The increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance alongside the pharmacological limitations and adverse effects associated with conventional antibiotics necessitates the development of novel and efficacious antimicrobial agents. In this study, magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONPs) were synthesized via a chemical co-precipitation method. Activated carbon (AC) derived from Hibiscus esculentus (HE) fruit was coated onto the nanoparticle surfaces to fabricate MIONPs/HEAC nanocomposites. To augment their antimicrobial properties, silver ions were chemically reduced and deposited onto the MIONPs/HEAC surface, yielding MIONPs/HEAC@Ag nanocomposites. Comprehensive characterization of the synthesized nanocomposites was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential analysis. DLS measurements indicated average particle sizes of approximately 122 nm and 164 nm for MIONPs/HEAC and MIONPs/HEAC@Ag, respectively. Saturation magnetization values were determined to be 73.6 emu/g for MIONPs and 65.5 emu/g for MIONPs/HEAC. Antibacterial assays demonstrated that MIONPs/HEAC@Ag exhibited significant inhibitory effects against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, with inhibition zone diameters of 11.50 mm and 13.00 mm, respectively. In contrast, uncoated MIONPs/HEAC showed negligible antibacterial activity against both bacterial strains. These findings indicate that MIONPs/HEAC@Ag nanocomposites possess considerable potential as antimicrobial agents for biomedical applications, particularly in addressing infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The rise of antimicrobial resistance due to the indiscriminate use of antibiotics has become a global health crisis, contributing to millions of deaths each year. Given the limitations and side effects associated with current antibiotics, there is an urgent need to develop alternative antimicrobial agents that are both safe and effective. In this study, magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONPs) were synthesized via a chemical co-precipitation technique involving the simultaneous precipitation of Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions in an alkaline medium and supported on activated carbon (AC) derived from Hibiscus esculentus (HE) fruits, resulting in the formation of MIONPs/HEAC nanocomposites. To enhance their antimicrobial activity, these nanocomposites were further modified with a silver coating via the chemical reduction of silver ions using sodium borohydride, producing MIONPs/HEAC@Ag. The structure and properties of the nanoparticles were analyzed using various techniques. SEM and EDX were used to observe morphology and elemental makeup. DLS and zeta potential measured the size and surface charge. FTIR identified functional groups, and XRD determined crystallinity. The antibacterial activity of MIONPs/HEAC and MIONPs/HEAC@Ag was evaluated against bacterial strains of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The uncoated MIONPs/HEAC showed no antibacterial effect, whereas the MIONPs/HEAC@Ag exhibited significant antibacterial activity, with inhibition zones measuring 11.50 mm for E. coli and 13.00 mm for S. aureus. These results highlight the potential of MIONPs/HEAC@Ag nanocomposites as promising candidates for biomedical applications, particularly in addressing infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Magnesium has numerous important functions in human metabolism. Low magnesium level is a common finding in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) but the causes have not been sufficiently investigated. Smoking is associated with major health problem but the link between magnesium and smoking has been little investigated. This study aimed to compare smokers and nonsmokers in terms of magnesium data, to compare hypomagnesemics and normomagnesemics in terms of smoking data, and to investigate the correlation between data related to magnesium and smoking in T2DM. In this study, a total of 100 male patients with T2DM were investigated. Smokers (n = 35) and nonsmokers (n = 65) were compared in terms of serum magnesium level and magnesium depletion score. Hypomagnesemics (n = 23) and normomagnesemics (n = 77) were compared in terms of smoking intensity, smoking duration, and smoking pack-year. Correlation analysis was performed between data related to magnesium and smoking in T2DM. Statistical results showed that there was no significant difference between smokers and nonsmokers in terms of serum magnesium level ( P = .822) and magnesium depletion score ( P = .522). There was no significant difference between hypomagnesemics and normomagnesemics in terms of smoking intensity ( P = .918), smoking duration ( P = .923), and smoking pack-year ( P = .908). No significant correlation was found between mentioned parameters related to magnesium and smoking data ( P > .05). The present analysis did not support a significant association between smoking and serum magnesium in T2DM. The literature evaluating the relationship between these 2 conditions is limited. Our findings suggest smoking is not an independent determinant of hypomagnesemia in T2DM, contrary to prior reports in healthy populations.

Objective: Increased NT-proBNP level is a diagnostic sign for heart failure and is associated with cardiovascular mortality. It is related to chronic kidney disease (CKD) in also cases without heart failure. In this study, the authors aimed to investigate NT-proBNP levels in CKD cases with and without diabetes, echocardiographic abnormality, and hypertension. Methods: Sixty-four cases (26 diabetic and 38 non-diabetic) with stage 3-4 CKD were investigated in the study. Blood pressure values were measured on the right arm after resting for at least 5 minutes. M-mode two-dimensional echocardiography device and ultrasonography were used to evaluate cardiac and renal findings. Blood samples were taken for biochemical, hematological, hormonal and serological parameters of the patients after 12 hours of fasting. Nt-proBNP levels were measured by Elecys ProBNP sandwich immunoassay method in the Biochemistry laboratory. Results: NT-proBNP levels were not statistically different according to the presence and absence of diabetes (p=0.821) in CKD cases. However, stage-4 CKD had significantly higher NT-proBNP level than stage-3 CKD in both diabetic (p

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is an effective and widely used renal replacement therapy that can be applied long-term in individuals with end-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) [1]. Compared with in-cen...