This study aimed to produce and optimize a Cordyceps militaris-based oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsion (NE) encapsulated in sea buckthorn oil (SBT) using an ultrasonication process. Herein, a nonionic surfactant (Tween 80) and chitosan cosurfactant were used as emulsifying agents. The Cordyceps nanoemulsion (COR-NE) was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and field-emission transmission electron microscope (FE-TEM). The DLS analyses revealed that the NE droplets were 87.0 ± 2.1 nm in diameter, with a PDI value of 0.089 ± 0.023, and zeta potential of −26.20 ± 2. The small size, low PDI, and stable zeta potential highlighted the excellent stability of the NE. The NE was tested for stability under different temperature (4 °C, 25 °C, and 60 °C) and storage conditions for 3 months where 4 °C did not affect the stability. Finally, in vitro cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory activity were assessed. The results suggested that the NE was not toxic to RAW 264.7 or HaCaT (human keratinocyte) cell lines at up to 100 µL/mL. Anti-inflammatory activity in liposaccharides (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells was evident at 50 µg/mL and showed inhibition of NO production and downregulation of pro-inflammatory gene expression. Further, the NE exhibited good antioxidant (2.96 ± 0.10 mg/mL) activity and inhibited E. coli and S. aureus bacterial growth. Overall, the COR-NE had greater efficacy than the free extract and added significant value for future biomedical and cosmetics applications.

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(1) Background: Nanotechnology is being widely applied for anticancer strategies with few side effects. Nanoparticles (NPs) prepared from natural extracts are promising candidates for cancer treatment because of their unique physicochemical characteristics. This study aimed to prepare gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) from Phyllanthus emblica fruit extract (PEFE) using Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (B. lactis) and to evaluate their anticancer activity against the human gastric adenocarcinoma cell-line (AGS). (2) Methods: The safety of microbial biosynthesis AuNPs (PEFE-AuNPs) was assessed by evaluating the cytotoxicity. The anticancer activity of PEFE-AuNPs was investigated in AGS cells in terms of apoptosis and autophagy. (3) Results: PEFE-AuNPs exhibited significant cytotoxicity against AGS cells but not against normal cells. The apoptosis induced by PEFE-AuNPs in AGS cells was associated with PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1)-Parkin mediated reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential and activation of intracellular signaling apoptosis pathways. The anticancer activity of PEFE-AuNPs was associated with induction of apoptosis through inhibition of autophagy, downregulation of LC3-II/LC3-I and Beclin-1 expression, and upregulation of p62 expression in AGS cells. (4) Conclusions: This study is the first to demonstrate the anticancer activity of PEFE-AuNPs against AGS cells. Our results provide a good starting point for the development of new anticancer products based on gold nanoparticles of P. emblica fruit extract.

The unique and tailorable physicochemical features of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) synthesized from green sources make them attractive for use in cancer treatment. Hydroponic-cultured ginseng-root-synthesized ZnO-NPs (HGRCm-ZnO NPs) were coated with O-carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) polymer, which stabilized and enhanced the biological efficacy of the nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The flower-shaped nanoparticles were crystalline in nature with a particle size of 28 nm. To evaluate if these NPs had anti-lung cancer activity, analysis was performed on a human lung carcinoma cell line (A549). HGRCm-ZnO nanoparticles showed less toxicity to normal keratinocytes (HaCaTs), at concentrations up to 20 µg/mL, than A549 cancer cells. Additionally, these NPs showed dose-dependent colony formation and cell migration inhibition ability, which makes them more promising for lung cancer treatment. Additionally, Hoechst and propidium iodide dye staining also confirmed that the NP formulation had apoptotic activity in cancer cells. Further, to evaluate the mechanism of cancer cell death via checking the gene expression, HGRCm ZnO NPs upregulated the BAX and Caspase 3 and 9 expression levels but downregulated Bcl-2 expression, indicating that the nanoformulation induced mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis. Moreover, these preliminary results suggest that HGRCm ZnO NPs can be a potential candidate for future lung cancer treatment.

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