Introduction: Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ NPs) with multiple functionalities are intriguing candidates for various biomedical applications. Materials and Methods: This study introduced a simple and green synthesis of Fe₃O₄ NPs using a low-cost stabilizer of plant waste extract rich in polyphenols content with a well-known antioxidant property as well as anticancer ability to eliminate colon cancer cells. Herein, Fe₃O₄ NPs were fabricated via a facile co-precipitation method using the crude extract of Garcinia mangostana fruit peel as a green stabilizer at different weight percentages (1, 2, 5, and 10 wt.%). The samples were analyzed for magnetic hyperthermia and then in vitro cytotoxicity assay was performed. Results: The XRD planes of the samples were corresponding to the standard magnetite Fe₃O₄ with high crystallinity. From TEM analysis, the green synthesized NPs were spherical with an average size of 13.42± 1.58 nm and displayed diffraction rings of the Fe₃O₄ phase, which was in good agreement with the obtained XRD results. FESEM images showed that the extract covered the surface of the Fe₃O₄ NPs well. The magnetization values for the magnetite samples were ranging from 49.80 emu/g to 69.42 emu/g. FTIR analysis verified the functional groups of the extract compounds and their interactions with the NPs. Based on DLS results, the hydrodynamic sizes of the Fe₃O₄ nanofluids were below 177 nm. Furthermore, the nanofluids indicated the zeta potential values up to − 34.92± 1.26 mV and remained stable during four weeks of storage, showing that the extract favorably improved the colloidal stability of the Fe₃O₄ NPs. In the hyperthermia experiment, the magnetic nanofluids showed the acceptable specific absorption rate (SAR) values and thermosensitive performances under exposure of various alternating magnetic fields. From results of in vitro cytotoxicity assay, the killing effects of the synthesized samples against HCT116 colon cancer cells were mostly higher compared to those against CCD112 colon normal cells. Remarkably, the Fe₃O₄ NPs containing 10 wt.% of the extract showed a lower IC₅₀ value (99.80 μg/mL) in HCT116 colon cancer cell line than in CCD112 colon normal cell line (140.80 μg/mL). Discussion: This research, therefore, introduced a new stabilizer of Garcinia mangostana fruit peel extract for the biosynthesis of Fe₃O₄ NPs with desirable physiochemical properties for potential magnetic hyperthermia and colon cancer treatment.

Cellulose and chitosan with remarkable biocompatibility and sophisticated physiochemical characteristics can be a new dawn to the advanced drug nano-carriers in cancer treatment. This study aims to synthesize layer-by-layer bionanocomposites from chitosan and rice straw cellulose encapsulated 5-Fluorouracil (CS-CF/5FU BNCs) using the ionic gelation method and the sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) cross-linker. Data from X-ray and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed successful preparation of CS-CF/5FU BNCs. Based on images of scanning electron microscopy, 48.73 ± 1.52 nm was estimated for an average size of the bionanocomposites as spherical chitosan nanoparticles mostly coated rod-shaped cellulose reinforcement. 5-Fluorouracil indicated an increase in thermal stability after its encapsulation in the bionanocomposites. The drug encapsulation efficiency was found to be 86 ± 2.75%. CS-CF/5FU BNCs triggered higher drug release in a media simulating the colorectal fluid with pH 7.4 (76.82 ± 1.29%) than the gastric fluid with pH 1.2 (42.37 ± 0.43%). In in vitro cytotoxicity assays, cellulose fibers, chitosan nanoparticles and the bionanocomposites indicated biocompatibility towards CCD112 normal cells. Most promisingly, CS-CF/5FU BNCs at 250 µg/mL concentration eliminated 56.42 ± 0.41% of HCT116 cancer cells and only 8.16 ± 2.11% of CCD112 normal cells. Therefore, this study demonstrates that CS-CF/5FU BNCs can be considered as an eco-friendly and innovative nanodrug candidate for potential colorectal cancer treatment.

