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In the pursuit of ensuring global food security, enhancing food safety has emerged as a critical endeavor. Nanotechnology, with its multifaceted applications, has demonstrated significant potential in revolutionizing food safety measures. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the utilization of nanoparticles to enhance food safety across various dimensions. The antimicrobial activities of nanoparticles stand out as a promising approach to combat foodborne pathogens. Their unique physicochemical properties enable targeted and effective antimicrobial actions, mitigating microbial contamination in food products. This review delves into the diverse types of nanoparticles employed, highlighting their mode of action and outcomes in different food matrices. Another pivotal facet explored herein is the incorporation of nanoparticles in food packaging materials. This innovation addresses challenges related to shelf life extension and preservation of food quality. By imparting barrier properties, nanoparticles prevent the permeation of gases and moisture, thereby retarding spoilage and maintaining product freshness. Preservation of food quality, a paramount concern in the food industry, is also tackled within this discourse. The potential of nanoparticles to enhance sensory attributes, nutrient retention and texture of food products is elucidated. The review also contemplates future directions and research gaps in the realm of nanoparticle-based food safety strategies.

Both Cinnamomum verum J.S. Presl. and Cinnamomum cassia Blume are collectively called Cortex Cinnamonmi for their medicinal cinnamon bark. Cinnamomum verum is more popular elsewhere in the world, whereas C. cassia is a well known traditional Chinese medicine. An analysis of hydro-distilled Chinese cinnamon oil and pure cinnamaldehyde by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry revealed that cinnamaldehyde is the major component comprising 85% in the essential oil and the purity of cinnamaldehyde in use is high (> 98%). Both oil and pure cinnamaldehyde of C. cassia were equally effective in inhibiting the growth of various isolates of bacteria including Gram-positive (1 isolate, Staphylococcus aureus), and Gram-negative (7 isolates, E. coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Samonella typhymurium), and fungi including yeasts (four species of Candida, C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. glabrata, and C. krusei), filamentous molds (4 isolates, three Aspergillus spp. and one Fusarium sp.) and dermatophytes (three isolates, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton rubrum and T. mentagraphytes). Their minimum inhibition concentrations (MIC) as determined by agar dilution method varied only slightly. The MICs of both oil and cinnamaldehyde for bacteria ranged from 75 μg/ml to 600 μg/ml, for yeasts from 100 μg/ml to 450 μg/ml, for filamentous fungi from 75 μg/ml to 150 μg/ml, and for dermatophytes from 18.8 μg/ml to 37.5 μg/ml. The antimicrobial effectiveness of C. cassia oil and its major constituent is comparable and almost equivalent, which suggests that the broad-spectrum antibiotic activities of C. cassia oil are due to cinnamaldehyde. The relationship between structure and function of the main components of cinnamon oil is also discussed.

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In the field of nanotechnology, the utilization of nanoparticle (NP) synthesis is of great interest to researchers. Numerous attempts have been made for the green synthesis of silver NPs using plant extracts and some methods have successfully accomplished this. This research focuses on using an eco-friendly method for the green synthesis of silver NPs using six cultivars of Phoenix dactylifera fruit extract and determining their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. These NPs were then characterized by their optical property using ultraviolet-visible spectral analysis. The surface plasmon resonance for these synthesized NPs was observed at 420nm in the ultraviolet-visible spectra. These NPs were subjected to total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total phenolic content (TPC), 2,2’-azino-bis3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power for evaluating their antioxidant properties and compared with the results of water extracts of the fruit. The antimicrobial activity was assessed against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Overall, NPs exhibited good-to-moderate antioxidant activity and strong antimicrobial activity. The TAC and TPC of NPs were found to be lower, but TFC was relatively high compared with water extracts. The ferric reducing ability of NPs varied according to the date cultivar and was higher than water extracts in only some date varieties. On studying the antimicrobial activity, NPs showed greater bacterial inhibition than water extracts, and Staphylococcus aureus was more potent than Escherichia coli. The overall findings highlight the potential use of green synthesis of silver NPs for antioxidant activity and particularly antimicrobial activity and may be beneficial for biomedical and pharmaceutical purposes.

A new nano-hybrid material prepared by physical mixing of the components was used in biomedical applications where three samples of the prepared materials were used to determine the best composition as an antibacterial and anticancer agent in addition to its use as an antifungal agent. In the case of antimicrobials, two types of bacteria were used: Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and one type of fungus was used: Candida albicans. The area of inhibition was calculated after using the hybrid material of 2.5% titanium oxide with iron oxide, which gave better results than pure iron oxide and that mixed with 5% titanium dioxide.

