Acute lung injury (ALI) is a severe respiratory disease accompanied by diffuse inflammatory responses induced by various clinical causes. Many fresh medicinal plants have shown better efficacy than their dried forms in preventing and treating diseases like inflammation. As a classical Chinese herb, platycodon grandiflorum (PG) has been demonstrated effective in treating pneumonia, but most of previous studies focused on the efficacy of processed or dried PG formats, while the specific benefits of its fresh form are still underexplored. Exosome-like nanoparticles derived from medicinal plants are expected to point out an important direction for exploring the material basis and mechanism of this fresh herbal medicine. The fresh form of PG could effectively improve ALI induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), relieve lung histopathological injury and weight loss, and reduce levels of inflammatory factors in mice, exhibiting better efficacy than dried PG in the treatment of ALI. Further extraction and purification of PG exosome-like nanoparticles (PGLNs) demonstrated that PGLNs had good biocompatibility, with characteristics consistent with general exosome-like nanoparticles. Besides, proteomic analysis indicated that PGLNs were rich in a variety of proteins. Animal experiments showed that PGLNs improved the pathological changes in LPS-induced lung tissues, inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors and promoted the expression of anti-inflammatory factors, and exerted a regulatory effect on the polarization of lung macrophages. Cell experiments further confirmed that PGLNs could be effectively taken up by RAW264.7 cells and repolarize M1 macrophages into M2 type, therefore reducing the secretion of harmful cytokines. Moreover, non-targeted metabolomics analysis reveals that PGLNs reduce inflammation and control macrophage polarization in a manner closely linked to pathways including glycolysis and lipid metabolism, highlighting a potential mechanism by which PGLNs protect the lungs from inflammatory damage like ALI. Fresh PG has better anti-inflammatory and repair effects than its dried form. As one of the most effective active substances in fresh PG, PGLNs may regulate macrophage inflammation and polarization by regulating metabolic pathways including lipid metabolism and glycolysis, so as to reduce inflammation and repair lung injury.

Biofilms, intricate microbial communities that attach to surfaces, especially medical devices, form an exopolysaccharide matrix, which enables bacteria to resist environmental pressures and conventional antimicrobial agents, leading to the emergence of multi-drug resistance. Biofilm-related infections associated with medical devices are a significant public health threat, compromising device performance. Therefore, developing effective methods for supervising and managing biofilm growth is imperative. This in-depth review presents a systematic overview of strategies for monitoring and controlling bacterial biofilms. We first outline the biofilm creation process and its regulatory mechanisms. The discussion then progresses to advancements in biosensors for biofilm detection and diverse treatment strategies. Lastly, this review examines the obstacles and new perspectives associated with this domain to facilitate the advancement of innovative monitoring and control solutions. These advancements are vital in combating the spread of multi drug-resistant bacteria and mitigating public health risks associated with infections from biofilm formation on medical instruments.

A convenient and highly sensitive bioassay employing graphene oxide (GO) as a nanocarrier and nicking enzyme (Nb.BbvC I)-assisted signal amplification was developed to detect Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Furthermore, the assay employed a DNA probe with a capture probe (CP) and a help probe (HP), which were designed to bind the target and signal probe (SP), respectively. In the absence of the target, the SP did not bind to the HP due to steric effects. Consequently, the fluorescence of carboxyfluorescein (FAM) was quenched by the black hole quenching group (BHQ). The CP specifically recognized the introduced target, which opened the HP that was bound to the SP. Nb.BbvC I cleaved the formed nicking site, which restored the fluorescence and simultaneously released the HP for the next round of reaction. The target densities, which ranged from 10 to 10⁷ colony-forming units (CFU) mL⁻¹, and the fluorescence intensity had a linear relationship. The limit of detection (LOD) under the optimal conditions was 5 CFU mL⁻¹. Moreover, this bioassay performed well in the analysis of water samples. These results demonstrate that this method is highly specific and sensitive for determining P. aeruginosa and is promising for the clinical diagnosis of infectious diseases.

Schematic representation of the graphene oxide-based fluorometric bioassay for determination of agrB gene transcription in MRSA by coupling exonuclease III-assisted target recycling and hybridization chain reaction.