Nanomedicine-Based Delivery Strategies for Breast Cancer Treatment and Management

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among women globally. It is caused by mutations in the estrogen/progesterone receptors and conventional treatment methods are commonly utilized. About 70–80 percent of individuals with the early-stage non-metastatic disease may be cured. Conventional treatment is far less than the optimal ratio, as demonstrated through the high mortality rate of women with this cancer. However, conventional treatment methods like surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are not as effective as expected and lead to concerns about low bioavailability, low cellular uptake, emerging resistance, and adverse toxicities. A nanomedicine-based approach is a promising alternative for breast cancer treatment. The present era is witnessing rapid advancements in nanomedicine as a platform for investigating novel therapeutic applications and modern intelligent healthcare management strategies. This paper focuses on nanomedicine-based therapeutic interventions that are becoming more widely accepted for improving treatment effectiveness and reducing undesired side effects in breast cancer patients. By evaluating the state-of-the-art tools and taking the challenges involved into consideration, various aspects of the proposed nano-enabled therapeutic approaches have been discussed in this review.     

Polyphenols of tea. IV.—Qualitative and quantitative study of the polyphenols of different organs and some cultivated varieties of tea plant

A method is described for the estimation of individual polyphenols of tea leaf. Polyphenols separated by two-way paper chromatography of a methanolic extract of the material were located under ultra-violet light. The excised spots were eluted with water and estimated from extinctions at 275 nm. Three of the polyphenols, (?)-epigallocatechin gallate, (?)-epigallocatechin and (?)-epicatechin gallate, which comprise 10-19% of the dry matter of tea shoots from Assam, are partly consumed during the manufacture of black tea. Seasonal variation in the polyphenolic content of some jats and clones grown in North East India are described. The phenolic content of the tea shoots was higher during rains. Changes in the phenolic pattern during the growth and development of tea flower, fruit and seed are described. Organs of tea, such as sepals, petals and pericarp with closer morphological affinities to the leaf, showed a greater degree of similarity in their phenolic pattern compared with other organs such as stigma, style, carpel, anther and testa. The gallates were mostly confined to the chlorophyll-bearing organs.     

Thermal behaviour and crystallization analysis of ethylene-propylene (EP) copolymer and EP-styrene terpolymer

Polyolefin copolymers have been an important commercial product since their invention. Hence, it is crucial to study their co- and terpolymers due to their extensive use. In this paper, in situ synthesis of ethylene-propylene (EP) copolymer, its terpolymer with styrene, and composites with nickel-chromium (NiCr) layered double hydroxide (LDH) has been reported along with their thermal properties. Styrene had a significant impact on the activity, increasing the yield by 195% and 235% with an addition of 0.5 and 1.0 mL styrene, respectively, compared to neat EP. The crystallinity, melting temperature, and thermal stability decreased due to styrene; nevertheless, it performed better compared to a similar work of terpolymer where α-olefin was the third monomer. The incorporation of NiCr LDH as a drop-in filler during in situ polymerization affected adversely the thermal stability of the terpolymer. However, the ultrasonication treatment improved the thermal stability of the final product.     

Study on the preparation and properties of novel block copolymeric materials based on structurally modified organometallic as well as organic polyamides and polydimethylsiloxane

Some novel ferrocene‐containing polyamide‐based block copolymer materials with telechelic polydimethylsiloxane oligomer and their organic analogues were prepared by solution‐phase polycondensation of ferrocene‐based organometallic and terephthaloyl‐ as well as isophthaloyl‐based organic acyl chlorides with a series of semi‐aromatic diamines having ether linkages together with variable aliphatic character. The corresponding polyamides of the synthesized materials, without polydimethylsiloxane segment, were also prepared for comparison of physicochemical properties. None of the synthesized organometallic and organic block copolymers along with their respective polyamides melted below 300 °C and their structural features were confirmed by their physical properties and spectroscopic studies. The weight‐average molecular weights and molecular parameters of all these materials were determined by the static laser light scattering technique. The materials were soluble in sulfuric acid and partially soluble in common organic solvents, and yet became readily soluble upon N‐trifluoroacetylation. The synthesized materials were further characterized by their water absorption characteristics, X‐ray diffraction studies and surface morphology (SEM and AFM) and thermal (DSC and TG) analyses, and their structure–property relationships were elucidated from these studies. The energies of pyrolysis for these materials were calculated by the Horowitz and Metzger method. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Graphene modified Nd/TiO2 photocatalyst for methyl orange degradation under visible light irradiation

A novel nanoscale GR–Nd/TiO₂ composite photocatalyst was synthesized by the hydrothermal method. Its crystal structure, surface morphology, chemical composition and optical properties were studied using XRD, TEM, and XPS, DRS and PL spectroscopy. It was found that graphene and neodymium modification shifts the absorption edge of TiO₂ to visible-light region. The results of photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra show that GR–Nd/TiO₂ composites possess better charge separation capability than do Nd/TiO₂ and pure TiO₂. The photocatalytic activity of prepared samples was investigated by degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye under visible light irradiation. The results show that the GR–Nd/TiO₂ composite can effectively photodegrade MO, showing an impressive photocatalytic activity enhancement over that of pure TiO₂. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the composite catalyst might be attributed to the large adsorptivity of dyes, extended light absorption range and efficient charge separation due to Nd doping and graphene incorporation.     