The rising demand for silver nanoparticles obtained by green method has made it necessary to search for readily available bio-materials that can serve as sustainable bio-reductant and stabilizers. Pennisetum purpureum is a readily available tropical plant commonly used as food, feed for livestock, and thermal energy production. In this study, extract from the leaves of Pennisetum purpureum was explored to prepare silver nanoparticles (Perp-AgNPs). The structural and optical properties of the particles were studied with scanning electron microscope, Ultraviolet-Visible spectrophotometer, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer and X-ray diffractometer. The antioxidant property of the Perp-AgNPs was studied by investigating its ability to scavenge 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) free radical. Enhanced activity of 83% was obtained by 1mg/mL of the Perp-AgNPs after 10 min of scavenging. In addition, IC${}_{50}=0.179$mg/mL was observed by the Perp-AgNPs. The antimicrobial property of the Perp-AgNPs was investigated against broad range of microorganisms, namely, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus mutans, Bacillus subtilis, Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi and Candida albicans. The minimum inhibitory concentration values ranged from 0.313 to 1.25mg/mL with Psuedomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans and Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus being the most susceptible. The Perp-AgNPs also demonstrated the ability to enhance the efficacy of standard antibiotic and antifungal agents. The antimicrobial combinatory effects were synergy and partial synergy against the selected microorganisms. The results from the study show that silver nanoparticles prepared with leaves extract of Pennisetum purpureum have adequate antioxidant and antimicrobial properties for applications in nanomedicine.

The effect of serum albumins (as Fetal Calf Serum) on in vitro photosensing efficacy against C.albicans of three cationic Zn(II) phthalocyanine derivatives was evaluated. A clearly structure-dependent reduction in the antifungine activity was observed. For this reason the binding of the photosensitizers with albumins (as bovine serum albumin, BSA) at pH 7.4 was studied. Because of aggregation phenomena, the phthalocyanine derivatives showed little fluorescence in aqueous solutions and fluorescence intensity increased as a function of protein concentration. Titration plots were built and binding constant were determined. The obtained binding parameters and the hydrolipophilic properties of the studied molecules (octanol/water partition coefficient P_O/W, number of cationic charges, amphipilicity) were correlated with the observed biological effect.

Porphyrin-peptide conjugates have a breadth of potential applications, including use in photodynamic therapy, boron neutron capture therapy, as fluorescence imaging tags for tracking subcellular localization, as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) positive-contrast reagents and as biomimetic catalysts. Here, we have explored three general routes to porphyrin-peptide conjugates using the Cu(I)-catalyzed Huisgen-Medal-Sharpless 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of peptide-containing azides with a terminal alkyne-containing porphyrin, thereby generating porphyrin-peptide conjugates (PPCs) comprised of a cationic porphyrin coupled to short antimicrobial peptides. In addition to characterizing the PPCs using a variety of spectroscopic (UV-vis, ${}^{\mathrm{\text{1}}}$H- and ${}^{\mathrm{\text{13}}}$C-NMR) and mass spectrometric methods, we evaluated their efficacy as photosensitizers for the in vitro photodynamic inactivation of Mycobacterium smegmatis as a model for the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Difficulties that needed to be overcome for the efficient synthesis of PPCs were the limited solubility of the quaternized pyridyl porphyrin in common solvents, undesired (de)metallation and transmetallation, and chromatographic purification. Photodynamic inactivation studies of a small library of PPCs against Mycobacterium smegmatis confirmed our hypothesis that the porphyrin-based photosensitizer maintains its ability to efficiently inactivate bacteria when conjugated to a small peptide by upwards of 5–6 log units (99.999$+$%) using white light illumination (400–700 nm, 60 mW/cm${}^{\mathrm{\text{2}}}$, 30 min). Further, hemolysis assays revealed the lack of toxicity of the PPCs against sheep blood at concentrations employed for in vitro photodynamic inactivation. Taken together, the results demonstrated the ability of PPCs to maintain their antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation efficacy when possessing a short cationic peptides for enabling the potential targeting of pathogens in vivo.

Tetra non-peripheral and peripheral substituted Zn(II) phthalocyanine (Pc) derivatives bearing 2,2-difluoro-2-[1,1,2,2-tetrafluoro-2-(trifluoromethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy groups (KH-69, KH-71) were synthesized and characterized to be antioxidant and antimicrobial agents. Photo-physicochemical properties of these compounds were investigated. Then, the DPPH free radical scavenging activity of the Pc derivatives was found as 97.74% and 94.89%, respectively. Both the Pc complexes showed perfect DNA nuclease activity with double strain break against pBR 322 plasmid DNA at 100 mg/L concentration. KH-69 and KH-71 indicated good antimicrobial activity against studied Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and fungal strains. Moreover, the Pcs showed excellent cell viability inhibition activity even at the lowest concentration. These Pc derivatives inhibited P. aeroginasa and S. aureus biofilm formation. The Pcs showed the highest biofilm inhibition with photodynamic therapy against S. aureus and P. aeroginasa with 95.40% and 90.03%, respectively.

