Search

Mohamed Qasim Al-Fahdawi,1 Abdullah Rasedee,1,2 Mothanna Sadiq Al-Qubaisi,1 Fatah H Alhassan,3,4 Rozita Rosli,1 Mohamed Ezzat El Zowalaty,1,5 Seïf-Eddine Naadja,6 Thomas J Webster,7,8 Yun Hin Taufiq-Yap3,41Institute of Bioscience, 2Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 3Catalysis Science and Technology Research Centre, Faculty of Science, 4Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, 5Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; 6Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 7Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; 8Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaAbstract: Iron–manganese-doped sulfated zirconia nanoparticles with both Lewis and Brønsted acidic sites were prepared by a hydrothermal impregnation method followed by calcination at 650°C for 5 hours, and their cytotoxicity properties against cancer cell lines were determined. The characterization was carried out using X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Brauner–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area measurements, X-ray fluorescence, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, zeta size potential, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The cytotoxicity of iron–manganese-doped sulfated zirconia nanoparticles was determined using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays against three human cancer cell lines (breast cancer MDA-MB231 cells, colon carcinoma HT29 cells, and hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells) and two normal human cell lines (normal hepatocyte Chang cells and normal human umbilical vein endothelial cells [HUVECs]). The results suggest for the first time that iron–manganese-doped sulfated zirconia nanoparticles are cytotoxic to MDA-MB231 and HepG2 cancer cells but have less toxicity to HT29 and normal cells at concentrations from 7.8 µg/mL to 500 µg/mL. The morphology of the treated cells was also studied, and the results supported those from the cytotoxicity study in that the nanoparticle-treated HepG2 and MDA-MB231 cells had more dramatic changes in cell morphology than the HT29 cells. In this manner, this study provides the first evidence that iron–manganese-doped sulfated zirconia nanoparticles should be further studied for a wide range of cancer applications without detrimental effects on healthy cell functions.Keywords: nanopartices, Lewis and Brønsted acidic sites, anticancer applications, HT29 cells, transition metal oxide

Ae Mftah,1 Fatah H Alhassan,2,3 Mothanna Sadiq Al-Qubaisi,4 Mohamed Ezzat El Zowalaty,4 Thomas J Webster,5,6 Mohammed Sh-eldin,7 Abdullah Rasedee,8 Yun Hin Taufiq-Yap,2,3 Shah Samiur Rashid1 1Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Industrial Sciences and Technology, University Malaysia Pahang, Malaysia; 2Catalysis Science and Technology Research Centre, 3Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia; 4Institute of Bioscience, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 5Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; 6Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 7Solar Energy Research Institute, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, 8Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia Abstract: Nanoparticle sulphated zirconia with Brønsted acidic sites were prepared here by an impregnation reaction followed by calcination at 600°C for 3 hours. The characterization was completed using X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunner-Emmett-Teller surface area measurements, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, the anticancer and antimicrobial effects were investigated for the first time. This study showed for the first time that the exposure of cancer cells to sulphated zirconia nanoparticles (3.9–1,000 µg/mL for 24 hours) resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth, as determined by (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assays. Similar promising results were observed for reducing bacteria functions. In this manner, this study demonstrated that sulphated zirconia nanoparticles with Brønsted acidic sites should be further studied for a wide range of anticancer and antibacterial applications. Keywords: sulphated zirconia, nanoparticles, antimicrobial, anticancer

Mothanna Sadiq Al-Qubaisi,1 Abdullah Rasedee,1,2 Moayad Husein Flaifel,3 Sahrim Hj Ahmad,3 Samer Hussein-Al-Ali,1 Mohd Zobir Hussein,4 Zulkarnain Zainal,4 Fatah H Alhassan,4 Yun H Taufiq-Yap,4 Eltayeb EM Eid,5 Ismail Adam Arbab,1 Bandar A Al-Asbahi,3 Thomas J Webster,6,7 Mohamed Ezzat El Zowalaty1,8,9 1Institute of Bioscience, 2Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 3Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 4Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia; 5College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia; 6Department of Chemical Engineering and Program in Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; 7Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 8Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt; 9Faculty of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia Abstract: The long-term objective of the present study was to determine the ability of NiZn ferrite nanoparticles to kill cancer cells. NiZn ferrite nanoparticle suspensions were found to have an average hydrodynamic diameter, polydispersity index, and zeta potential of 254.2 ± 29.8 nm, 0.524 ± 0.013, and -60 ± 14 mV, respectively. We showed that NiZn ferrite nanoparticles had selective toxicity towards MCF-7, HepG2, and HT29 cells, with a lesser effect on normal MCF 10A cells. The quantity of Bcl-2, Bax, p53, and cytochrome C in the cell lines mentioned above was determined by colorimetric methods in order to clarify the mechanism of action of NiZn ferrite nanoparticles in the killing of cancer cells. Our results indicate that NiZn ferrite nanoparticles promote apoptosis in cancer cells via caspase-3 and caspase-9, downregulation of Bcl-2, and upregulation of Bax and p53, with cytochrome C translocation. There was a concomitant collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential in these cancer cells when treated with NiZn ferrite nanoparticles. This study shows that NiZn ferrite nanoparticles induce glutathione depletion in cancer cells, which results in increased production of reactive oxygen species and eventually, death of cancer cells. Keywords: NiZn ferrite nanoparticles, cancer cells, reactive oxygen species, cytochrome C, mitochondrial membrane potential, p53

