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The present study aimed to investigate the effect of Crocus sativus (Cs) on paraquat (PQ)-induced learning and memory deficits as well as brain and lung oxidative stress and systemic inflammation, and oxidative stress in rats. Rats were exposed to saline (Ctrl) or PQ (PQ groups) aerosols. PQ groups were treated with 0.03 mg/kg/day dexamethasone (Dexa), 20 and 80 mg/kg/day Cs-L and Cs-H, 5 mg/kg/day pioglitazone (Pio), and Cs-L+Pio for 16 days during PQ exposure period. Learning and memory abilities were assessed by Morris water maze (MWM) and passive avoidance tests. PQ group showed increased numbers of total and differential WBCs in blood, and increased malondialdehyde (MDA), in the serum, brain, and lung but reduced thiol, catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels compared to the control group (for all, p < 0.001). The escape latency and traveled distance were increased in the PQ group. However, the time spent in the target quadrant in the MWM test and the latency to enter the dark room were reduced after receiving an electrical shock (p < 0.05 to P<0.001). In all treated groups, measured values were improved compared to PQ group (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). The combination of Cs-L+Pio showed more pronounced effects compared to either treatment alone (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). These findings suggest that Cs has neuroprotective properties and may be beneficial in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases induced by noxious agents such as PQ.

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This study explores the potential antibacterial applications of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) enhanced with silver (Ag) using plant gel (ZnO-AgO NPs). The problem addressed is the increasing prevalence of pathogenic bacteria and the need for new, effective antimicrobial agents. ZnO NPs possess distinctive physicochemical properties that enable them to selectively target bacterial cells. Their small size and high surface area-to-volume ratio allow efficient cellular uptake and interaction with bacterial cells. In this study, the average size of the synthesized ZnO-Ag nanoparticles was 77.1 nm, with a significant standard deviation of 33.7 nm, indicating a wide size distribution. The nanoparticles demonstrated remarkable antibacterial efficacy against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, with inhibition zones of 14.33 mm for E. coli and 15.66 mm for B. subtilis at a concentration of 300 µg/ml. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined to be 100 µg/ml for E. coli and 75 µg/ml for S. saprophyticus. Additionally, ZnO-Ag NPs exhibited excellent biocompatibility, making them appropriate for various pharmacological uses. This study utilizes Ferula latisecta gels, offering a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to nanoparticle synthesis. Incorporating of Ag into ZnO NPs significantly enhances their antimicrobial properties, with the combined results showing great inhibition effects on pathogenic microbes. The findings suggest that ZnO-Ag NPs could be a promising candidate for addressing the challenges posed by drug-resistant bacterial infections and enhancing antimicrobial treatments.

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The effects of safranal and pioglitazone alone and their combination on inhaled paraquat (PQ)-induced systemic oxidative stress and inflammation as well as behavioral changes were examined in rats. In this study, animals were exposed to saline (Ctrl) or PQ (PQ groups) aerosols. PQ exposed animals were treated with dexamethasone, 0.8 and 3.2 mg/kg/day safranal (Saf-L and Saf-H), 5 mg/kg/day pioglitazone (Pio), and Saf-L + Pio for 16 days during PQ exposure period. PQ group showed increased numbers of total and differential WBCs in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), increased malondialdehyde (MDA), in the serum BALF and brain reduced thiol, catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels compared to the control group (for all, p < 0.001). The escape latency and traveled distance were enhanced, but the time spent in the target quadrant in the probe day and the latency to enter the dark room 3, 24, 48, and 72 h after receiving an electrical shock, (in the shuttle box test) were decreased in the PQ group (p < 0.05 to P < 0.001). In all treated groups, all measure values were improved compared to PQ group (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). In combination treated group of Saf-L + Pio, most measured values were more improved than the Saf-L and Pio groups (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). Saf and Pio improved PQ-induced changes similar to dexamethasone but the effects produced by combination treatments of Saf-L + Pio were more prominent than Pio and Saf-L alone, suggesting a potentiating effect for the combination of the two agents.