In the past two decades, the overuse of antibiotic drugs has increased resistance against various available medications in the market. Therefore, the rise in multi-drug resistant microorganisms poses a formidable global health challenge. So, to cope with these situations, we have synthesized a nanohybrid composed of MWCNT and porphyrin, which could be a suitable alternative. Herein, porphyrin is utilized as a visible light photosensitizer to produce reactive oxygen species, which can cause toxicity for bacteria and, ultimately cell death. We have evaluated the effectiveness of MWCNT-porphyrin nanohybrid against the biofilm of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus pathogens. The Microdilution method shows a concentration of 62.5 $\mu$g/mL as a MIC50 value, which reduces the population of both organisms by around 50%. This nanohybrid can be used as an efficient substitute for conventional antibiotics to treat local infections.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) and Ag-doped ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized using a soft chemical route, and their properties were characterized using various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution scanning electron microscope (HRSEM), energy dispersive X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (EDS), and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The ZnO (${\mathrm{\text{Ag}}}_x{\mathrm{\text{Zn}}}_{1-x}$O (where $x=0.01$, 0.02 and 0.03) exhibited a hexagonal Wurtzite structure, and Ag doping resulted in the formation of nanorods with decreased grain size. The synthesized materials were found to have antimicrobial properties against human pathogenic bacteria and fungi. MTT assays showed that Ag-doped ZnO had higher cytotoxicity against human embryonic kidney cancer cell lines (HEK 293) compared to pure ZnO. The samples also demonstrated active activity towards the catalyst for the selective oxidation of alcohols. Finally, a statistical model was developed for antibacterial studies using ANOVA, which was consistent with the experimental findings. These results demonstrate the potential of Ag-doped ZnO nanoparticles for use in biomedical and catalytic applications.

Silver (Ag) and zinc oxide (ZnO) are well known for both antimicrobial and pro-healing properties. Here, we present a novel method to synthesize Ag and ZnO nanoparticles (NPs), as well as hybrid Ag/ZnO NPs using a custom, temperature controlled microwave assisted technique. Microwave synthesis has been shown not only to enhance the rate of chemical reactions, but also in some cases to give higher product yields over thermal heating. The as-synthesized NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) to study the crystalline structure, composition and purity. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) was used to study particle size, shape, composition and morphology. These results indicated that the as-prepared Ag NPs are spherical in shape and ~ 20 nm in sizes. The ZnO NPs are typically rod shaped and the particle sizes are ~ 20 nm in width and 100 nm in length. These NPs were tested for antibacterial and/or antifungal properties using disc diffusion assays. Results show microwave synthesized NPs inhibit growth of S. aureus, E. coli and C. albicans at 50 μ g/mL treatment concentration. Ag NPs were most effective in inhibiting bacterial and fungal growth at the concentrations tested followed by hybrid Ag/ZnO and ZnO nanoparticles. These results also suggest that the hybridization of ZnO to Ag NPs may reduce the toxicity of Ag NPs. Further studies are needed to understand the functional interaction between the two types of NPs and to improve their ability for biological or biomedical application.

Azadirachta indica (Neem) gum was effectively used in the combustion process as the sustainable fuel for the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using zinc nitrate as the metal precursor. Thermal degradation of gum intermediate, which contains uniformly distributed Zn ions in gum matrix, by means of exothermic combustion reaction results in the formation of ZnO nanoparticles at a relatively lower temperature of 220^∘C. Further, the phase stabilization of ZnO nanoparticles was performed at 700^∘C for 3 h in ambient condition, which also led to the complete removal of organic residues. FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDX and TEM characterization of the ZnO nanoparticles reveals its phase purity and organic-free nature with a size ranging between 40 and 60 nm. Its optical activities were studied by UV–Visible and photoluminescence studies and the UV–Visible analysis reveals its band gap energy as 3.17 eV. Further, the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles showed splendid germicidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive bacteria), Escherichia coli (gram-negative bacteria) and Candida albicans (fungal pathogen). In addition, the bio-synthesized ZnO nanoparticles showed excellent antioxidant behavior with the 81% of free radical quenching while employing 100$\mu$g/mL nanoparticle concentration.

