An attractive possibility of green nanotechnology is to use microorganisms in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. Recently, the biosynthesis especially from fungi has emerged as a novel method for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. Nanoparticles are considered as building blocks of Nanotechnology. In the present work we have screened fungi for the extracellular production of silver nanoparticles. Aspergillus sps, Rhizopus sps, Fusarium sp. and Penicillium sp. were the isolates screened and subjected to silver nanoparticles production. Of the tested isolates, the fungus Aspergillus sp. showed maximum absorbance at 416 nm which is an indication of Silver nanoparticles production. Further characterization was made by TEM which revealed the shape to be spherical and size ranged between 20-55 nm, EDS showed the presence of elemental silver at 3kev, FTIR spectrum showed the different functional groups, XRD spectrum showed the crystalline nature of the particles and AFM revealed three dimensional structures of the nanoparticles. Of all kinds of nanoparticles silver nanoparticles show great promise in terms of biomedical applications as they exhibit different biomedical activities.
This review article summarizes the current situation in the application of nanotechnology to contaminated site remediation. Many types of nanomaterials and nanoparticles have been produced since their discovery. As remediation tools, carbon-based nanomaterial (CNM) sorbents and nanoparticles of zero-valent iron (nZVI) are at the forefront of scientific interest. The most often used CNM sorbents are multiwalled and singlewalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs and SWCNTs), which are only examined under laboratory conditions. nZVI has already been applied to real contaminated sites as an in situ technology through direct injection into aquifers. CNM sorbents can remove both organic contaminants – aliphatic and mono and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives, plus inorganic contaminants – such as divalent metal ions (Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺) from polluted water. Zero-valent iron nanoparticles have been used for the removal of TCE, VOC, nitrates, and uranium. This review shows that these nanomaterials are a promising solution in the field of groundwater remediation, but there are also many unanswered questions regarding the environmental risks of nanoscale materials, which are outlined as well.
Nanotechnology is a field that is burgeoning day by day, making an impact in all spheres of human life. Biological methods of synthesis have paved way for the “greener synthesis” of nanoparticles and these have proven to be better methods due to slower kinetics, they offer better manipulation and control over crystal growth and their stabilization. In this context we have investigated extracellular biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using cell-free extract of Rhizopus spp.. Formation of AgNPs was indicated by the change in the colour of the cellfree extract from yellow to dark brown under static condition after 48 hrs of incubation. Characterization of AgNPs was carried out by UV-Vis Spectroscopy which gave sharp plasmon resonance peak at 429 nm corresponding to spherical shaped nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrograph showed formation of well-dispersed AgNPs in the range of 25-50 nm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the particles to be uniformly dispersed without agglomeration with smooth morphology. EDS showed the presence of elemental silver at 3kev. X-ray diffraction (XRD)-spectrum of the AgNPs exhibited 2θ¸ values corresponding to nanocrystal. These biosynthesized AgNPs were used to study their antimicrobial activity against Multi-drug resistant (MDR) E. coli strains, by Agar diffusion method. Zone of inhibition was measured. Synthesis of nanosized particles with antibacterial properties, which are called "nanoantibiotics", is of great interest in the development of new pharmaceutical products.
This paper describes the results of research concerning the binding of heavy metals and arsenic (HM+As) by [3-(2-Aminoethylamino)propyl]trimethoxysilane. The studies have been carried out on soils sampled from areas affected by emissions from the Głogów Copper Smelter and Refinery. The currently applied technique of soil stabilization of HMs by pH changing does not guarantee their permanent blocking in a sorption complex. The research aims to increase food safety in areas of industrial impact.
The interaction of nanotechnology and biosciences opens the possibility for a wide variety of biological research topics and day-to-day applications at the molecular and cellular level. In particular, nanotechnology has been revolutionizing the area of biosensor. Nanobiosensor, an integration of physical sciences, molecular engineering, biology, chemistry and biotechnology holds the possibility of detecting and manipulating atoms and molecules using nanodevices, which have the potential for a wide range of both industrial and domestic applications. The role of electrochemical nanobiosensor in food analysis is an important and interesting area. This review covers the basic principles and types of electrochemical biosensor formats, role of nanomaterials for biosensor and reported food-specific applications of electrochemical nanobiosensors.
Abstract. This paper highlights the evolution of nanoscience and nanotechnologies from the global perspective and their potential application in food Systems including meat Processing. Nanotechnology has its roots in a talk delivered in 1959 by physicist Richard Feynman to the American Physical Society. Nanoscience refers to components properties at nanoscale and nanotechnology refers to process or processes used in the manufacture and/or biofabrication of new materials measured at nanoscale. Nanotechnology offers a wide range of opportunities for the development of innovative products and applications in food system. Functional foods, nutraceuticals, bioactives, farmafoods, etc. are very recent example of it. Nanotechnology and nanomaterials are a natural part of food Processing and conventional foods, because the characteristic properties of many foods rely on nanometer sized components. Some of the areas where nanotechnologies are set to make a difference in meat processing in near future relate to intelligent packaging of meat and meat products, meat derived bioactive peptides, proand pre-biotics inclusion in processed meat products, fat based nanoemulsions for antioxidant delivery, nanosensors and nanotracers for meat biosecurity tracing and nanostructured meat products with defined functions. New horizons for nanotechnology in meat science may be achieved by further research on nanoscale structures and methods to control interactions between single molecules. However, it shall be mentioned that nanotechnologies and nanomaterials are calling for their regulations and safety assessment as some of the materials are new and their safety never tested before.
Nanotechnology is expected to be a critical driver of global economic growth and development in this century. Using nanotechnology for production of nanomaterials with unique properties is expected to revolutionize technology and industry. The forest and wood products industry relies on a vast renewable resource base to manufacture a wide range of products that are indispensable in our modern society. By employing nanotechnology to revitalize the forest products industry, we can strengthen one of Polish core manufacturing sector. Poland has a great infrastructure for growing, harvesting and processing wood products, which provides a key employment base in almost every aspect. This infrastructure provides a fundamental strategic advantage that can be used for preserving the global economic competitiveness of this industry. Nanotechnology holds the promise of changing virtually all of the processes by which wood and paper products are now made, transforming the sector from a resource-based to a knowledge-based industry with much greater prospects for long-term stability.
We developed a new targeted cationic nanoparticulate system composed of poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), 1,2-dioleoyl-3-(trimethylammonium) propane (DOTAP) and asialofetuin (AF), and found it to be a highly effective formulation for gene delivery to liver tumor cells. The nanoparticles (NP) were prepared by a modified solvent evaporation process that used two protocols in order to encapsulate (NP1 particles) or adsorb (NP2 particles) plasmid DNA. The final particles are in the nanoscale range. pDNA loaded in PLGA/DOTAP/AF particles with high loading efficiency showed a positive surface charge. Targeted asialofetuin-nanoparticles (AF-NP) carrying genes encoding for luciferase and interleukin-12 (IL-12) resulted in increased transfection efficiencies compared to free DNA and to plain (non-targeted) systems, even in the presence of 60% fetal bovine serum (FBS). The results of transfections performed on HeLa cells, defective in asialoglycoprotein receptors (ASGPr-), confirmed the receptor-mediated endocytosis mechanism. In summary, this is the first time that asialoglycoprotein receptor targeting by PLGA/DOTAP/DNA nanoparticles carrying the therapeutic gene IL-12 has been shown to be efficient in gene delivery to liver cancer cells in the presence of a very high concentration of serum, and this could be a potential system for in vivo application.