Illicium verum Hooker fillius or commonly called star anise is a member of Magnoliaceae. The synthesis of metal nanoparticles is a growing area for research due to its potentiality in the application and development of advanced technologies. In general, nanoparticles are synthesized by using chemical methods which are not eco-friendly. Here, we have used a fast, convenient and environment-frien...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the feasibility of using magnetic iron oxide (Fe(3)O(4))-dextran-anti-β-human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) nanoparticles as a gene vector for cellular transfections. STUDY DESIGN Fe(3)O(4)-dextran-anti-β-HCG nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical coprecipitation. The configuration, diameter, and iron content of the nanoparticles were detected by transmission electron...

The interaction of nanoparticles with biomolecules and microorganisms is an expanding field of research. Within this field, an area that has been largely unexplored is the interaction of metal nanoparticles with viruses. In this work, we demonstrate that silver nanoparticles undergo a size-dependent interaction with HIV-1, with nanoparticles exclusively in the range of 1-10 nm attached to the v...

Although biomedical applications of functionalized nanoparticles have taken significant strides, biological characterization of unmodified nanoparticles remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the cell viability and invasion activity of gastric cancer cells after treatment with gold nanoparticles. The growth of SGC-7901 cells was inhibited significantly after treatment with 5-nm ...

Labeling of cells with nanoparticles for living detection is of interest to various biomedical applications. In this study, novel fluorescent/magnetic nanoparticles were prepared and used in high-efficient cellular imaging. The nanoparticles coated with the modified chitosan possessed a magnetic oxide core and a covalently attached fluorescent dye. We evaluated the feasibility and efficiency in...

The electrocatalytic properties of nanoparticles depend on their size, shape and composition. These properties are typically probed by measuring the total electrocatalytic reaction current of a large number of nanoparticles, but this approach is time-consuming and can only measure the average catalytic activity of the nanoparticles under study. However, the identification of new catalysts requi...

Metal nanoparticles have been studied for their anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory efficacy in various models. Specifically, gold and silver nanoparticles exhibit properties that make these ideal candidates for biological applications. The typical synthesis of gold and silver nanoparticles incorporates contaminants that could pose further problems. Here we demonstrate a clean method of synthes...

Silver and copper nanoparticles were produced by chemical reduction of their respective nitrates by ascorbic acid in the presence of chitosan using microwave heating. Particle size was shown to increase by increasing the concentration of nitrate and reducing the chitosan concentration. Surface zeta potentials were positive for all nanoparticles produced and these varied from 27.8 to 33.8 mV. An...

In recent years, nanoscience and nanotechnology have emerged as a new area of fundamental science and are receiving global attention due to their extensive applications. Conventionally nanoparticles were manufactured by physical and chemical techniques. The recent development and implementation of new technologies have led to a new trend, the nano-revolution unfolding the role of plants in bioa...

A viral β-annulus peptide connected with a zinc oxide (ZnO)-binding sequence (HCVAHR) at its N-terminal was synthesized, and the inclusion behavior of quantum-sized ZnO nanoparticles into the peptide nanocapsules formed by self-assembly of the peptide in water was investigated. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements showed that ZnO nanoparticles (approximately 10 nm) in the presence of the...