Background: PPHN is a common cause of neonatal respiratory failure and is still a serious condition and associated with high mortality., Objectives: To compare the demographic variables, clinical characteristics, and treatment outcomes in neonates with PHHN who underwent ECMO and survived compared to neonates with PHHN who underwent ECMO and died., Methods: We adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline and searched ProQuest, Medline, Embase, PubMed, CINAHL, Wiley online library, Scopus and Nature for studies on the development of PPHN in neonates who underwent ECMO, published from January 1, 2010 to May 31, 2023, with English language restriction., Results: Of the 5689 papers that were identified, 134 articles were included in the systematic review. Studies involving 1814 neonates with PPHN who were placed on ECMO were analyzed (1218 survived and 594 died). Neonates in the PPHN group who died had lower proportion of normal spontaneous vaginal delivery (6.4% vs 1.8%; p value > 0.05) and lower Apgar scores at 1 min and 5 min [i.e., low Apgar score: 1.5% vs 0.5%, moderately abnormal Apgar score: 10.3% vs 1.2% and reassuring Apgar score: 4% vs 2.3%; p value = 0.039] compared to those who survived. Neonates who had PPHN and died had higher proportion of medical comorbidities such as omphalocele (0.7% vs 4.7%), systemic hypotension (1% vs 2.5%), infection with Herpes simplex virus (0.4% vs 2.2%) or Bordetella pertussis (0.7% vs 2%); p = 0.042. Neonates with PPHN in the death group were more likely to present due to congenital diaphragmatic hernia (25.5% vs 47.3%), neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (4.2% vs 13.5%), meconium aspiration syndrome (8% vs 12.1%), pneumonia (1.6% vs 8.4%), sepsis (1.5% vs 8.2%) and alveolar capillary dysplasia with misalignment of pulmonary veins (0.1% vs 4.4%); p = 0.019. Neonates with PPHN who died needed a longer median time of mechanical ventilation (15 days, IQR 10 to 27 vs. 10 days, IQR 7 to 28; p = 0.024) and ECMO use (9.2 days, IQR 3.9 to 13.5 vs. 6 days, IQR 3 to 12.5; p = 0.033), and a shorter median duration of hospital stay (23 days, IQR 12.5 to 46 vs. 58.5 days, IQR 28.2 to 60.7; p = 0.000) compared to the neonates with PPHN who survived. ECMO-related complications such as chylothorax (1% vs 2.7%), intracranial bleeding (1.2% vs 1.7%) and catheter-related infections (0% vs 0.3%) were more frequent in the group of neonates with PPHN who died (p = 0.031)., Conclusion: ECMO in the neonates with PPHN who failed supportive cardiorespiratory care and conventional therapies has been successfully utilized with a neonatal survival rate of 67.1%. Mortality in neonates with PPHN who underwent ECMO was highest in cases born via the caesarean delivery mode or neonates who had lower Apgar scores at birth. Fatality rate in neonates with PPHN who underwent ECMO was the highest in patients with higher rate of specific medical comorbidities (omphalocele, systemic hypotension and infection with Herpes simplex virus or Bordetella pertussis) or cases who had PPHN due to higher rate of specific etiologies (congenital diaphragmatic hernia, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome and meconium aspiration syndrome). Neonates with PPHN who died may need a longer time of mechanical ventilation and ECMO use and a shorter duration of hospital stay; and may experience higher frequency of ECMO-related complications (chylothorax, intracranial bleeding and catheter-related infections) in comparison with the neonates with PPHN who survived., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Silver-doped magnesia nanoparticles (Ag/MgO) were synthesized using the precipitation method and characterized by various techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Brunner-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area measurements, and dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The morphology of Ag/MgO nanoparticles was determined by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, which revealed cuboidal shaped nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 31 to 68 nm and an average size of 43.5 ± 10.6 nm. The anticancer effects of Ag/MgO nanoparticles were evaluated on human colorectal (HT29) and lung adenocarcinoma (A549) cell lines, and their caspase-3, -8, and -9 activities, as well as Bcl-2, Bax, p53, cytochrome C protein expressions were estimated. Ag/MgO nanoparticles showed selective toxicity towards HT29 and A549 cells while remaining relatively innocuous towards the normal human colorectal, CCD-18Co, and lung, MRC-5 cells. The IC 50 values of Ag/MgO nanoparticles on the HT29 and A549 cells were found to be 90.2 ± 2.6 and 85.0 ± 3.5 μg/mL, respectively. The Ag/MgO nanoparticles upregulated caspase-3 and -9 activities, downregulated Bcl-2, upregulated Bax and p53 protein expressions in the cancer cells. The morphology of the Ag/MgO nanoparticle treated HT29 and A549 cells was typical of apoptosis, with cell detachment, shrinkage, and membrane blebbing. The results suggest that Ag/MgO nanoparticles induce apoptosis in cancer cells and exhibit potential as a promising anticancer agent., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

