Anticoagulants prevent the blood from developing the coagulation process, which is the primary cause of death in thromboembolic illnesses. Phenindione (PID) is a well-known anticoagulant that is rarely employed because it totally prevents coagulation, which can be a life-threatening complication. The goal of the current study is to synthesize drug-loaded Ag NPs to slow down the coagulation process. Methods: A rapid synthesis and stabilization of silver nanoparticles as drug-delivery systems for phenindione (PID) were applied for the first time. Results: Several methods are used to determine the size of the resulting Ag NPs. Additionally, the drug-release capabilities of Ag NPs were established. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed for the first time to indicate the nature of the interaction between PID and nanostructures. DFT findings supported that galactose-loaded nanostructure could be a proper delivery system for phenindione. The drug-loaded Ag NPs were characterized in vitro for their antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and anticoagulant activities, and ex vivo for spasmolytic activity. The obtained data confirmed the drug-release experiments. Drug-loaded Ag NPs showed that prothrombin time (PT, sec) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT, sec) are approximately 1.5 times longer than the normal values, while PID itself stopped coagulation at all. This can make the PID-loaded Ag NPs better therapeutic anticoagulants. PID was compared to PID-loaded Ag NPs in antimicrobial, spasmolytic activity, and cytotoxicity. All the experiments confirmed the drug-release results.

Chronic, multifactorial illnesses of the gastrointestinal tract include inflammatory bowel diseases. One of the greatest methods for regulated medicine administration in a particular region of inflammation is the nanoparticle system. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have been utilized as drug delivery systems in the pharmaceutical industry. The goal of the current study is to synthesize drug-loaded Ag NPs using a previously described 3-methyl-1-phenylbutan-2-amine, as a mebeverine precursor (MP). Methods: A green, galactose-assisted method for the rapid synthesis and stabilization of Ag NPs as a drug-delivery system is presented. Galactose was used as a reducing and capping agent forming a thin layer encasing the nanoparticles. Results: The structure, size distribution, zeta potential, surface charge, and the role of the capping agent of drug-loaded Ag NPs were discussed. The drug release of the MP-loaded Ag NPs was also investigated. The Ag NPs indicated a very good drug release between 80 and 85%. Based on the preliminary results, Ag NPs might be a promising medication delivery system for MP and a useful treatment option for inflammatory bowel disease. Therefore, future research into the potential medical applications of the produced Ag NPs is necessary.

For the first time, a macrophyte-based assessment of ecological status was related to the accumulated heavy metals and trace elements (Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) in aquatic plants. Three moss and two vascular plant species were applied as biomonitors: Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw., Leptodictyum riparium (Hedw.) Warnst., Platyhypnidium riparioides (Hedw.) Dixon, invasive Elodea canadensis Michx., and Myriophyllum spicatum L. Three streams were assessed as good at a high ecological status which correlated with low contamination based on calculated contamination factors (CFs) and metal pollution index (MPI). Two sites evaluated in moderate ecological status were revealed to be in heavy trace element contamination. The most significant was the accumulation of moss samples from the Chepelarska River under mining impact. Mercury exceeded the environmental quality standard (EQS) for biota in three of the studied upland river sites.

The factors influencing the signal noise and its contribution to the uncertainty of a single AgNP size in spICP-MS were investigated. The possibility of the reproducible delivery of Ag masses (0.045–5.4 fg) corresponding to nanoparticles with pre-selected diameters (20–100 nm) by time segmentation when introducing homogeneous ionic standards is experimentally proven. The calculation of ionic standard concentration ensuring the delivery of desired Ag mass within a certain dwell time (t_d) and the dilution factor of nanocolloid samples was done by the developed theoretical model. The behavior of the time-segmented signals was studied for five different Ag masses measured within four t_d in the interval of 3–10 ms. The results show that both the sensitivity and the reproducibility of the signals are independent of the selected t_d. The hypothesis of dispersion homogeneity was verified by Bartlett's test and in all cases, the calculated values of the Bartlett criterion (B_exp) were much lower than B_crit, which prove that signal noise depends only on the Ag mass and can be used as a reliable estimate of the contribution of ionization in plasma and ion flux transport to uncertainty. The correspondence of both calibrations by ionic standards and AgNPs RM confirm that the signals are comparable, regardless of whether Ag is introduced via ionic solutions or directly as nanoparticles. The combined uncertainty (RSD_c%) was calculated for Ag masses consistent to the size of nanoparticles, and the contribution of different quantities was evaluated. The AgNPs' diameter confidence intervals (1σ, P = 68%) were calculated. Two main trends were observed: (i) with decreasing size, U_c increased and (ii) due to the cubic relationship between the mass and diameter of NPs, the two half-intervals became asymmetric. The approach was used for the calculation of the size U_c of AgCl, AgI, Ag₂O, and Ag₂S nanoparticles, which are of ecological interest, but no reference materials are available. The average uncertainty interval depends on the physical properties of the nanoparticles and varies between 3.4 nm and 5.5 nm for Ag and AgI, respectively. This allows the experimental evaluation of the spICP-MS size resolution and to propose a criterion for the cluster dimension when size distribution is obtained. The method was applied for the analysis of AgNPs in a commercial pharmaceutical product. The suggested approach for calculating the uncertainty in the diameters is flexible and can be applied to different types of nanoparticles.

Cosmetic products are widely used today and are often associated with a healthy lifestyle. However, their widespread application and the presence of potentially toxic substances have raised increasing concerns regarding their impact on human health. Among these substances, metals are particularly hazardous due to their ability to penetrate the skin and cause adverse health effects, even at very low concentrations. Therefore, the development of novel and reliable methodologies for the determination of trace metals in cosmetics is of great importance for ensuring product safety. A new analytical method based on a magnetic eutectic mixture (MEM) ultrasound-assisted emulsification-micro-extraction (USAEME) followed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) for trace metals in cosmetics has been developed. The extraction procedure was optimized using a multivariate approach. The method was evaluated under optimized extraction conditions (i.e., sample mass, 11 g; MEM volume, 59 μL; extraction time, 3 min and ultrasound as dispersive mode). Limits of detection from 0.05 to 5.4 μg kg^-1 were obtained, and the repeatability was evaluated at two different levels (i.e., 75 and 300 μg kg^-1), resulting in relative standard deviations below 5 % (n = 5). Enhanced sensitivity was achieved, with enrichment factors ranging from 15 to 67 compared to direct ICP OES analysis. The method applicability was assessed through recovery studies using two real essential oil samples (i.e., Pelargonium graveolens and lavender) used in cosmetic manufacture. The recovery values obtained ranged between 94 and 116 % for all the elements. A novel, rapid, sensitive, and environmentally sustainable method was developed for the simultaneous determination of Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn in essential oil samples using ICP OES. The methodology incorporated a preconcentration step via USAEME employing a new designed Co-based MEM (i.e., cobalt (II) chloride hexahydrated:ethylene glycol, 1:2).