Current exanimation reports, green fabrication of silver doped TiO2 nanoparticles (Ag/TiO2) using aqueous extract of Acacia nilotica as bio-reductant and assess its potential as antimicrobial and anticancer agent. The obtained spherical Ag/TiO2 were characterized by various analytical techniques including FTIR, (XRD), (FE-SEM EDS), and (TEM). Synthesized Ag/TiO2 demonstrated broad spectrum antibacterial and anticandidal activity. The order of antimicrobial activity was found to be E. coli > C. albicans > MRSA > P. aeruginosa. In addition, cytotoxicity and oxidative stress of Ag/TiO2 nanoparticles in (MCF-7) cells was also investigated. Outcomes of MTT assay showed concentration dependent reduction in cell viability. Further, synthesized NPs reduced the level of glutathione, induced ROS generation and lipid peroxidation in the treated cells. Therefore, it is envisaged that these spherical nanoparticles may be exploited in drug delivery, pharmaceutical, and food industry.

In the present study, a facile environmentally friendly approach was described to prepare monodisperse iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (IONPs) by low temperature solution route. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using x-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) measurements, Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) analyses. XRD patterns revealed high crystalline quality of the nanoparticles. SEM micrographs showed the monodispersed IONPs with size ranging from 6 to 9 nm. Synthesized nanoparticles demonstrated MICs of 32, 64, and 128 μg/ml against Gram negative bacteria i.e., Serratia marcescens, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively, and 32 μg/ml against Gram positive bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. IOPNs at its respective sub-MICs demonstrated significant reduction of alginate and exopolysaccharide production and subsequently demonstrated broad-spectrum inhibition of biofilm ranging from 16 to 88% in the test bacteria. Biofilm reduction was also examined using SEM and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM). Interaction of IONPs with bacterial cells generated ROS contributing to reduced biofilm formation. The present study for the first time report that these IONPs were effective in obliterating pre-formed biofilms. Thus, it is envisaged that these nanoparticles with broad-spectrum biofilm inhibitory property could be exploited in the food industry as well as in medical settings to curtail biofilm based infections and losses.

Incorporation of hydrocolloid gums in native starches help to improve their pasting, thermal, rheological and textural properties along with improvement in the stability of starch gels. The use of Cordia gum is not widely studied as a starch modifier and this fact could make this study more interesting and unique. This study investigated the effects of the non-conventional hydrocolloid gum (Cordia gum) on corn starch properties. Corn starch and gum Cordia (GC) blends were prepared at different replacement levels (0%, 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12%). The effect of GC levels on pasting, thermal, rheological, and textural properties were evaluated using rapid viscoanalyzer, differential scanning colorimeter, rheometer, and texture analyzer. The presence of GC significantly increased starch gelatinization temperatures, enthalpies, peak viscosities, final viscosities, and setback viscosities. GC improved freeze thaw stability in starch. The shear rate (1/s) versus shear stress (σ) data of all samples fitted well to the simple power law model (R2 = 0.97–0.99). The control had the lowest flow behavior index (n; 0.17), which increased to (0.36–0.56) with increasing GC levels. The consistency index (K) of the starch-gum blends increased with increasing GC levels. The dominance of elastic properties over viscous properties was demonstrated by G′ > G″. The magnitudes of G′ and G″ increased with increasing GC concentration. The outcomes could help to use this modification method as an alternative to chemical and enzymatic modification with respect to cost, safety, less time consumption and less requirement of process modifications.

There is grave necessity to counter the menace of drug-resistant biofilms of pathogens using nanomaterials. Moreover, we need to produce nanoparticles (NPs) using inexpensive clean biological approaches that demonstrate broad-spectrum inhibition of microbial biofilms and cytotoxicity against HepG2 cell lines. In the current research work, titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) NPs were fabricated through an environmentally friendly green process using the root extract of Withania somnifera as the stabilizing and reducing agent to examine its antibiofilm and anticancer potential. Further, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron micrograph (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) techniques were used for determining the crystallinity, functional groups involved, shape, size, thermal behavior, surface area, and porosity measurement, respectively, of the synthesized TiO 2 NPs. Antimicrobial potential of the TiO 2 NPs was determined by evaluating the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus , Listeria monocytogenes , Serratia marcescens , and Candida albicans . Furthermore, at levels below the MIC (0.5 × MIC), TiO 2 NPs demonstrated significant inhibition of biofilm formation (43–71%) and mature biofilms (24–64%) in all test pathogens. Cell death due to enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production could be responsible for the impaired biofilm production in TiO 2 NP–treated pathogens. The synthesized NPs induced considerable reduction in the viability of HepG2 in vitro and could prove effective in controlling liver cancer. In summary, the green synthesized TiO 2 NPs demonstrate multifarious biological properties and could be used as an anti-infective agent to treat biofilm-based infections and cancer.

The study was planned to evaluate the effect of non-commercial gums as compared to commercial gums. The concentration dependent effect of two commercial (arabic, xanthan) and four non-commercial (cress seed, fenugreek, flaxseed, okra) polysaccharide gums on the pasting, rheological, textural and thermal properties of chickpea were investigated by rapid visco analyzer (RVA), hybrid rheometer, texture analyzer and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Blends were prepared by replacing chickpea starch at 0.5% and 2.0% with gums, whereas native chickpea starch was used as a control. RVA data showed that peak and final viscosities were dramatically increased with xanthan contrary to reduction with gum arabic, flaxseed and okra gums. Hybrid rheometer displayed that storage and loss moduli were increased as a function of angular frequency and dominance of elastic properties over viscous ones. Xanthan blend was less temperature dependent due to dramatic decrease in activation energy value as compared to control while other gums were more temperature dependent. The magnitude of this effect was reliant on the type and concentration of gum. After storage for 21 days at −20 °C, total syneresis was reduced with the incorporation of xanthan and cress seed and also with high levels of gum arabic, flaxseed and fenugreek gums. The gel hardness was increased after overnight storage at ambient temperature (23 °C) with fenugreek while reduction in hardness was observed with xanthan, flaxseed and okra gums. The presence of gums resulted in significantly higher onset and peak temperatures determined through differential scanning calorimetry.