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In this study salicylic acid loaded containing selenium nanoparticles was synthesized and called SA@CS-Se NPs. the chitosan was used as a natural stabilizer during the synthesis process. Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to describe the physicochemical characteristics of the SA@CS-Se NPs. The PXRD examination revealed that the grain size was around 31.9 nm. TEM and FESEM techniques showed the spherical shape of SA@CS-Se NPs. Additionally, the analysis of experiments showed that SA@CS-Se NPs have antibacterial properties against 4 ATCC bacteria; So that with concentrations of 75, 125, 150, and 100 µg/ml, it inhibited the biofilm formation of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus respectively. Also, at the concentration of 300 µg/ml, it removed 22.76, 23.2, 10.62, and 18.08% biofilm caused by E. coli, P. aeruginosa, B. subtilis, and S. aureus respectively. The synthesized SA@CS-Se NPs may find an application to reduce the unsafe influence of pathogenic microbes and, hence, eliminate microbial contamination.

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Various definitions can be considered for drugs and substance abuse. According to the National Institute on Abuse, the use of an over-the-counter drug in a different way than that prescribed to experience or arouse emotion is a simple form of drug abuse. The World Health Organization (WHO) also defines drug abuse as the persistent or sporadic use of drugs that are incompatible or unrelated to acceptable medical practice. With the increasing non-therapeutic use of prescription drugs, serious related consequences have also increased. Therefore, there is a need to know more precisely about the types of substances and drug abuse, which is the most important part of diagnosis and recognizing the tests that cause false positive and negative results. The purpose of this review article is to collect and summarize the most important and more common types of drugs of abuse and review the drugs that cause false results in screening tests. In addition, the most common detection methods of the drug will be reviewed and the advantages and drawbacks of each method will be discussed. In this article, we aimed to point out all the facts about the emerging problems in drug abuse, the methods of screening, and the possible false results in addition to troubleshooting strategies.

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Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) are widely used in agriculture in order to increase the yield and growth characteristics of plants. This study investigated the effects of TiO2NPs on photosynthetic pigments and several biochemical activities and antioxidant enzymes of the Vitex plant. Different concentrations of nanoparticles (0, 200, 400, 600 and 800 ppm) at five levels were sprayed on Vitex plants on the 30th day of the experiment. TiO2NPs at different concentrations had positive effects on root and shoot dry weight and a negative effect on leaf dry weight. The amount of chlorophyll increased with the concentration of TiO2NPs; however, the amount of chlorophyll b showed a decreasing trend while the total chlorophyll had a constant trend. The highest amount of soluble sugar was obtained in the treatment of 200 ppm nanoparticles. The application of TiO2NPs did not have any effect on the content of proline and soluble proteins of Vitex plant. The effects of foliar TiO2NPs, compared to the control, showed a significant increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes. In general, TiO2NPs had a favorable effect on dry matter production and some antioxidant and biochemical properties of the Vitex plant.

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Liver cancer is one of the most common lethal malignancy in the world. To treat liver cancer, new cure options are crucial. The use of natural substances along nanosciences may provide healing with lower toxicity and a smaller amount of side properties. In this research, The three-component selenium-silver-chitosan nanocomposite (Se-Ag-CS NCs) were synthesised with the help of ultrasound in a stepwise manner. The as-synthesised Se-Ag-CS NCs were characterised accordingly by applying powder X-Ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and potential. The PXRD demonstrated that the NCs were synthesised successfully and the grain sizes of 27.3 were obtained. The FESEM and TEM analyses have shown the NCs have a nano-sized structure with spherical and rod-like morphologies in a coating of CS. The DLS analysis also revealed that NCs were synthesised in nanoscale particles. The NCs' surface charge was also positive due to the presence of chitosan. Different concentrations of NCs (0, 0.125, 0.250, 0.500, and 1 mg/ml) were tested at different times (24, 48, and 72 h) to measure cytotoxicity against liver cancer cells. The results showed at a concentration of 1 mg/mL in 72 h, the most toxicity effects were applied to liver cancer cells. Moreover, the results indicated NCs can inhibit the growth of cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, while the toxicity of nanocomposite on normal cells was less. It is important to create nanocomposites derived from natural polymers as a new strategy in cancer treatment that can fight cancer cells while having low toxicity for normal cells. Therefore, the present results can be considered in improving cancer-fighting methods.