Antimicrobial medicines serve as the bedrock of modern medical practices. Increasing multidrug resistance compromises surgical processes and increases healthcare costs. Therefore, a combinational approach has become a pre-requisite for sustainable medical care. In recent decade, biologically synthesized metallic nanoparticles have emerged as a class of potent antimicrobials. In this study, green synthesized bimetallic silver–copper oxide (Ag–Cu) nanospheres have been prepared using the culture supernatant of the Bacillus subtilis (MTCC 441) bacteria to effectively target infectious microbes. The hydrodynamic diameter of the nanoparticles as depicted by dynamic light scattering (DLS) was 143.5 nm, while the polydispersity index (PI) of 0.367 and zeta potential of −25.2 mV indicated toward uniform size distribution and excellent colloidal stability. The Ag–Cu nanospheres of diameter 22.24 ± 8.01 nm were prepared using the culture supernatant of B. subtilis MTCC 441. High-end techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy revealed the size (22.24 ± 8.01 nm), spherical morphology, crystal structure and surface functionalization of nanospheres, respectively. The antimicrobial potential of the nanospheres was assessed against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains while anti-free radical capacity was evaluated through 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ${\mathrm{\text{H}}}_2{\mathrm{\text{O}}}_2$ free radical inhibition. The anti-inflammatory study was also performed to investigate the biomedical potential of the synthesized Ag–Cu nanosphere. The comprehensive analysis of antimicrobial, anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory assays presents Ag–Cu nanospheres spheres as suitable candidates to be used in various biomedical applications.

Dental adhesive materials play a crucial role in modern dentistry, enabling the bonding of restorative materials to tooth structures. However, concerns about conventional adhesive agents’ potential toxicities and adverse effects have been raised. This has sparked interest in exploring alternative and environmentally friendly materials for dental applications. Hemidesmus indicus commonly known as Indian sarsaparilla, used historically in Ayurvedic medicine, has gained attention in nanotechnology for functionalizing nanoparticles. The primary objective of this study is to develop biogenic titanium oxide nanoparticles (H-TiO₂NPs) using Hemidesmus indicus as a natural reducing agent and further coated with curcumin, specifically for dental adhesive material applications. The nanoparticles were prepared using the green synthesis method and characterized by various techniques. The biocompatibility and bioactivity of the nanoparticles were assessed using multiple assays. The nanoparticles synthesized using root extract and capped with curcumin showed maximum absorbance at 302 nm and 498 nm in the UV spectra. The presence of characteristic peaks of curcumin in the fingerprint region of FTIR spectra reveals the capping of curcumin on TiO₂ NPs. The monoclinic structure of the nanoparticles was displayed in the XRD pattern. The SEM micrograph of uncoated and coated TiO₂ NPs exhibits spherical morphology with a size range of around 100-140 nm. Further, the EDAX of HCTN showed the elemental composition of 43.7% oxygen, 33.4% carbon and 22.8% Titanium. The biocompatibility studies of HCTN towards peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and erythrocytes have proved its nontoxic properties. In vitro,bioactivity studies revealed that HCTN exhibited significant antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity, as evidenced by the inhibition of protein denaturation. The demonstrated bioactivities make them potential candidates for dental adhesive material applications. The results highlighted the potential of HCTN as a promising alternative for dental adhesive materials, offering anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. This study contributes to exploring eco-friendly and biocompatible materials for use in adhesive dentistry. However, further in-depth analysis is necessary to fully understand their efficacy, safety and long-term performance in dental applications.

Antimicrobial resistance poses one of the most serious global challenges of our age. Cyclodextrins (CDs) are widely utilized excipients in formulations because of their solubilizing properties, low toxicity, and low inflammatory response. This review summarizes recent investigations of antimicrobial agents involving CDs and CD-based antimicrobial materials. CDs have been employed for antimicrobial applications either through formation of inclusion complexes or by chemical modification of their hydroxyl groups to tailor pharmaceutically active compounds. Applications of these CD inclusion complexes include drug delivery, antimicrobial coatings on materials (e.g., biomedical devices and implants) and antimicrobial dressings that help to prevent wound infections. There are relatively limited studies of chemically modified CDs with antimicrobial activity. The mechanism of action of antimicrobial CD inclusion complexes and derivatives needs further elucidation, but activity of CDs and their derivatives is often associated with their interaction with bacterial cell membranes.

