Graphical abstract
Numerous viral infections are common among humans, and some can lead to death. Even though conventional antiviral agents are beneficial in eliminating viral infections, they may lead to side effects or physiological toxicity. Silver nanoparticles and nanocomposites have been demonstrated to possess inhibitory properties against several pathogenic microbes, including archaea, bacteria, fungi, algae, and viruses. Its pronounced antimicrobial activity against various microbe-mediated diseases potentiates its use in combating viral infections. Notably, the appropriated selection of the synthesis method to fabricate silver nanoparticles is a major factor for consideration as it directly impacts antiviral efficacy, level of toxicity, scalability, and environmental sustainability. Thus, this article presents and discusses various synthesis approaches to produce silver nanoparticles and nanocomposites, providing technological insights into selecting approaches to generate antiviral silver-based nanoparticles. The antiviral mechanism of various formulations of silver nanoparticles and the evaluation of its propensity to combat specific viral infections as a potential antiviral agent are also discussed.
Biological methods are employed to yield less or non-toxic MgO nanoparticles to utilize them in biological applications. Among various biosynthesis approaches, plant extracts with phytochemicals, especially from leaves, are widely used to fabricate MgO nanoparticles, due to their high availability, rapid synthesis and ability to yield smaller stable nanoparticles. Aloe barbadensis is a succulent xerophytic plant with unique characteristics to withhold water in its leaf named parenchymal gel, which is protected by a chloroplast containing thick latex, to avoid transpiration in high temperature condition of the desert. These latex contains phytochemicals such as flavanol, quercetin, Kaempeferol, myricetin and fisetin, along with other common phytochemicals such as phenols and terpenoids, that are essential for nanoparticle formation. Further, these compounds also possess enhanced biological properties. Thus, the aim of the present study is to obtain crude phytochemical extracts from Aloe barbadensis latex and utilize them as reducing and stabilizing agent for the smaller MgO nanoparticle formation. In addition, the parameters which affect the formation of nanoparticles are identified and optimized to yield smaller MgO nanoparticles with phytochemicals as surface functional groups, to be beneficial in biomedical applications.
The alarming transmission rate of surgical site infections (SSI) in hospitals due to ineffective sterilization has encouraged researchers to search for a safe and easily available antibacterial agent. Common sterilization methods involving UV radiation and fumigants lead to hazardous effects on the environment and humans. These drawbacks have caused researchers to shift their attention towards visible light to activate certain materials to act as antibacterial agents. Thus, the present work reports optimization and antibacterial studies of sol-gel coupled ultrasound synthesis of photo-activated magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) analysis confirmed that smaller sized particles ranging from 13 nm-25 nm are formed with narrower bandgap of 2.54 eV (1 eV = 1.602 × 10 −19 J). The size reduction in the MgO nanoparticles narrowed their band gap, compared to previous results, which extends their absorptivity of light wavelength from UV (<400 nm) to the visible light region (400-550 nm). The disc diffusion antibacterial analysis optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) revealed that a 0.01 mol/L MgO nanoparticle concentration of 531 μL dosages exhibited a maximum zone of inhibition (ZoI) of 54.1 mm against E. coli, which was achieved with a visible light distance of 5.7 cm. Similarly, a maximum ZoI of 61.3 mm for S. aureus was obtained with a visible light distance of 5 cm and MgO concentration and dosage of 0.01 mol/L and 401 μL. This study confirms the ability of MgO nanoparticle as an alternate and better antibacterial agent via photoactivation for the first time. These photo-activated MgO nanoparticles will be beneficial in the possible inhibition of bacterial growth in surgical equipment, lab coats, or even as antibacterial paints in hospitals.
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