In this study, we formulated Thymoquinone-loaded nanocomposites (TQ-NCs) using high-pressure homogenizer without sodium tripolyphosphate. The TQ-NCs were characterized and their anti-inflammatory determined by the response of the LPS-stimulated macrophage RAW 264.7 cells in the production of nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1β. The physicochemical properties of TQ-NC were determined using different machines. TQ was fully incorporated in the highly thermal stable nanoparticles. The nanoparticles showed rapid release of TQ in the acidic medium of the gastric juice. In medium of pH 6.8, TQ-NC exhibited sustained release of TQ over a period of 100 h. The results suggest that TQ-NC nanoparticles have potential application as parenterally administered therapeutic compound. TQ-NC effectively reduce production of inflammatory cytokines by the LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, indicating that they have anti-inflammatory properties. In conclusion, TQ-NC nanoparticles have the characteristics of efficient carrier for TQ and an effective anti-inflammatory therapeutic compound., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Thymoquinone is an effective phytochemical compound in the treatment of various diseases. However, its practical administration has been limited due to poor aqueous solubility and bioavailability. In this work, we developed a novel inclusion complex of thymoquinone and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin that features improved solubility and bioactivity. The drug solubility was markedly accelerated in the increasing ratio of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin to thymoquinone amount. The formation of the thymoquinone/hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex was evidenced using X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. The release behavior of the complex, as well as of their mixtures, was examined in artificial gastric (pH 1.2) and intestinal (pH 6.8) dissolution media. The formulated complex released the drug rapidly at the initial stage, followed by a slow release. Thermodynamic parameters ΔH, ΔS and ΔG were calculated with temperatures ranging from 20 to 45 °C to evaluate the complexation process. The activity of the inclusion complex was evaluated on IgE-mediated allergic response in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells by monitoring key allergic mediators. The results revealed that compared with free thymoquinone, the inclusion complex more strongly inhibited the release of histamine, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-4, and was not cytotoxic at the tested thymoquinone concentrations (0.125-4 μg/mL) indicating the inclusion complex possibly had better antiallergic effects. Our finding suggested that the inclusion complex achieved prolonged action and reduced side-effect of thymoquinone., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The solid acid Ferric-manganese doped tungstated/molybdena nananoparticle catalyst was prepared via impregnation reaction followed by calcination at 600°C for 3 h. The characterization was done using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), temperature programmed desorption of NH3 (TPD-NH3), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Brunner-Emmett-Teller surface area measurement (BET). Moreover, dependence of biodiesel yield on the reaction variables such as the reaction temperature, catalyst loading, as well as molar ratio of methanol/oil and reusability were also appraised. The catalyst was reused six times without any loss in activity with maximum yield of 92.3% ±1.12 achieved in the optimized conditions of reaction temperature of 200°C; stirring speed of 600 rpm, 1:25 molar ratio of oil to alcohol, 6 % w/w catalyst loading as well as 8 h as time of the reaction. The fuel properties of WCOME's were evaluated, including the density, kinematic viscosity, pour point, cloud point and flash point whereas all properties were compared with the limits in the ASTM D6751 standard.

The utilization of ferric-manganese promoted molybdenum oxide/zirconia (Fe-Mn- MoO3/ZrO2) (FMMZ) solid acid catalyst for production of biodiesel was demonstrated. FMMZ is produced through impregnation reaction followed by calcination at 600°C for 3 h. The characterization of FMMZ had been done using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), temperature programmed desorption of NH3 (TPD-NH3), transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and Brunner-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area measurement. The effect of waste cooking oil methyl esters (WCOME's) yield on the reactions variables such as reaction temperature, catalyst loading, molar ratio of methanol/oil and reusability were also assessed. The catalyst was used to convert the waste cooking oil into corresponding methyl esters (95.6%±0.15) within 5 h at 200℃ reaction temperature, 600 rpm stirring speed, 1:25 molar ratio of oil to alcohol and 4% w/w catalyst loading. The reported catalyst was successfully recycled in six connective experiments without loss in activity. Moreover, the fuel properties of WCOME's were also reported using ASTM D 6751 methods.