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Vaccination is an innovative strategy for cancer treatment by leveraging various components of the patients' immunity to boost an anti-tumor immune response. Rationally designed nanoparticles are well suited to maximize cancer vaccination by the inclusion of immune stimulatory adjuvants. Also, nanoparticles might control the pharmacokinetics and destination of the immune potentiating compounds. Poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) based nanoparticles (NPs), which have a natural origin, can be easily taken up by dendritic cells (DCs), which leads to the secretion of cytokines which ameliorates the stimulation capacity of T cells. The intrinsic adjuvant properties and antigen carrier properties of γ-PGA NPs have been the focus of recent investigations as they can modulate the tumor microenvironment, can contribute to systemic anti-tumor immunity and subsequently inhibit tumor growth. This review provides a comprehensive overview on the potential of γ-PGA NPs as antigen carriers and/or adjuvants for anti-cancer vaccination.

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Various nanoparticles are used in the discovery of new nanomedicine to overcome the shortages of conventional drugs. Therefore, this article presents a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the effects of nanoparticle-based drugs in the treatment of respiratory disorders, including both basic and clinical studies. Databases, including PubMed, Web of Knowledge, and Scopus, were searched until the end of August 2022 regarding the effect of nanoparticles on respiratory diseases. As a new tool, nanomedicine offered promising applications for the treatment of pulmonary diseases. The basic composition and intrinsic characteristics of nanomaterials showed their effectiveness in treating pulmonary diseases. The efficiency of different nanomedicines has been demonstrated in experimental animal models of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis (PF), lung cancer, lung infection, and other lung disorders, confirming their function in the improvement of respiratory disorders. Various types of nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes, dendrimers, polymeric nanomaterials, liposomes, quantum dots, and metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, have demonstrated therapeutic effects on respiratory disorders, which may lead to new possible remedies for various respiratory illnesses that could increase drug efficacy and decrease side effects.

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In this study, a novel method using Ferula gummosa gums as a capping agent was used to synthesize the nanoceria for the first time. The method was economical and performed at room temperature. Furthermore, it was coated with gold (Au/nanoceria) and fully characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (FESEM-EDX), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential (ζ potential). The crystallite size obtained from the results was 28.09 nm for Au/nanoceria. The energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis of Au/nanoceria revealed the compositional constituents of the product, which display the purity of the Au/nanoceria. The cell toxicity properties of the non-doped and Au-coated nanoceria were identified by a MTT analysis on a breast cancer cell line (MCF7). Additionally, human foreskin fibroblast cells (HFF) were used as a normal cell line. The cytotoxicity results indicated that the toxicological effect of Au/nanoceria on cancer cells was significant while having little toxic effect on normal cells. The toxicity effect of nanoceria clearly shows the dependence on dose and time, so, with increasing the dose of Au/nanoceria, the death of cancer cells also increases.

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Among scaffolds used in tissue engineering, natural biomaterials such as plant-based materials show a crucial role in cellular function due to their biocompatibility and chemical indicators. Because of environmentally friendly behavior and safety, green methods are so important in designing scaffolds. A key bioactive flavonoid of the Epimedium plant, Icariin (ICRN), has a broad range of applications in improving scaffolds as a constant and non-immunogenic material, and in stimulating the cell growth, differentiation of chondrocytes as well as differentiation of embryonic stem cells towards cardiomyocytes. Moreover, fusion of ICRN into the hydrogel scaffolds or chemical crosslinking can enhance the secretion of the collagen matrix and proteoglycan in bone and cartilage tissue engineering. To scrutinize, in various types of cancer cells, ICRN plays a decisive role through increasing cytochrome c secretion, Bax/Bcl2 ratio, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase as well as caspase stimulations. Surprisingly, ICRN can induce apoptosis, reduce viability and inhibit proliferation of cancer cells, and repress tumorigenesis as well as metastasis. Moreover, cancer cells no longer grow by halting the cell cycle at two checkpoints, G0/G1 and G2/M, through the inhibition of NF-κB by ICRN. Besides, improving nephrotoxicity occurring due to cisplatin and inhibiting multidrug resistance are the other applications of this biomaterial.

