In the present study, we demonstrate magnetic iron (III) oxide nanoparticles (Fe₂O₃ NPs) uptake by the Solanum lycopersicum (S. lycopersicum) plant. The S. lycopersicum seeds were coated with Fe₂O₃ NPs and allowed to germinate in moistened sand bed. The seedlings are observed for 20 days, and then, it was post-treated using different amounts of Fe₂O₃ NPs in hydroponic solution for 10 days. The plant was allowed to grow in green house for 3 months, and uptake of NPs through roots and translocation into different parts was studied. For this, we have segmented the plants and incubated with 10 % NaOH solution. It is found that the NPs are deposited preferentially in root hairs, root tips followed by nodal and middle zone of plant. The iron present in the whole plant was quantitatively estimated by treating dry biomass of the plant in acid. The Fe²⁺/Fe_total increased with increasing concentration of NPs and >45 % ferrous iron suggests the biomineralization of NPs due to rich phytochemicals in plants. We believe that the present study is useful to build a base line data for novel applications in agri-nanotechnology.

Diabetes is a major chronic metabolic disorder globally and around of 285 million people are affected by the disease and the number is expected to double in the next two decades. The major focus of anti-diabetic therapies is to enhance insulin production, sensitivity and/or reduce the blood glucose level. Although several synthetic drugs have been developed as antidiabetic agents but their utility has been hampered due to their side effects and poor efficacy. In this scenario, research on natural products has been gained importance due their safety profile in toxicity studies. Terpenoids belong to an important class of natural products and several terpenoids have been reported as antidiabetic agents. Some of them are under various stages of pre-clinical and clinical evaluation to develop them as antidiabetic agents. These agents can inhibit enzymes responsible for the development of insulin resistance, normalization of plasma glucose and insulin levels and glucose metabolism. Triterpenes can act as promising agents in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy or in impaired wound healing by inhibiting several pathways involved in the diabetes and associated complications. However, efforts in understanding the biological actions and clinical studies involving the applications of triterpenes in treating diabetes are very limited. Hence, special attention is imperative to explore the therapeutic potential of these compounds and provide new information to the scientific community. This review aims to provide the recent advances in triterpenes chemistry, its derivatives, biological interventions and its therapeutic applications with special emphasis on diabetes and its associated disorders.