This study was done to report virtual screening and molecular docking studies of sulfacetamide derivatives as new antimicrobial drugs, belonging to the pharmacological class of sulfonamides. For this purpose, sulfonamide functional groups from a library of chemical structures were converted into acetylenic sulfone and acetylenic sulfonamide functional groups to introduce a new class of antimicrobial drugs with mechanisms of action of dihydropteroate synthase inhibitors (DHPS). Initially, a library of compounds containing approximately 170 acetylenic sulfone ligands was created by similarity search method, and a library containing 170 acetylenic sulfonamide ligands was designed to be administered as new inhibitors. After designing, their molecular docking energies were calculated by three software programs including Arguslab4.0.1, AutoDock Vina and Molegro Virtual Docker and the results were compared in terms of binding energy. Although acetylenic sulfonamide compounds showed better results, acceptable results were observed in both groups of compounds. Adsorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) properties of acetylenic sulfones/acetylenic sulfonamide analogs were also analyzed using the admetSAR program. These new derivatives can be used in drug improvement processes for the treatment of antibacterial infections after performing further studies.

Schiff bases possess a range of unique physical, chemical and medicinal properties, which contribute to their potency as biological agents. A Schiff base was synthesized, which consisted of 4-chloro aniline and vanillin. The successful formation of the compound was confirmed by their comparable FTIR, UV–Vis, ¹HNMR and ${}^{13}$CNMR spectra. The compound was analyzed using X-ray crystallography, which revealed that it crystallizes in the monoclinic system with the space group P21/c. The Hirshfeld surface analysis revealed valuable information about the intermolecular interactions present in the crystal lattice. The most common contacts observed were between hydrogen and hydrogen, as well as carbon and hydrogen. The obtained fluorescence values of 375 nm and 412 nm at excitation wavelength 322 nm strongly indicated the luminescent nature of the compound. The thermal stability of the compound was assessed through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). DFT was used to optimize the geometry using the B3LYP/cc-pVDZ basis set. The compound exhibited an energy gap of 2.35 electron volts (eV). According to the analysis of molecular electrostatic potential, C and O atoms were found to be electrophilic. According to Mulliken charge analysis, C atoms possess both positive and negative charges, hydrogen atoms exclusively carry positive charges, and Cl, O and N atoms exclusively carry negative charges. Upon analysis of the molecule, the electron localization function discovered that the atoms of carbon, nitrogen and chlorine exhibited delocalized electron density. Also, the localized orbital locator identified the localized orbital positions in the hydrogen atoms. The reduced density gradient (RDG) maps exhibit a wide range of noncovalent interactions. In comparison to the standard amoxicillin, the synthesized compound demonstrated moderate antimicrobial efficacy against the gram-positive bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae and the fungi Candida albicans. The compound’s concentration-dependent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties were demonstrated through in vitro biological evaluation using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and human red blood cell (HRBC) methods. The compound was docked using the proteins 7BYE and 4LEB were chosen from both organisms. The lowest binding attractions obtained were −3.40 kcal/mol for 7BYE and −4.51 kcal/mol for 4LEB. To investigate the stability of the protein–ligand complex, molecular dynamic simulation was employed. The ligands in silico toxicity potentialities were analyzed using seven toxicity models and the results indicated that the ligand is biocompatible.

Porphyrin-peptide conjugates have a breadth of potential applications, including use in photodynamic therapy, boron neutron capture therapy, as fluorescence imaging tags for tracking subcellular localization, as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) positive-contrast reagents and as biomimetic catalysts. Here, we have explored three general routes to porphyrin-peptide conjugates using the Cu(I)-catalyzed Huisgen-Medal-Sharpless 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of peptide-containing azides with a terminal alkyne-containing porphyrin, thereby generating porphyrin-peptide conjugates (PPCs) comprised of a cationic porphyrin coupled to short antimicrobial peptides. In addition to characterizing the PPCs using a variety of spectroscopic (UV-vis, ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR) and mass spectrometric methods, we evaluated their efficacy as photosensitizers for the in vitro photodynamic inactivation of Mycobacterium smegmatis as a model for the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Difficulties that needed to be overcome for the efficient synthesis of PPCs were the limited solubility of the quaternized pyridyl porphyrin in common solvents, undesired (de)metallation and transmetallation, and chromatographic purification. Photodynamic inactivation studies of a small library of PPCs against Mycobacterium smegmatis confirmed our hypothesis that the porphyrin-based photosensitizer maintains its ability to efficiently inactivate bacteria when conjugated to a small peptide by upwards of 5–6 log units (99.999+%) using white light illumination (400–700 nm, 60 mW/cm², 30 min). Further, hemolysis assays revealed the lack of toxicity of the PPCs against sheep blood at concentrations employed for in vitro photodynamic inactivation. Taken together, the results demonstrated the ability of PPCs to maintain their antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation efficacy when possessing a short cationic peptides for enabling the potential targeting of pathogens in vivo.