Methods: Plant gum was collected, polysaccharide was extracted, purified, characterized using UV-Vis, FTIR, TGA and GCMS and subjected to various bioactive studies. The purified polysaccharide was used for making curcumin-loaded nanocarriers using STMP (sodium trimetaphosphate). Bioactivities were performed on the crude, purified and drug-loaded nanocarriers. These polysaccharide-based nanocarriers were characterized using UV-Vis spectrophotometer, FTIR, SEM, and AFM. Drug release kinetics were performed for the drug-loaded nanocarriers.
Results: The presence of glucose, xylose and sucrose was studied from the UV-Vis and GCMS analysis. Purified polysaccharides of both the plants showed antioxidant activity and also antibacterial activity against Bacillus sp. Purified polysaccharides were used for nanocarrier synthesis, where the size and shape of the nanocarriers were studied using SEM analysis and AFM analysis. The size of the drug-loaded nanocarriers was found to be around 200 nm. The curcumin-loaded nanocarriers were releasing curcumin slow and steady.
Conclusion: The extracted pure polysaccharide of A. heterophylla and P. chilensis acted as good antioxidants and showed antibacterial activity against Bacillus sp. These polysaccharides were fabricated into curcumin-loaded nanocarriers whose size was below 200 nm. Both the drug-loaded nanocarriers synthesized using A. heterophylla and P. chilensis showed antibacterial activity with a steady drug release profile. Hence, these natural exudates can serve as biodegradable nanocarriers in drug delivery.
Methods: SPIONs were synthesized by co-precipitation method and further coated with a biopolymer, chitosan. Chromium solution was treated with the synthesized SPIONs to study the efficiency of chromium removal by surface adsorption. Later, the adsorption was analysed by direct and indirect analysis methods using UV-VIS spectrophotometry and isotherm studies.
Results: Stable chitosan-coated SPIONs were synthesized and they adsorbed chromium better than the uncoated SPIONs, where it was adsorbing up to 100 ppm. Adsorption was found to be increasing with decrease in pH.
Conclusion: The surface-modified SPIONs expressed cumulative adsorption action. Even after the adsorption studies, chitosan-coated SPIONs were possessing magnetic property. Thus, the surface-modified SPIONs can become an ideal nanotechnology tool to remove the chromium from groundwater.