyzed evidence suggests that pomegranate has the potential to alleviate oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction in diabetes. Although a beneficial impact was noted in these markers, the endothelial function evidence still requires validation through further clinical trials with a powered sample size.

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