Introduction: Green-based materials have been increasingly studied to circumvent off-target cytotoxicity and other side-effects from conventional chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: Here, cellulose fibers (CF) were isolated from rice straw (RS) waste by using an eco-friendly alkali treatment. The CF network served as an anticancer drug carrier for 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The physicochemical and thermal properties of CF, pure 5-FU drug, and the 5-FU-loaded CF (CF/5-FU) samples were evaluated. The samples were assessed for in vitro cytotoxicity assays using human colorectal cancer (HCT116) and normal (CCD112) cell lines, along with human nasopharyngeal cancer (HONE-1) and normal (NP 460) cell lines after 72-hours of treatment. Results: XRD and FTIR revealed the successful alkali treatment of RS to isolate CF with high purity and crystallinity. Compared to RS, the alkali-treated CF showed an almost fourfold increase in surface area and zeta potential of up to − 33.61 mV. SEM images illustrated the CF network with a rod-shaped structure and comprised of ordered aggregated cellulose. TGA results proved that the thermal stability of 5-FU increased within the drug carrier. Based on UV-spectroscopy measurements for 5-FU loading into CF, drug loading encapsulation efficiency was estimated to be 83 ± 0.8%. The release media at pH 7.4 and pH 1.2 showed a maximum drug release of 79% and 46%, respectively, over 24 hours. In cytotoxicity assays, CF showed almost no damage, while pure 5-FU killed most of the both normal and cancer cells. Impressively, the drug-loaded sample of CF/5-FU at a 250 μg/mL concentration demonstrated a 58% inhibition against colorectal cancer cells, but only a 23% inhibition against normal colorectal cells. Further, a 62.50 μg/mL concentration of CF/5FU eliminated 71% and 39% of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and normal nasopharyngeal cells, respectively. Discussion: This study, therefore, showed the strong potential anticancer activity of the novel CF/5-FU formulations, warranting their further investigation.

The advancement of clinical medicine established exceptionally in today’s era is used to cure many infectious diseases. Unfortunately, the negative aftermath associated with synthetic drugs has caused many to turn their attention towards an alternative, which is natural plant-extract drugs. Plant-based drugs have a vast number of benefits and applications in the biomedical field and are further formulated with nanocomposite hydrogel, namely sodium alginate. Sodium alginate is a biopolymer that is water-soluble, non-toxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable, therefore having a high demand in the medical field. The objective of this review is to highlight the nanotechnology development that is used in the medical field to enhance the therapeutic effects of naturally occurring drugs. This review will discuss the use of sodium alginate nanocomposite to create a nanohybrid drug loaded with plant extracts.

Chitosan nanoparticles can be used in many types of applications such as food packaging, cosmetics and biomedical field. Chitosan can be modified to form chitosan-based hydrogels for antiviral purpose. Chitosan-based hydrogels are commonly used in wound healing, tissue engineering and drug delivery. This study explains about the properties and the applications of chitosan-based hydrogels since there were not much paper or research about chitosan-based hydrogels used as antiviral agent. Usually, many researchers did some studies about antiviral application focusing only on chitosan itself but not specifically into chitosan-based hydrogels. The properties of chitosan are also not well explained in some research. The purpose of this study is to investigate the antiviral application of chitosan-based hydrogels based on chitosan properties.

Functional polymeric biomaterials (FPBMs) with bioactive characteristics obtained by radiation-induced graft copolymerisation (RIGC) have been subjected to intensive research and developed into many commercial products. Various studies have reported the development of a variety of radiation-grafted FPBMs. However, no reports dealing with the quantitative evaluations of these studies from a global bibliographic perspective have been published. Such bibliographic analysis can provide information to overcome the limitations of the databases and identify the main research trends, together with challenges and future directions. This review aims to provide an unprecedented bibliometric analysis of the published literature on the use of RIGC for the preparation of FPBMs and their applications in medical, biomedical, biotechnological, and health care fields. A total of 235 publications obtained from the Web of Science (WoS) in the period of 1985–2021 were retrieved, screened, and evaluated. The records were used to manifest the contributions to each field and underline not only the top authors, journals, citations, years of publication, and countries but also to highlight the core research topics and the hubs for research excellence on these materials. The obtained data overviews are likely to provide guides to early-career scientists and their research institutions and promote the development of new, timely needed radiation-grafted FPBMs, in addition to extending their applications.