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1.
Considering the Effects of Microbiome and Diet on SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Nanotechnology Roles.
Kalantar-Zadeh, K, Ward, SA, Kalantar-Zadeh, K, El-Omar, EM
ACS nano. 2020;(5):5179-5182
Abstract
The impact of dietary patterns and the commensal microbiome on susceptibility to and severity of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus has been largely ignored to date. In this Perspective, we present a rationale for an urgent need to investigate this possible impact and therapeutic options for COVID-19 based on dietary and microbiome modifications. The mitigating role of nanotechnology with relation to the impact of SARS-CoV-2 virus is highlighted.
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2.
Nano-enabled personalized nutrition: Developing multicomponent-bioactive colloidal delivery systems.
McClements, DJ
Advances in colloid and interface science. 2020;:102211
Abstract
There is growing interest in the production of foods and beverages with nutrient and nutraceutical profiles tailored to an individual's specific nutritional requirements. In principle, these personalized nutrition products are formulated based on the genetics, epigenetics, metabolism, microbiome, phenotype, lifestyle, age, gender, and health status of a person. A challenge in this area is to create customized functional food and beverage products that contain the required combination of bioactive agents, such as lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, nutraceuticals, prebiotics and probiotics. Nanotechnology may facilitate the development of these kind of products since it can be used to encapsulate one or more bioactive agent in a single colloidal delivery system. This delivery system may contain one or more different kinds of colloidal particle, specifically designed to protect each nutrient in the food, but then deliver it in a bioavailable form after ingestion. This review article provides an overview of the different kinds of bioactives that need to be delivered, as well as some of the challenges associated with incorporating them into functional foods and beverages. It then highlights how nanotech-enabled colloidal delivery systems can be developed to encapsulate multiple bioactive agents in a form suitable for functional food applications, particularly in the personalized nutrition field.
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3.
Nanomaterials: new weapons in a crusade against phytopathogens.
Rajwade, JM, Chikte, RG, Paknikar, KM
Applied microbiology and biotechnology. 2020;(4):1437-1461
Abstract
Bacteria, fungi, viruses, and nematodes are the major causal agents of plant diseases. These phytopathogens are responsible for about 10-40% losses in productivity and quality of food crops and horticultural produce. Although eradication of pathogens is not possible, control of plant diseases has been an area of continuous improvement/research. Use of antimicrobials, bacteriophages, and biocontrol agents, natural and synthetic agrochemicals along with best farm management practices constitute integrated measures for disease control. However, the quest for new materials continues due to pesticide resistance in the pathogens, emergence of new serotypes, and accumulation of high quantities of agrochemical contaminants in the ecosystem and associated environmental hazards, specificity of biocontrol agents, succession of pathogens during the plant growth phase, etc. The emergence of "nanotechnology," a multidisciplinary field of research, has provided a plethora of nanomaterials for potential applications in the agricultural sector. Control of plant diseases requires agents that reduce the pathogen to manageable levels, tools for early-stage detection of pathogen, and compounds that elicit immune response in the host plants. Nanomaterials have in fact been assessed for their utility in all these approaches for disease control. The present review discusses nanomaterials for controlling phytopathogens, nanomaterials in plant disease diagnostics, and nanomaterials as elicitors of the plant immune system. These nanomaterials thus represent new weapons in the fight against the phytopathogens. Recent studies indicate that nanomaterials will be a crucial component in the agroecosystem.
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4.
A review on ameliorative green nanotechnological approaches in diabetes management.
Bhardwaj, M, Yadav, P, Dalal, S, Kataria, SK
Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie. 2020;:110198
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder which results in increase of blood glucose level mainly due to insufficient insulin secretion or body fails to respond to secreted insulin from pancreatic cells. Diabetes is mainly the third cause of death worldwide after cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Nanotechnology is an emerging area in pharmaceutical sciences as nanoparticles are reported to increase the efficacy of drugs derived from plant resources by their target specific activity. The nanomaterials synthesized from plant resources have regulatory potential in control of certain diseases with minimum or no side effects. The review focuses on the reported antidiabetic potential of different metallic and other nanoparticles mainly silver, zinc oxide, gold, copper, selenium, chitosan and iron oxide, synthesized using different plant resources as various secondary metabolites like saponins, flavonoids, steroids, alkaloids, tannins. The green nanotechnological approach reported their antibiabetic potential as magic molecules in understanding various therapeutic processes and manipulated significantly regulatory mechanism/s pertaining to management of diabetes through pancreatic α-amylase, intestinal α-glucosidase, insulin action, glucose uptake in different in vivo and in vitro systems. The additional inputs of nanotechnological approaches regarding further exploration of herbal chemical potential may lead to consideration of certain novel magic drug molecules and may act as an advantage in management of diabetes for betterment of mankind.