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Inhibition of cholinesterase (ChE) activity has been long considered as the main diagnostic method of organophosphate (OP) and carbamate pesticides poisoning; however, it has been shown that ChE activity may also be altered due to exposure to other non-organophosphorus toxicants and variety of different medical conditions. Hence, to avoid misdiagnosis, we aimed to systematically review available documents to look for additional biomarkers of OP and carbamate poisoning. The electronic databases in addition to Google scholar were searched for eligible articles on March 2022 using "organophosphate," "carbamate," and "biomarker" including all their similar terms. After collecting the relevant documents, the data were extracted and described qualitatively. In total, data of 66 articles from 51 human and 15 animal studies were extracted. Findings demonstrated that enzymes such as ß-glucuronidase, neuropathy target esterase, amylase, and lipase, in addition to hematological indicators such as CBC, CRP, lactate dehydrogenase, and CPK have high sensitivity and accuracy in the diagnosis of OP poisoning. Findings suggest that using various markers for diagnosis of OP intoxication is helpful for appropriate management, and early identifying the patients at risk of death. The suggested biomarkers also help to avoid misdiagnosis of OP poisoning with other similar conditions.

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Context: Although for a long time, it was thought that intervening sequences (introns) were junk DNA without any function, their critical roles and the underlying molecular mechanisms in genome regulation have only recently come to light. Introns not only carry information for splicing, but they also play many supportive roles in gene regulation at different levels. They are supposed to function as useful tools in various biological processes, particularly in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Introns can contribute to numerous biological processes, including gene silencing, gene imprinting, transcription, mRNA metabolism, mRNA nuclear export, mRNA localization, mRNA surveillance, RNA editing, NMD, translation, protein stability, ribosome biogenesis, cell growth, embryonic development, apoptosis, molecular evolution, genome expansion, and proteome diversity through various mechanisms. Evidence Acquisition: In order to fulfill the objectives of this study, the following databases were searched: Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO, Open Access Journals, and Google Scholar. Only articles published in English were included. Results & Conclusions: The intervening sequences of eukaryotic genes have critical functions in genome regulation, as well as in molecular evolution. Here, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of how introns influence genome regulation, as well as their effects on molecular evolution. Moreover, therapeutic strategies based on intron sequences are discussed. According to the obtained results, a thorough understanding of intron functional mechanisms could lead to new opportunities in disease diagnosis and therapies, as well as in biotechnology applications.

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The Anabasis aphylla L. aerial parts was harvested from five different populations located in Golestan National Park, Iran. The phenolic content and antioxidant potencies of the ethanolic extracts were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) methods, respectively. Moreover, the effects of two factors soil electrical conductivity and soil acidity on phenolic content and antioxidant properties of the extracts were evaluated. Consequently, no significant difference between different populations of Anabasis aphylla L. in terms of total phenol content was detected; however, a significant difference was observed between the electrical conductivity of the soil samples. The studied factors showed no significant correlation between the electrical conductivity and soil acidity with the total phenol and antioxidant effect, although a negative correlation between total phenol and IC50 (-0.81) was identified. In conclusion, the present study the effect of two factors of soil acidity and electrical conductivity on the amount of total phenol is not confirmed.

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BACKGROUND: In the present study, resveratrol was used to prepare complexes of cerium and nanoceria, also coated with gold (CeO2@Au core-shells) to improve the surface interactions in physiological conditions. METHODS: The CeO2@Au core-shells were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and ζ potential. RESULTS: The experiment was led to the successful synthesis of nanosized CeO2@Au core-shells, although agglomeration of particles caused the distribution of the larger particles. The TEM analysis demonstrated the particles sizes ranged from 20 nm to 170 nm. Moreover, the PXRD analysis showed that both nanoceria and gold with the same crystal systems and space groups. To investigate the anticancer activity of the CeO2@Au core-shells, the cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles was investigated against liver cancerous cell lines (HepG2). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated biosynthesized NCs have significant cellular toxicity properties against HepG2 and could be utilized in hepatocarcinoma therapy. Further in vivo investigations is proposed to be designed to assess anti-cancer and safety effects of fabricated nanocomposites.

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A copper oxide/cerium oxide nanocomposite (CuO/CeO2, NC) was synthesized via a novel method using a metal-organic framework as a precursor. This nanomaterial was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering size analysis (DLS), and zeta potential. The PXRD showed the successful synthesis of the CuO/CeO2 NC, in which the 2theta values of 35.55° (d = 2.52 Å, 100%) and 38.73° (d = 2.32 Å, 96%) revealed the existence of copper (II) oxide. FTIR analysis showed the CeO2, hydroxyl groups, absorbed water, and some residual peaks. The solid phase analysis by FESEM and TEM images showed mean particle sizes of 49.18 ± 24.50 nm and 30.58 ± 26.40 nm, respectively, which were comparable with crystallite size (38.4 nm) obtained from PXRD, but it appears the CuO/CeO2 NC was not evenly distributed and in some areas, showed it was highly agglomerated. The hydrodynamic size (750.5 nm) also showed the agglomeration of the CuO/CeO2 NCs in the solution, which had a negatively charged surface. The CuO/CeO2 NCs showed anti-proliferative activity against human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) in a dose- and time-dependence way, while affecting normal cells less significantly.

