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Diabetic foot ulcers are imperfections in the process of wound healing due to hyperglycemic conditions. Here, a nanoemulgel fabricated with oregano essential oil nanoemulsion, assisted by low-level laser therapy, was investigated for its efficacy in diabetic wound healing. A hydrogel- based healing patch, fabricated using biological polymers namely chitosan and gelatin and, polyvinyl pyrollidone. The hydrogel was reinforced with cellulose nanofibrils for enhanced stability and barrier properties. Nanoemulsion of oregano essential oil, with an average particle size of 293.7 ± 8.3 nm, was prepared via homogenization with chitosan as the coating agent. Nanoemulsion impregnated hydrogel, termed as the nanoemulgel, was assessed for its physio-mechanical properties and healing efficiency. The strong linkages in nanoemulgel demonstrated its large swelling capacity, high mechanical strength, and maximum thermal stability. The optimized conditions for low-level laser therapy using 808 nm were 1 W. cm

Functionalized nanoparticles (NPs) have become part of almost all the nano-based products. Meantime the increased production and use of functionalized NPs has raised the anxiety due to their possible risks to human, animals, and environment. This chapter demonstrated the need of functionalized nanomaterials and their prospective applications in various sectors as well as their potential implication on human and environment. Also, life cycle of functionalized NPs from production stage to end life and route of exposure into the environment were discussed. Furthermore, the importance of life cycle assessment was briefly described, so that the negative impacts of functionalized NPs on the environment and professional exposure can be minimized.

Nanotechnology has been a boon to the field of science which is in search of materials that emerge out to be multifunctional and advantageous to both human and ecosystem. Nanosystems, materials with nanoscale particles, are optimistically utilized for innumerable purposes in various industries including food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and electronics and also find their applications in environment for detection, remediation, purification, and wastewater treatment. Perhaps nanoparticles are in recent times used up as smart materials by adding chemicals or biomolecules to produce functionalized nanomaterials (FNMs). These next-generation nanomaterials have carved their own niche in the sectors of public health and environment with enhanced properties and characteristics via surface modification. In this chapter, functionalization of nanomaterials and their use in the environmental applications are largely discussed. Although FNMs are considered to be positively approaching the ecosystem, the elimination and subsequent toxicity are major challenges. The limitations of using FNMs and the ways to mitigate harm are also detailed in this chapter along with the scope of their utility in the near future.

Nanotechnology is an imperative and fast growing scientific field with the lot of practical applicable features in all sectors. At the same time there are numerous questions regarding the unintended impacts of nanoparticles (NPs) on the health and ecosystem. Owing to the new properties of NPs there are also fresh potential threats connected with these materials. Nanothreat is an important factor to be considered because its chronic consequences are still mostly unidentified, specifically in regards to human health. If threats are measured in time, the retroactive costs of recognizing main impacts in health, safety, and environment (HSE) and latent responsibility costs in case of damages can be minimized. Moreover, the nanotechnology has raised many ethical questions and lack of transparency of information on their production process and bioavailability. Therefore, it is vital to guarantee an ample legal response in order to defend users of nanotechnology. Many countries have already been involved in examining the regulatory frameworks to use nanoparticles (NPs) and different move have been taken in regulating nano-based products in several sectors including agricultural, food, medicine and so on. This chapter presents on overview of necessity of modern nanopolicy and regulations for commercial applications of nanomaterials. In addition, negative and positive impacts of NPs and different nanoregulations and guidance actively implemented by different countries around the world were also discussed.

The study aims to prepare e-polylysine/chitosan nanofibers inhibiting Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis on chicken. The physicochemical properties of nanofibers were characterized using SEM, AFM, FT-IR and UV–vis spectroscopy. The application of e-polylysine /chitosan nanofibers on chicken against Salmonella was evaluated. The number of Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis in control groups at 25 °C reached 8.21 Log CFU/g and 8.37 Log CFU/g respectively, while the number of Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis in e-PL/chitosan nanofibers groups decreased to 5.03 Log CFU/g and 5.25 Log CFU/g, which demonstrated that the e-polylysine /chitosan nanofibers were successful in inhibiting Salmonella on chicken. Sensory evaluation indicated that the nanofibers maintained the color and flavor of the chicken. In conclusion, the study showed that the e-polylysine /chitosan nanofibers could significantly behave as potent antibacterial material in food packaging and preservation systems thereby increasing the shelf life and maintaining the quality of the packed food.