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5.
Relevance of Nanotechnology in Solving Oral Drug Delivery Challenges: A Perspective Review.
Dhadde, SB, Patil, JS, Chandakavathe, BN, Thippeswamy, BS, Kavatekar, MG
Critical reviews in therapeutic drug carrier systems. 2020;(5):407-434
Abstract
Nanotechnology is opening up new opportunities in drug delivery, including oral delivery, and it may reduce toxicity and increase drug ability. Presently, researchers are expanding their knowledge in the development of oral nanomedicine to extend the scope of oral drug delivery and exhibit excellent platforms for drug transportation, target, and controlled release. The present review is an attempt to define updated oral nanostructured systems for the delivery of a wide range of drugs. The review also focuses on the use of different polymeric and other materials, technologies adopted, and benefits/drawbacks of delivery systems.
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6.
Nanobiotechnology approaches for engineering smart plant sensors.
Giraldo, JP, Wu, H, Newkirk, GM, Kruss, S
Nature nanotechnology. 2019;(6):541-553
Abstract
Nanobiotechnology has the potential to enable smart plant sensors that communicate with and actuate electronic devices for improving plant productivity, optimize and automate water and agrochemical allocation, and enable high-throughput plant chemical phenotyping. Reducing crop loss due to environmental and pathogen-related stresses, improving resource use efficiency and selecting optimal plant traits are major challenges in plant agriculture industries worldwide. New technologies are required to accurately monitor, in real time and with high spatial and temporal resolution, plant physiological and developmental responses to their microenvironment. Nanomaterials are allowing the translation of plant chemical signals into digital information that can be monitored by standoff electronic devices. Herein, we discuss the design and interfacing of smart nanobiotechnology-based sensors that report plant signalling molecules associated with health status to agricultural and phenotyping devices via optical, wireless or electrical signals. We describe how nanomaterial-mediated delivery of genetically encoded sensors can act as tools for research and development of smart plant sensors. We assess performance parameters of smart nanobiotechnology-based sensors in plants (for example, resolution, sensitivity, accuracy and durability) including in vivo optical nanosensors and wearable nanoelectronic sensors. To conclude, we present an integrated and prospective vision on how nanotechnology could enable smart plant sensors that communicate with and actuate electronic devices for monitoring and optimizing individual plant productivity and resource use.
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7.
Ultrasound-assisted preparation of different nanocarriers loaded with food bioactive ingredients.
Koshani, R, Jafari, SM
Advances in colloid and interface science. 2019;:123-146
Abstract
Developing green and facile approaches to produce nanostructures suitable for bioactives, nanoencapsulation faces some challenges in the nutraceutical and food bioactive industries due to potential risks arising from nanomaterials fabrication and consumption. High-intensity ultrasound is an effective technology to generate different bio-based structures in sub-micron or nanometer scale. This technique owing to some intrinsic advantages such as safety, straightforward operation, energy efficiency, and scale-up potential, as well as, ability to control over size and morpHology has stood out among various nanosynthetic routes. Ultrasonically-provided energy is mainly transferred to the droplets and particles via acoustic cavitation (which is formation, growth, and implosive collapse of bubbles in solvent). This review provides an outlook on the fundamentals of ultrasonication and some applicable setups in nanoencapsulation. Different kinds of nanostructures based on surfactants, lipids, proteins and carbohydrates formed by sonication, along with their advantages and disadvantages are assessed from the viewpoint of stability, particle size, and process impacts on some functionalities. The gastrointestinal fate and safety issues of ultrasonically prepared nanostructures are also discussed. Sonication, itself or in combination with other encapsulation approaches, alongside biopolymers generate nano-engineered carriers with enough stability, small particle sizes, and a low polydispersity. The nano-sized systems improve techno-functional activities of encapsulated bioactive agents including stability, solubility, dissolution, availability, controlled and targeted release profile in vitro and in vivo plus other bioactive properties such as antioxidant and antimicrobial capacities. Ultrasonically prepared nanocarriers show a great potential in fortifying food products with desired bioactive components, especially for the industrial applications.