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In this study, the biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Aspergillus niger (A/ZnO-NPs) is described. These particles have been characterized by UV-Vis spectrum analysis, X-ray powder diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. To use this biosynthesized nanoparticle as an antiproliferative and antimicrobial agent, the IC50 value against the breast cancer cell line and inhibition zone against Escherichia coli were used to optimize the effect of two processing factors including dose of filtrate fungi cell and temperature. The biosynthesized A/ZnO-NPs had an absorbance band at 320 nm and spherical shapes. The mean particles size was 35 nm. RSM (response surface methodology) was utilized to investigate the outcome responses. The Model F-value of 12.21 and 7.29 implies that the model was significant for both responses. The contour plot against inhibition zone for temperature and dose showed that if the dose increases from 3.8 to 17.2 µg/mL, the inhibition zone increases up to 35 mm. As an alternative to chemical and/or physical methods, biosynthesizing zinc oxide NPs through fungi extracts can serve as a more facile and eco-friendly strategy. Additionally, for optimization of the processes, the outcome responses in the biomedical available test can be used in the synthesis of ZnO-NPs that are utilized for large-scale production in various medical applications.

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Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are a family of proteins that are expressed by cells in reply to stressors. The changes in concentration of HSPs could be utilized as a bio-indicator of oxidative stress caused by heavy metal. Exposure to the different heavy metals may induce or reduce the expression of different HSPs. The exposure to cadmium ion (Cd2+) could increase HSP70 and HSP27 over 2- to 10-fold or even more. The in vitro and in vivo models indicate that the HSP70 family is more sensitive to Cd intoxication than other HSPs. The analyses of other HSPs along with HSP70, especially HSP27, could also be useful to obtain more accurate results. In this regard, this review focuses on examining the literature to bold the futuristic uses of HSPs as bio-indicators in the initial assessment of Cd exposure risks in defined environments.

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The use of naturally occurring materials in biomedicine has been increasingly attracting the researchers' interest and, in this regard, gum tragacanth (GT) is recently showing great promise as a therapeutic substance in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. As a polysaccharide, GT can be easily extracted from the stems and branches of various species of Astragalus. This anionic polymer is known to be a biodegradable, non-allergenic, non-toxic, and non-carcinogenic material. The stability against microbial, heat and acid degradation has made GT an attractive material not only in industrial settings (e.g., food packaging) but also in biomedical approaches (e.g., drug delivery). Over time, GT has been shown to be a useful reagent in the formation and stabilization of metal nanoparticles in the context of green chemistry. With the advent of tissue engineering, GT has also been utilized for the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds applied for both hard and soft tissue healing strategies. However, more research is needed for defining GT applicability in the future of biomedical engineering. On this object, the present review aims to provide a state-of-the-art overview of GT in biomedicine and tries to open new horizons in the field based on its inherent characteristics.

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Cardiovascular diseases are one of the main concerns, nowadays causing a high rate of mortality in the world. The majority of conventional treatment protects the heart from failure progression. As a novel therapeutic way, Regenerative medicine in the heart includes cellular and noncellular approaches. Despite the irrefutable privileges of noncellular aspects such as administration of exosomes, utilizing of miRNAs, and growth factors, they cannot reverse necrotic or ischemic myocardium, hence recruiting of stem cells to help regenerative therapy in the heart seems indispensable. Stem cell lineages are varied and divided into two main groups namely pluripotent and adult stem cells. Not only has each of which own regenerative capacity, benefits, and drawbacks, but their turnover also close correlates with the target organ and/or tissue as well as the stage and level of failure. In addition to inefficient tissue integration due to the defects in delivering methods and poor retention of transplanted cells, the complexity of the heart and its movement also make more rigorous the repair process. Hence, utilizing biomaterials can make a key route to tackle such obstacles. In this review, we evaluate some natural products which can help stem cells in regenerative medicine of the cardiovascular system.

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