Highlights • The AgNP was successfully synthesised from soil isolated bacterium Bacillus subtilis. • The synthesised AgNPs were confirmed by UV-Spec, FTIR, TEM and XRD. • The AgNPs were successfully treated microalga to disrupt its cell wall to release lipids and carbohydrates. • The cell wall damages evidenced by LDH assay and SEM., Microalgae are the fledging feedstocks yielding raw materials for the production of third generation biofuel. Assorted and conventional cell wall disruption techniques were helpful in extracting lipids and carbohydrates, nevertheless the disadvantages have led the biotechnologists to explore new process to lyse cell wall in a faster and an economical manner. Silver nanoparticles have the ability to break the cell wall of microalgae and release biomolecules effectively. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles was performed using a novel bacterial isolate of Bacillus subtilis. Characterisation of nanosilver and its effect on cell wall lysis of microalgae were extensively analysed. Cell wall damage was confirmed by lactate dehydrogenase assay and visually by SEM analysis. This first piece of research work on direct use of nanoparticles for cell wall lysis would potentially be advantageous over its conventional approaches and a greener, cost effective and non laborious method for the production of biodiesel.

The present study aimed at directly producing biodiesel using oil extracted from wet cells of marine microalga, Chlorella salina . The protocol involved cellulase for oil extraction and lipase for oil conversion to FAME during interesterification immobilised on magnetic nanoparticles. Anaerobically synthesized magnetic nanoparticles were characterized using TEM and XRD Spectroscopy. Studies were also carried out to learn the effect of immobilised enzymes on their respective operations and water content for FAME synthesis. The investigation showed that 2 g of each immobilised enzyme- cellulase and lipase was found to be optimum for oil extraction and FAME conversion respectively and 60% water was required for biodiesel production. A maximum yield was observed as 93.56% under optimised conditions along with standard parameters. Experiment on stability and re-utilization of immobilised materials revealed that they remained intact without any loss in their functions even after 10 cycles of repeated usage. The overall study represented that it is a rapid and economical prospect for producing biodiesel commercially in a greener way causing negligible harm to ecosystem.

In the recent scenario, consumption of petroleum fuels has increased to greater height which has led to deforestation and decline in fossil fuels. In order to tackle the perilous situation, alternative fuel has to be generated. Biofuels play a vital role in substituting the diesel fuels as they are renewable and ecofriendly. Biodiesel, often referred to as green fuel, could be a potential replacement as it could be synthesized from varied substrates, advantageous being the microalgae in several ways. The present investigation was dealt with the interesterification of waste cooking oil using immobilised lipase from mixed cultures for biodiesel production. In order to standardize the production for a scale up process, the parameters necessary for interesterification had been optimized using the statistical tool, Central Composite Design - Response Surface Methodology. The optimal conditions required to generate biodiesel were 2 g enzyme load, 1:12 oil to methyl acetate ratio, 60 h reaction time and 35 °C temperature, yielding a maximum of 93.61% biodiesel. The immobilised lipase beads remain stable without any changes in their function and structure even after 20 cycles which made this study, less cost intensive. In conclusion, the study revealed that the cooking oil, a residue of many dining centers, left as waste product, can be used as a potential raw material for the production of ecofriendly and cost effective biofuel, the biodiesel.

In this study, enzymatic interesterification is carried out using encapsulated lipase as biocatalyst with methyl acetate as acyl acceptor in a solvent free system. Lipase, isolated from a marine bacterial isolate. Bacillus sp.S23 (KF220659.1) was immobilized in a sodium alginate beads. This investigation elaborated on the effects of various parameters namely enzyme loading, temperature, water, molar ratio, reaction time and agitation for interesterification. The study resulted in the following optimal conditions- 1.5 g immobilised lipase, 1:12 molar ratio of oil to methyl acetate, 35 °C, 8 % water, 60 h reaction time, 250 rpm of agitation. With the standardized condition, the maximum conversion efficiency was 95.68%. The immobilized beads, even after 10 cycles of repeated usage showed high stability in the presence of methyl acetate and no loss of lipase activity. The microalgal biodiesel composition was analysed by Gas Chromatography. The current study was efficient in using immobilized lipase for interesterification process, as the method turned to be cost effective and ecofriendly, no solvent was involved and enzyme being encapsulated in a natural polymer.