Development of nanoparticles (NPs) as a part of cancer therapeutics has given rise to a new field of research – cancer nanomedicine. In comparison to traditional anti-cancer drugs, NPs provide a targeted approach which prevents undesirable effects. In this communication, we have reviewed the role of gold and silver NPs (AgNPs) in the cancer nanomedicine. The preparation of gold NPs (AuNPs) and AgNPs can be grouped into three categories – physical, chemical and biological. Among the three approaches, the biological approach is growing and receiving more attention due to its safe and effective production. In this review, we have discussed important methods for synthesis of gold and AgNPs followed by techniques employed in characterization of their physicochemical properties, such as UV–visible spectroscopy, electron microscopy (TEM and SEM) and size and surface analysis (DLS). The mechanism of formation of these NPs in an aqueous medium through various stages – reduction, nucleation and growth has also been reviewed briefly. Finally, we conclude our review with the application of these NPs as anti-cancer agents and numerous mechanisms by which they render cancer cell toxicity.

This review discusses total syntheses of pyrrole-containing natural products over the last ten years, highlighting recent advances in the chemistry of pyrroles in the context of their innate reactivity, and their preparation in complex settings.

The current outbreak of a novel coronavirus, named as SARS-CoV-2 causing COVID-19 occurred in 2019, is in dire need of finding potential therapeutic agents. Recently, ongoing viral epidemic due to coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) primarily affected mainland China that now threatened to spread to populations in most countries of the world. In spite of this, there is currently no antiviral drug/ vaccine available against coronavirus infection, COVID-19. In the present study, computer-aided drug design-based screening to find out promising inhibitors against the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) leads to infection, COVID-19. The lead therapeutic molecule was investigated through docking and molecular dynamics simulations. In this, binding affinity of noscapines(23B)-protease of SARS-CoV-2 complex was evaluated through MD simulations at different temperatures. Our research group has established that noscapine is a chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of drug resistant cancers; however, noscapine was also being used as anti-malarial, anti-stroke and cough-suppressant. This study suggests for the first time that noscapine exerts its antiviral effects by inhibiting viral protein synthesis. Graphical Abstract Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

It would be of great significance to introduce a new biocompatible Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH) for the efficient remediation of wastewater. Herein, we designed a facile, biocompatible and environmental friendly layered double hydroxide (LDH) of NiFeTi for the very first time by the hydrothermal route. The materialization of NiFeTi LDH was confirmed by FTIR, XRD and Raman studies. BET results revealed the high surface area (106 m²/g) and the morphological studies (FESEM and TEM) portrayed the sheets-like structure of NiFeTi nanoparticles. The material so obtained was employed as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of organic dyes from synthetic waste water. The dye removal study showed >96% efficiency for the removal of methyl orange, congo red, methyl blue and orange G, which revealed the superiority of material for decontamination of waste water. The maximum removal (90%) of dyes was attained within 2 min of initiation of the adsorption process which supported the ultrafast removal efficiency. This ultrafast removal efficiency was attributed to high surface area and large concentration of -OH and CO₃²⁻ groups present in NiFeTi LDH. In addition, the reusability was also performed up to three cycles with 96, 90 and 88% efficiency for methyl orange. Furthermore, the biocompatibility test on MHS cell lines were also carried which revealed the non-toxic nature of NiFeTi LDH at lower concentration (100% cell viability at 15.6 μg/ml). Overall, we offer a facile surfactant free method for the synthesis of NiFeTi LDH which is efficient for decontamination of anionic dyes from water and also non-toxic.

In this study, a hydrothermal route was used to design a novel NiAlTi layered double hydroxide. The material so-obtained was characterized using various physiochemical techniques such as X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis for structural analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy for morphological analysis, and so on. The material so-obtained was further applied for wastewater remediation and was found to be an efficient, cost-effective, and reusable adsorbent. Organic contaminants such as dyes and antibiotics were used as pollutants to carry out the removal study. NiAlTi LDH was found to be an excellent adsorbent for the removal of anionic dyes and antibiotics. Excellent performance was shown by NiAlTi LDH at a broad pH range from 4 to 10 for anionic dyes (orange II and methyl orange), but tetracycline removal was predominantly maximum at pH = 9. Further, the kinetic studies also revealed that the adsorption process of both organic contaminants obeyed a pseudo-second-order model. In addition, the Langmuir isotherm adsorption model fitted the experimental results for both types of pollutants very well. The attained maximum adsorption capacity was superb for both organic dyes and antibiotics (1250 mg/g for MO, 2000 mg/g for OII, and 238.09 mg/g for TC). NiAlTi LDH was also capable of simultaneous elimination from a mixture of antibiotics and dyes. Further, NiAlTi LDH also showed outstanding stability and reusability, making it one of the most promising materials for large-scale wastewater remediation contaminated by dyes and antibiotics.