Nanobiotechnology has grown rapidly and become an integral part of modern disease diagnosis and treatment. Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are a class of eco-friendly, cost-effective and biocompatible agents that have attracted attention for their possible biomedical and bioengineering applications. Like many other inorganic and organic nanoparticles, such as AuNPs, iron oxide and quantum dots, AgNPs have also been widely studied as components of advanced anticancer agents in order to better manage cancer in the clinic. AgNPs are typically produced by the action of reducing reagents on silver ions. In addition to numerous laboratory-based methods for reduction of silver ions, living organisms and natural products can be effective and superior source for synthesis of AgNPs precursors. Currently, plants, bacteria and fungi can afford biogenic AgNPs precursors with diverse geometries and surface properties. In this review, we summarized the recent progress and achievements in biogenic AgNPs synthesis and their potential uses as anticancer agents.

Lactobacillus acidophilus KFRI342, isolated from the Korean traditional food kimchi, was investigated for its suitability as a dietary probiotic. The effects of L. acidophilus KFRI342 on the development of chemically induced (1,2-dimethylhydrazine; DMH) precancerous cytological changes of the colon were investigated in rats. Forty-five male F344 rats were randomly divided into three dietary groups. The control group received a high-fat diet (HF), a second group received a high-fat diet containing the carcinogen (HFC), and a final group received a high-fat diet containing the carcinogen and L. acidophilus KFRI342 (HFCL). L. acidophilus KFRI342 was administered orally three times per week at 2×109 c.f.u. ml–1. L. acidophilus KFRI342 treatments decreased the number of Escherichia coli in faecal samples, the enzyme activities of β-glucuronidase and β-glucosidase, and plasma triglyceride concentration compared to the HF and HFC treatments (P<0.05). L. acidophilus KFRI342 consumption also decreased the ratio of aberrant crypts to aberrant crypt foci incidence and the number of aberrant crypts in HFCL rats. Therefore, L. acidophilus showed potential probiotic activity as an inhibitor of DMH-induced symptoms in live rats. Our in vivo studies indicate that L. acidophilus from kimchi may be suitable as a probiotic for human use.

Flaxseed gum (FG) is a by-product of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) meal production that is useful as a food thickener, emulsifier, and foaming agent. FG is typically recovered by hot-water extraction from flaxseed hull or whole seed. However, FG includes complex polymer structures that contain bioactive compounds. Therefore, extraction temperature can play an important role in determining its functional properties, solution appearance, and solution stability during storage. These characteristics of FG, including FG quality, determine its commercial value and utility. In this study, FG solution functional properties and storage stability were investigated for solutions prepared at 70 and 98 °C. Solutions of FG prepared at 98 °C had lower initial viscosity than solutions extracted at 70 °C; though the viscosity of these solutions was more stable during storage. Solutions prepared by extraction at both tested temperatures exhibited similar tolerance to 0.1 mol/L salt addition and freeze-thaw cycles. Moreover, the higher extraction temperature produced a FG solution with superior foaming and emulsification properties, and these properties were more stable with storage. Foams and emulsions produced from FG extracted at higher temperatures also had better stability. FG extracted at 98 °C displayed improved stability and consistent viscosity, foamability, and emulsification properties in comparison to solutions prepared at 70 °C. Therefore, the FG solution extracted at 98 °C had more stable properties and, potentially, higher commercial value. This result indicates that FG performance as a commercial food additive can influence food product quality.

Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) has been associated with numerous health benefits. The flax plant synthesizes an array of biologically active compounds including peptides or linusorbs (LOs, a.k.a., cyclolinopeptides), lignans, soluble dietary fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. The LOs arise from post-translational modification of four or more ribosome-derived precursors. These compounds exhibit an array of biological activities, including suppression of T-cell proliferation, excessive inflammation, and osteoclast replication as well as induction of apoptosis in some cancer cell lines. The mechanisms of LO action are only now being elucidated but these compounds might interact with other active compounds in flaxseed and contribute to biological activity attributed to other flax compounds. This review focuses on both the biological interaction of LOs with proteins and other molecules and comprehensive knowledge of LO pharmacological and biological properties. The physicochemical and nutraceutical properties of LOs, as well as the biological effects of certain LOs, and their underlying mechanisms of action, are reviewed. Finally, strategies for producing LOs by either peptide synthesis or recombinant organisms are presented. This review will be the first to describe LOs as a versatile scaffold for the action of compounds to deliver physiochemically/biologically active molecules for developing novel nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals.