In the present study, porous calcium alginate films have been developed by the addition of 0.02, 0.1, and 0.5% (w/v) PVA to sodium alginate film solutionss. Poly(vinyl) alcohol played the role of a pore-forming agent for calcium alginate films, and the controlled pore sizes of the films were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses. Human fibroblast cell attachment was performed on the porous calcium alginate films (0.5-Ca-Alg), and then the film was coated with 1 and 3 wt % silver nanowires. Cell proliferation was enhanced on films after the coating of the silver nanowires. The MTT assay was performed on the calcium alginate films and silver nanowire-coated films, and the films were found to be nontoxic to human foreskin fibroblast cells at the end of 72 h of exposure. The existence of silver nanowires on the porous calcium alginate film endowed the material with good antibacterial activity. The swelling ability of the porous and silver nanowire-coated film (0.5-Ca-Alg-1/AgNW) increased by ∼64% in simulated body fluid (pH = 7.4) and distilled water compared to a nonporous film (Ca-Alg). The water vapor transmission rate of Ca-Alg was ∼45% enhanced thanks to the porosity of films and the existence of AgNW. Hereby, it is demonstrated that the novel silver nanowire-doped porous alginate materials would be potential wound dressing agents with desired physical properties, antibacterial activity, and availability to cell proliferation.

Medicinal plants can be used as reducing agents in the preparation of metal nanoparticles by green synthesis because of the chemotherapeutic and anti-infectious properties of natural compounds. Therefore, this paper reports the green synthesis of silver and iron nanoparticles from leaf and flower extracts of Nerium oleander and their capacity as anticancer and antimicrobial agents. Nanoparticle manufacturing and structural characterization of silver and iron nanoparticles are reported. The formation of nanoparticles is characterized by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, UV-Vis and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Nanoparticles formation was also investigated the surface charge, particle size, and distribution using zeta sizer analysis by DLS. Green synthesis of silver and iron nanoparticles using N. oleander showed different levels of selective cytotoxicity against K562 (human chronic myeloid leukemia cells) in low concentrations and were not cytotoxic to the HUVEC (human umbilical vein endothelial cells) in the same concentrations. Silver nanoparticles showed antibacterial activity against multidrug pathogens, while iron nanoparticles failed to show such activity. Results of the present research demonstrate the potential use of green synthesized nanoparticles in various biomedicine and pharmaceuticals fields in the future.

Despite their impact on cancer therapy, limitations such as systemic toxicity and drug resistance are encountered with platinum-based drugs. This study explores the potential of combining Pt^IV-based NP with carmofur (Car) to address these issues. In this study, platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) and Car-loaded PtNP (Car@PtNP) were synthesized and their cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on colorectal and breast cancer cells were evaluated. Following characterization of the synthesized NPs by dynamic light scattering, UV–VIS spectroscopy, FTIR, and STEM, it was found that the average size of PtNPs was 55.42 nm and the size increased to approximately 186.06 nm upon synthesis of Car@PtNP. MTT assays demonstrated that Car@PtNP exhibited higher levels of cellular toxicity than carmofur alone. While it significantly decreased cell viability in both colon and breast cancer cells, its toxicity to HUVEC cells was minimal. Treatment of MCF-7 and HCT116 cells with 50 µg ml⁻¹ of free Car resulted in cell viabilities of 65.2% and 76.93%, respectively, whereas the viability of cells treated with Car@PtNP decreased to 49.60% and 55.47%. Flow cytometric analysis confirmed that apoptosis was increased in healthy HCT116 cells treated with Car@PtNP, with a marked increase in both early and late apoptotic cell populations. Furthermore, these results were confirmed by Hoescht and Rhodamin123 immunofluorescence staining, and significant mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptotic morphological changes were observed in treated cells. The findings underscore the promise of Car@PtNP as a novel chemotherapeutic approach, integrating the benefits of Pt^IV complexes and Car to enhance antitumor efficacy while mitigating the drawbacks of conventional platinum-based therapies.

This study investigated the phytochemical profile, antioxidant capacity, and immunomodulatory properties of Pinus sylvestris xylem sap harvested from the Kastamonu region of Türkiye during the early spring active sap-flow period. Quantitative screening demonstrated significant polyphenolic density, with total phenolic (39.65 ± 2.12 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid contents (21.48 ± 3.11 mg Catechin/g) reflecting a high relative accumulation of mobile, hydrophilic flavonoids. Targeted LC-MS/MS analysis further revealed the presence of several phenolic and flavonoid-related compounds, with catechin as the predominant compound in the directly extracted sample, while epicatechin and epigallocatechin were among the major compounds detected following acid hydrolysis. The sap exhibited consistent, robust antioxidant activity across DPPH (43.52 ± 2.76 mg TE/g), ABTS (41.64 ± 2.17 mg TE/g), and FRAP (39.21 ± 1.95 mg TE/g) assays, indicating multi-pathway radical scavenging and electron-donating capacities in cell-free chemical models. While direct exposure yielded concentration-dependent cytotoxicity against tumor lines (IC50 values: 7.6–12.5 µg/mL), subtoxic conditioning (1 µg/mL) and substantially enhanced NK-92-mediated lysis of target cancer cells, most prominently against MCF-7 breast carcinoma. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that xylem sap treatment selectively upregulated surface expression of CD16 (from 0.00% to 15.93%) and CD57 on NK-92 cells without altering baseline CD56. Furthermore, sap stimulation triggered a concentration-dependent surge in IFN-γ production and elevated cytotoxic responses in lymphocytes isolated from both healthy controls (n = 5) and breast cancer patients (n = 5). These findings indicate that conifer xylem sap represents in vitro immunomodulatory properties and enhances NK-92 cell-mediated cytotoxic responses in cell culture models.