Bionanotechnology is the combination of biotechnology and nanotechnology for the development of biosynthetic and environmentally friendly nanomaterial synthesis technology. The presented research work adopted a reliable and environmentally sustainable approach to manufacturing silver nanoparticles from Brachychiton populneus (BP-AgNPs) leaf extract in aqueous medium. The Brachychiton populneus-derived silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). In addition, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and cytotoxic activities of AgNPs were brought to light. The synthesis of BP-AgNPs was verified at 453 nm wavelength by UV–Vis spectrum. FTIR analysis revealed that synthesis, stability, and capping of AgNPs depend on functional groups such as alkane, alkene, nitro, flouro, phenol, alcoholic, and flavones, present in plant extract. The SEM analysis revealed evenly distributed cubical-shaped nanoparticles. The average diameter of AgNPs was 12 nm calculated from SEM image through ImageJ software. EDX spectrum confirmed the presence of Ag at 3 keV and other trace elements such as oxygen and chlorine. The biosynthesized silver nanoparticles exhibited proven antioxidant (DPPH assay), antidiabetic (alpha amylase assay), anti-inflammatory (albumin denaturation assay), and cytotoxic (MTT assay) potential against U87 and HEK293 cell lines in comparison to standard drugs. In these assays, BP-AgNPs exhibited inhibition in a concentration-dependent manner and had lower IC₅₀ values compared to standards. All these outcomes suggest that silver nanoparticles work as a beneficial biological agent. The salient features of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles propose their effective applications in the biomedical domain in the future.

Temozolomide (TMZ), the first-line chemotherapeutic drug against glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), often fails to provide the desired clinical outcomes due to inflammation-induced resistance amid inefficient drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The current study utilized solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNPs) for targeted delivery of TMZ against GBM. After successful formulation and characterization of SLNPs and conjugation with TMZ (SLNP-TMZ), their in-vitro anti-cancer efficacy and effect on the migratory potential of cancer cells were evaluated using temozolomide-sensitive (U87-S) as well as TMZ-resistant (U87-R) glioma cell lines. Elevated cytotoxicity and reduction in cell migration in both cell lines were observed with SLNP-TMZ as compared to the free drug (p < 0.05). Similar results were obtained in-vivo using an orthotopic xenograft mouse model (XM-S and XM-R), where a reduction in tumor size was observed with SLNP-TMZ treatment compared to TMZ. Concomitantly, higher concentrations of the drug were found in brain tissue resections of mice treated with SLNP-TMZ as compared to other vital organs than mice treated with free TMZ. Expression of inflammatory markers (Interleukin-1β, Interleukin-6 and Tumor Necrosis factor-α) in a resistant cell line (U87-R) and its respective mouse model (XM-R) were also found to be significantly elevated as compared to the sensitive U87-S cell line and its respective mouse model (XM-S). Thus, the in-vitro and in-vivo results of the study strongly support the potential application of SLNP-TMZ for TMZ-sensitive and resistant GBM therapy, indicatively through inflammatory mechanisms, and thus merit further detailed insights

Bis-acyl-thiourea derivatives, namely N,N’-(((4-nitro-1,2-phenylene)bis(azanediyl)) bis(carbonothioyl))bis(2,4-dichlorobenzamide) (UP-1), N,N’-(((4-nitro-1,2-phenylene) bis(azanediyl))bis(carbonothioyl))diheptanamide (UP-2), and N,N’-(((4-nitro-1,2-phenylene)bis(azanediyl))bis(carbonothioyl))dibutannamide (UP-3), were synthesized in two steps. The structural characterization of the derivatives was carried out by FTIR, ¹H-NMR, and ¹³C-NMR, and then their DNA binding, anti-urease, and anticancer activities were explored. Both theoretical and experimental results, as obtained by density functional theory, molecular docking, UV-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence (Flu-)spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and viscometry, pointed towards compounds’ interactions with DNA. However, the values of binding constant (K_b), binding site size (n), and negative Gibbs free energy change (ΔG) (as evaluated by docking, UV-vis, Flu-, and CV) indicated that all the derivatives exhibited binding interactions with the DNA in the order UP-3 > UP-2 > UP-1. The experimental findings from spectral and electrochemical analysis complemented each other and supported the theoretical analysis. The lower diffusion coefficient (D_o) values, as obtained from CV responses of each compound after DNA addition at various scan rates, further confirmed the formation of a bulky compound–DNA complex that caused slow diffusion. The mixed binding mode of interaction as seen in docking was further verified by changes in DNA viscosity with varying compound concentrations. All compounds showed strong anti-urease activity, whereas UP-1 was found to have comparatively better inhibitory efficiency, with an IC₅₀ value of 1.55 ± 0.0288 µM. The dose-dependent cytotoxicity of the synthesized derivatives against glioblastoma MG-U87 cells (a human brain cancer cell line) followed by HEK-293 cells (a normal human embryonic kidney cell line) indicated that UP-1 and UP-3 have greater cytotoxicity against both cancerous and healthy cell lines at 400 µM. However, dose-dependent responses of UP-2 showed cytotoxicity against cancerous cells, while it showed no cytotoxicity on the healthy cell line at a low concentration range of 40–120 µM.

Insulin resistance has been intricately linked to impaired Akt signaling due to the hyperactivation of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). Specifically, the regulatory subunit PPP2R5B plays a crucial role in this dysregulation, making it a promising therapeutic target. This study aimed to identify novel curcumin-derived phytochemicals capable of inhibiting PPP2R5B and improving insulin sensitivity. Initially, approximately 85 curcumin-related compounds were retrieved from the PubChem database and subjected to extensive virtual screening via molecular docking. Among these, curcumin-bicyclopentadione emerged as the lead candidate, exhibiting the strongest binding affinity (− 9.2 kcal mol⁻¹) due to its extensive interactions with key residues ARG64, GLN439, and ARG385. Further MD simulations confirmed their robust binding stability, highlighting sustained hydrogen bonds and minimal structural fluctuations. Pharmacokinetic analyses using DeepPK profiling predicted favorable ADMET properties, including minimal toxicity, no significant cytochrome P450 inhibition, and negligible cardiotoxicity risks. These computational predictions suggest that curcumin-bicyclopentadione and closely related derivatives could effectively inhibit PPP2R5B activity, thereby restoring Akt phosphorylation and insulin-mediated glucose uptake. While promising, these findings necessitate subsequent validation through rigorous experimental assays. The integration of computational and experimental methodologies may ultimately facilitate the development of novel curcumin-based interventions for insulin resistance and associated metabolic disorders, expanding the therapeutic utility of phytochemicals in metabolic disease management.