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• Stem cell therapy, as a novel therapeutic way, shows great promise in the treatment of heart diseases in recent years. • Stem cell delivery methods into the heart are a big challenge that can be modified by biomaterial utilization. • The incorporation of stem cells into natural scaffolds has promoted a bloom of development in regenerative therapy. • Natural biomaterials can regulate the proliferation and differentiation of implanted stem cells into the target tissue. • The majority of natural biomaterials are injectable and mechanically stable enough to tolerate the beating of the heart. 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Green chemistry assisted AuNPs synthesis in cost-effective process. • PXRD and UV–vis spectroscopy confirmed the biofabrication of AuNPs (Ab-AuNPs). • Ab-AuNPs displayed outstanding antioxidant activity. • Ab-AuNPs induce a significant decrease in the Bcl-2 and HSPA2 gene expression. • Gene expression of Bax, caspases 3&9, and p53 were up-regulated in NTERA-2 cells. In this unprecedented study, the anticancer properties of gold nanoparticles synthesized using Achillea biebersteinii flower extractwere investigated. Nanoparticle synthesis using herbal extracts is low-cost and can, therefore, serve as an economically viable alternative for large‐scale nanoparticle production. The smallest nanoparticles were spherical within a range of 2–30 nm (with an average of 8 nm). The gold nanoparticles were characterized using UV-visible spectrophotometry, x-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. The gold nanoparticles displayed great antioxidant potential similar to the positive control. Their cytotoxic effects on human testicular embryonic carcinoma stem cells were assessed using the MTT assay and acridine orange/propidium iodide. The nanoparticles demonstrated dose‐dependent cell viability against cancer cells, and the half inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were 10 μg/mL. The expression of Bax, Bcl2, caspase-3, caspase-9, p53, and HSPA2 genes was evaluated using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis to further confirm that gold nanoparticles induced apoptosis. The cytotoxicity analysis results indicated that the gold nanoparticles were toxic for NTERA-2 cells. These positive outcomes can contribute to the rational design of novel anticancer agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [Display omitted] • Inhaled paraquat induced lung injury and inflammation in rat. • Safranal and pioglitazone treatment alone improved lung and systemic inflammation. • Safranal and pioglitazone treatment alone improved memory impairment induced by inhaled PQ. • Safranal showed synergic effects with pioglitazone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A green method by Verbascum speciosum was used to synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs). ZnO NPs were coated with silver to synthesize Ag–ZnO nanocomposite (NCs). The physicochemical properties of Ag–ZnO NCs were analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential. The FTIR indicated the peak of Zn–O vibration and some hydroxyl and carboxyl groups. PXRD analyses confirmed the synthesis of ZnO NPs and Ag–ZnO NCs. Due to the size of the crystallite obtained from PXRD, solid-phase sizes (from FESEM and TEM images), and dynamic sizes from DLS, agglomeration was observed. The Ag–ZnO NCs showed a negative charge surface (−49.3 mV). Ag–ZnO NCs had a high antibacterial activity towards two most important infectious bacteria (i.e., Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) and anticancer activity against human liver-carcinoma cells (HepG2). Later, it depended on time and concentration of Ag–ZnO NCs. The cytotoxicity properties of Ag–ZnO NCs were also studied against NIH-3T3 as a normal cell, where the results verified the lower cell toxicities of nanocomposite than the HepG2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]