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8.
Recent advances in nanotechnology for the treatment of metabolic syndrome.
Bahadori, E, Farjami, Z, Rezayi, M, Lngari, H, Darroudi, M, Avan, A, Ghayour-Mobarhan, M
Diabetes & metabolic syndrome. 2019;(2):1561-1568
Abstract
Metabolic syndrome is a main clinical challenge of global health which is growing universally. It would be resulted from over-consumption of energy, increased obesity, and lack of movement during life. The metabolic syndrome causes a five-fold increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and a double increase in the risk of rising cardiovascular disease over the next 5-10 years. Based on this, more attention has been drawn to the diagnosis and treatment options of this disease. Nanotechnology is one of the preferred methods for improving this disease. This way is a natural development in many health domains, including synthetic and nanostructures. The use of nanoparticles with the purpose of increase the effectiveness of treatment, decrease the side effects and the amount of drug usage, through their small size, permeability and maintenance strength lead to their absorption by target organs. Meanwhile, different nanoparticles with consumption values and particle size have been investigated.
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9.
Boron: Functions and Approaches to Enhance Its Availability in Plants for Sustainable Agriculture.
Shireen, F, Nawaz, MA, Chen, C, Zhang, Q, Zheng, Z, Sohail, H, Sun, J, Cao, H, Huang, Y, Bie, Z
International journal of molecular sciences. 2018;(7)
Abstract
Boron (B) is an essential trace element required for the physiological functioning of higher plants. B deficiency is considered as a nutritional disorder that adversely affects the metabolism and growth of plants. B is involved in the structural and functional integrity of the cell wall and membranes, ion fluxes (H⁺, K⁺, PO₄3−, Rb⁺, Ca2+) across the membranes, cell division and elongation, nitrogen and carbohydrate metabolism, sugar transport, cytoskeletal proteins, and plasmalemma-bound enzymes, nucleic acid, indoleacetic acid, polyamines, ascorbic acid, and phenol metabolism and transport. This review critically examines the functions of B in plants, deficiency symptoms, and the mechanism of B uptake and transport under limited B conditions. B deficiency can be mitigated by inorganic fertilizer supplementation, but the deleterious impact of frequent fertilizer application disrupts soil fertility and creates environmental pollution. Considering this, we have summarized the available information regarding alternative approaches, such as root structural modification, grafting, application of biostimulators (mycorrhizal fungi (MF) and rhizobacteria), and nanotechnology, that can be effectively utilized for B acquisition, leading to resource conservation. Additionally, we have discussed several new aspects, such as the combination of grafting or MF with nanotechnology, combined inoculation of arbuscular MF and rhizobacteria, melatonin application, and the use of natural and synthetic chelators, that possibly play a role in B uptake and translocation under B stress conditions.
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10.
Cure of tuberculosis using nanotechnology: An overview.
Kerry, RG, Gouda, S, Sil, B, Das, G, Shin, HS, Ghodake, G, Patra, JK
Journal of microbiology (Seoul, Korea). 2018;(5):287-299
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), a major health issue of the present era. The bacterium inhabits the host macrophage and other immune cells where it modulates the lysosome trafficking protein, hinders the formation of phagolysosome, and blocks the TNF receptor-dependent apoptosis of host macrophage/monocytes. Other limitations such as resistance to and low bioavailability and bio-distribution of conventional drugs aid to their high virulence and human mortality. This review highlights the use of nanotechnology-based approaches for drug formulation and delivery which could open new avenues to limit the pathogenicity of tuberculosis. Moreover phytochemicals, such as alkaloids, phenols, saponins, steroids, tannins, and terpenoids, extracted from terrestrial plants and mangroves seem promising against M. tuberculosis through different molecular mechanisms. Further understanding of the genomics and proteomics of this pathogenic microbe could also help overcome various research gaps in the path of developing a suitable therapy against tuberculosis.