Nano LIFE

Nanoparticles (NPs) have revolutionized the field of skin protection and treatment by offering unique properties that enhance drug delivery, efficacy and safety. This review explores the advances in NP technology for various skin applications, including protection against ultraviolet (UV) radiation, treatment of skin diseases and enhancement of cosmetic products. NPs, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, are extensively used in sunscreens for their effective UV-blocking capabilities without leaving a white residue. In medical applications, NPs improve active ingredients’ stability, penetration, and controlled release, making them ideal for treating skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema and skin cancer. The review also highlights the role of NPs in cosmetic formulations, where they enhance product texture, stability, and bioavailability of active ingredients, leading to better skin hydration and antiaging effects. Despite their benefits, the potential risks and regulatory challenges associated with NP use in skin products are discussed, emphasizing the need for comprehensive safety evaluations and adherence to regulatory standards. Future research directions include optimizing NP formulations for targeted delivery, reducing systemic absorption and improving patient compliance. This review underscores the transformative potential of NPs in dermatology and skincare, advocating for balanced development to maximize benefits while ensuring safety.

Erlotinib is used as first-line chemotherapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which accounts for approximately 85% of lung cancers. Curcumin has potential antitumor effects in different types of cancer including NSCLS with additional chemopreventive and radioprotective effects. The aim of the study was to develop erlotinib and curcumin co-loaded dry powder inhalation (EC-DPI) formulation using nanoprecipitation technique with a goal of achieving a stronger cytotoxic effect against A549 cancer cells. The optimized DPI formulation resulted in suitable particle size (313.28 ± 26.19 nm), polydispersity index (0.156 ± 0.016) and zeta potential (29.4 ± 1.22 mV). Carr’s index (6.62 ± 1.43) and Hausner ratio (1.058 ± 0.03) demonstrated excellent flowability of the powder. The fine particle fraction (64.7 ± 7.8%) and mass median aerodynamic diameter (2.98 ± 0.04 $\mu$m) of the optimized formulation revealed good aerosol performance and its suitability for direct delivery to the lungs. In-vitro cytotoxic potential of EC-DPI was determined against A549 cancer cells and compared with curcumin-loaded DPI formulation (C-DPI) and erlotinib-loaded DPI formulation (E-DPI). The IC${}_{50}$ values for E-DPI and C-DPI were found to be 36.6 ± 2.4 $\mu$M and 24.4 ± 2.7 $\mu$M, respectively. The IC${}_{50}$ value for EC-DPI was 20.5 ± 2.1 $\mu$M confirming the synergistic effect of both drugs against A549 cancer cells. The internalization of the drug inside A549 cells was detected by a cellular uptake study. The EC-DPI demonstrated the highest cellular uptake (0.07 ± 0.006 ng/$\mu$g) followed by the formulation containing curcumin (0.05 ± 0.003 ng/$\mu$g) and erlotinib (0.03 ± 0.004 ng/$\mu$g) alone at the end of 6 h. Hence, the developed DPI formulation can be considered as a potential therapeutic approach for the direct delivery of erlotinib and curcumin to treat NSCLC.

Dopamine (DA) is an important neurotransmitter and has been linked to several neurological diseases. Due to its biological significance, electrochemical detection of dopamine has become a hot topic of research. Herein, by using gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) made through green synthesis, we demonstrate a unique method for the sensitive detection of DA. A Strobilanthes kunthiana leaves extract was used as a reducing and stabilizing agent during the green and sustainable synthesis of the Au NPs. Several characterizations including UV–Visible spectroscopy (absorption peak at 540 nm), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) (average particle size of 31 nm), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDAX), Elemental Mapping (E-MAP) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) have been used to characterize the synthesized Au NPs. Moreover, electrochemical techniques like amperometry and Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) were used to confirm the stability and linearity of the Au NPs-based sensor for the determination of DA. The linear range of dopamine determination was found to be from 0.1 $\mu$M to 356 $\mu$M with the detection limit of 0.1 $\mu$M.

The development of highly sensitive, long-lasting and cost-effective dual hydrogen peroxide (H₂O${}_2)$/glucose sensors is crucial for various industries, particularly in medical, clinical diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, environmental monitoring and food business. In our study titanium dioxide/copper oxide (TiO₂/CuO) hierarchical nanostructure electrodes have been grown using hydrothermal process and their nonenzymatic H₂O₂ sensing and glucose sensing properties have been demonstrated using cyclic voltammetry and amperometry measurements. The surface morphology of TiO₂ nanorods (TiO₂ NRs) and TiO₂/CuO hierarchical nanostructure was investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The TiO₂/CuO hierarchical nanostructure electrodes demonstrated sensitivity of 20.09 $\mu$A mM${}^{-1}$ cm${}^{-2}$ toward H₂O₂, in the concentration range 0.25–18.25 mM. The TiO₂/CuO hierarchical nanostructure electrodes demonstrated a sensitivity of 1.5 mA mM${}^{-1}$ cm${}^{-2}$ towards glucose, in the concentration range 0.05–5 mM. Furthermore, artificial neural networks (ANN) were used to model the observed experimental results.

In the past several years, the widespread utility of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) has spurred global interest in streamlining synthesis methodologies. Notably, this study introduces an environmentally conscious strategy for synthesizing CuNPs using the extract of Alocasia indica. Employing a chemical reduction process, A. indica, abundant in phenolics and flavonoids, acts as a potent reducing agent. The nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by A. indica have been carefully characterized by Ultraviolet–Visible (UV–Viz) spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis and antimicrobial analysis. UV testing, spanning wave length, elucidates light absorption attributed to the newly formed CuNPs by showcasing a surface plasmonic resonance peak at 204 nm. The evolution of the FTIR spectrum of the produced CuNPs confirms the presence of diverse biomolecules. TEM delineates the synthesis of irregularly shaped particles. Elemental composition analysis via EDX identifies the presence of various elements, including C, O, Al, Cl, K and Cu, with detailed insights into their mass percentages, standard deviations, atom percentages and characteristic X-ray energy levels. The successful synthesis of CuNPs is validated by XRD, which reveals characteristic copper peaks at 2$𝜃$ = 43.375${}^{\circ }$, 50.520${}^{\circ }$ and 74.165${}^{\circ }$. The synthesized NP showed 98.99% inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus and 99.99% inhibition against Escherichia coli. This research presents an easy, economical and ecologically friendly process for producing CuNPs utilizing A. indica extracts.