Biogenic zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) are promising multifunctional materials with potential applications in biocontrol and sustainable agricultural zinc delivery. The current study employed Taguchi optimization for ZnONPs biosynthesis using actinomycetes (Streptomyces pseudovenezuelae AM1, Streptomyces panaciradicis AM2, and Micromonospora maritima AM3), followed by separate evaluation of their antimicrobial and growth-promoting activities in rice. Results revealed AM2 as the most potent ZnONPs producer (2.24 g) under optimized conditions (6 mM Zn, 28℃, pH 8, 100
Curcumin (Cur) is a bioactive polyphenolic compound with well-documented antioxidant and antidiabetic properties; however, its therapeutic application is limited by poor aqueous solubility, low bioavailability, and rapid metabolic degradation. To overcome these limitations, the present study developed and evaluated Cur-loaded polycaprolactone nanocomposites (Cur-PCL NCs) as a sustained-delivery system to ameliorate metabolic dysfunction in a high-sugar diet–induced D. melanogaster model. Cur-PCL NCs was synthesised by an emulsion-based method and comprehensively characterised in terms of size, potential, morphology, chemical binding interaction and thermal stability, as well as in vitro drug release profiling. The formulation exhibited nanoscale particle size, favourable colloidal stability, high drug loading, excellent encapsulation efficiency, and a sustained biphasic release profile. Therapeutic efficacy was assessed in male and female flies exposed to a high-sugar diet and then treated with Cur, Cur-PCL NCs, or metformin. High-sugar feeding induced significant metabolic and physiological disturbances, including reduced survival, impaired locomotor activity, increased body weight, elevated hemolymph glucose and trehalose levels, and pronounced oxidative stress, as evidenced by depleted reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT), along with increased malondialdehyde (MDA). Treatment with Cur-PCL NCs significantly attenuated these pathological alterations and consistently produced greater protective effects than free Cur, with efficacy comparable to or exceeding that of metformin in several endpoints. Overall, these findings demonstrate that Cur-PCL NCs markedly improve metabolic homeostasis, antioxidant defence, and functional performance in high-sugar diet-induced Drosophila, highlighting their promise as a nanotherapeutic platform for the management of hyperglycemia-associated oxidative stress and metabolic dysfunction.
Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were successfully synthesized using a novel laser-assisted microjet plasma method in aqueous solution that employs a Nd: YAG laser (wavelength 1064 nm; 9 ns pulse duration; 8 Hz repetition rate; 800 mJ per pulse) and argon microjet plasma. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and zeta potential measurements. XRD analysis confirmed the face-centered cubic (FCC) crystal structure of silver with an average crystallite size of 47.05 nm. HRTEM revealed distinct lattice fringes with an interplanar distance of 0.236 nm corresponding to the (111) plane of FCC silver. SAED showed concentric rings indexed to the (111), (200), (220), (311), and (222) planes. FE-SEM showed predominantly spherical particles with diameters ranging from 47.05 to 114.1 nm (mean diameter 78.2 ± 15.4 nm; polydispersity index 0.19), indicating polycrystalline nature with 2–4 crystallites per particle. EDS confirmed high elemental purity (> 99.9
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) produced by “green” routes represent a sustainable bridge between nanotechnology and agronomy, yet their causal pathway exposure to plant-level growth responses remains poorly resolved. Here we synthesised AgNPs biologically using the endophytic fungus Paecilomyces lilacinus isolated from the Plant–Microbe Interaction Laboratory, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, and quantified their impact on 15 agronomic and biochemical traits of maize (Zea mays L.) under controlled greenhouse conditions. Mycosynthesis was confirmed by a characteristic colour change (pale yellow → dark brown), a surface plasmon resonance peak at 420–450 nm, FTIR bands diagnostic of O–H, C = O and Ag–O vibrations, and SEM/EDX evidence of spherical, polydispersed particles in the 22–81 nm range containing elemental silver. Foliar application of 0, 1, 2 and 3 mM AgNPs (n = 3 per dose) produced a highly significant, monotonic dose response (one-way ANOVA F ≥ 95.1, p < 0.001, η² ≥ 0.95): shoot and root fresh weight rose 14.7
Silver-modified ferrite nanoparticles have attracted considerable interest because the combination of magnetic ferrite properties with the distinctive surface and biological characteristics of silver can provide multifunctional nanomaterials. However, the relationship between Ag modification, structural characteristics, surface properties, antimicrobial activity, and anticancer response of Mg–Cr ferrite nanoparticles remains insufficiently explored. In the present study, Ag-modified Mg–Cr ferrite nanoparticles with nominal compositions AgₓCr₀.₅Mg₀.₅Fe₂−ₓO₄ (x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, and 0.15) were synthesized and systematically investigated. Structural, morphological, compositional, and surface characteristics were examined using X-ray diffraction, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, electron microscopy, elemental analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that Ag modification influences the structural characteristics and surface properties of the Mg–Cr ferrite nanoparticles and results in the formation of an Ag-containing secondary/surface phase at higher Ag concentration. The Ag-modified nanoparticles exhibited enhanced antibacterial activity compared with the pristine Mg–Cr ferrite, particularly against Gram-positive bacterial strains. In addition, Ag modification enhanced the antiproliferative activity against the investigated cancer cell lines, with the x = 0.15 composition showing the strongest response toward A-549 cells. These findings demonstrate that Ag modification can improve the biological performance of Mg–Cr ferrite nanoparticles and provide a basis for their further investigation as multifunctional antimicrobial and anticancer nanomaterials.