Lipid‐derived monomer and corresponding bio‐based nanocomposites

Fatty acid based monomer and corresponding hybrid polymer layered silicate nanocomposites have successfully been prepared by using in situ polymerizations. The hybrid materials were prepared by adding different ratios of nanoclay during free radical homopolymerization of 2‐(acryloyloxy)ethyl stearate (AOES) monomer and copolymerization of AOES with styrene. AOES monomer was synthesized by treating stearic acid with 2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate. The formation of AOES monomer, homopolymer and copolymer was confirmed by ¹H NMR spectroscopic analysis. Further analysis and characterization of the nanocomposites were carried out by XRD, transmission electron microscopy, AFM and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. TGA of the polymer nanocomposites was also carried out to evaluate their thermal stability, while flammability tests were conducted to investigate the effect of layered silicate on flame retardancy. Nanofiller addition into the polymer matrix substantially improved the thermal properties and fire retardancy of the composites. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry     

Eco-friendly electronics,based on nanocomposites of biopolyester reinforced with carbon nanotubes: a review

ABSTRACT

Fabrication of electronic materials from nanocomposite of biopolyesters reinforced with carbon nanotubes can be regarded as the effective alternative for conventional nanocomposites consisting of non-biodegradable polymers. Commercial availability of biopolyester-based nanocomposites is limited because of their high cost compared to other polymers, but the factor of their compostable nature is worthless for environmental protection. Such nanocomposites have potential applications in biodegradable sensors, EMI materials, etc. In this review, the current progress of biopolyester/CNTs nanocomposites in the field of biodegradable electronics is reviewed and also the impact of CNTs dispersion on electrical, thermal and mechanical properties of eco composites is stipulated.     

Preparation of hybrid PU/PCL fibers from steviol glycosides via electrospinning as a potential wound dressing materials

In this study, the synthesis and application of biocompatible steviol glycosides based polyurethane/poly (ε-caprolactone) (PU/PCL) fibers was performed by electrospinning as a potential wound dressing materials that can be used for the closure of nonhealing wounds. During electrospinning, steviol glycoside-based polyurethane structures were used in blend formation with poly (ε-caprolactone) for easy producibility. Steviol glycosides are a natural abundant and easily accessible source as the main component of the wound dressing material due to their free hydroxyl groups, high biocompatibility, and hydrophilicity. The structure of steviol glycosides is composed of saccharide units and the free OH groups. Thus, steviol glycosides act as a crosslinker within the polyurethane structure and provides mechanical strength. For the production of steviol glycosides based PU/PCL fibers first, the steviol glycosides as a monomer were isolated from the stevia rebudiana. Then, polyurethane structures containing stevia glycoside were synthesized with hexamethylene diisocyanate, lactose and PEG-200 by solution polymerization technique. PCL was added to the prepared polyurethanes in a ratio of 1:2 and formation of nanofiber structure. The prepared wound dressing material was characterized by Fourier transform infrared, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscope techniques. Swelling degree, water content and oxygen permeability assay of the steviol glycosides based PU/PCL wound dressing material was determined. In biocompatibility test, cell viability value of PU/PCL fibrous materials in indirect cytotoxicity test was determined as 86.9% and cell adhesion on hybrid PU/PCL fibers was showed as morphological. In accordance with this target, the steviol glycosides based PU/PCL wound dressing material can be produced easily and low cost. As a result, the wound dressing materials obtained with their high biocompatibility and low costs will be an effective and fast method for the healing of open wounds of diabetics.     

Synthesis of amino-cosubstituted polyorganophosphazenes and fabrication of their nanoparticles for anticancer drug delivery

The development of safe drug carriers is cardinal in cancer therapy, which can target the cancer cells and release the loaded drug on-demand without damaging the healthy cells of the body. In our work, we synthesized three different biodegradable polymers, poly[(ethyl aminobezoate) (ethyl glycinato) phosphazenes] (PABGPs), in different mole ratio of side groups. The successful synthesis of these PABGPs was confirmed by ¹H NMR, ³¹P NMR, FT-IR, and gel permeation chromatography. These PABGPs were fabricated into drug (camptothecin, CPT, a hydrophobic anticancer drug) loaded nanoparticles. These drug-loaded nanoparticles showed good drug release behaviors under normal physiological conditions (pH 7.4 and temperature 37°C). These PABGPs-based nanoparticles may find their application as effective drug carriers for cancer therapy.