No abstract

Extensive studies on curcumin have improved that it has certain therapeutic impact for different kinds of diseases such as cancer. Regardless of its positive features, its application is hampered by its low water solubility, bioavailability, and low cellular uptake. During recent years, several ways have been developed to protect curcumin from degradation and increase the capacity of targeting unhealthy cells. The progress in nanotechnology encouraged nanotechnologists to formulate nanoparticles encapsulating curcumin, such as polymer nanoparticles, solid nanoparticles, liposome/lipid nanoparticles, micelles, dendrimers, polymer conjugates, etc. to enhance sustained release of curcumin at target cells and to improve curcumin bioavailability. Nowadays, newer formulations of nanoparticles as called Hybrid nanoparticles are designed in order to achieve efficient and specific curcumin targeted compound that result in the improved therapeutic efficacy of curcumin with high biocompatibility associated with aptamers, folic acid, chitosan coated halloysite loaded with curcumin-Au hybrid nanoparticle etc. This review describes a number of formulated hybrid nanoparticles and their efficacy in specific targeting to cancerous cells.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread pollutants and can negatively affect plants. Fluorene is a prevalent PAH in the contaminated environment. In this study, the effects of higher concentrations of fluorene in soil on rate of seed germination, growth, and the physiological parameters of wheat, sunflower, and alfalfa were studied. The results showed that the higher concentration of fluorene decreased rate of seed germination and seedlings growth of plants. Wheat showed the highest resistance at seed germination and seedlings growth phases, and sunflower was the most sensitive species at both stages. Therefore, it was concluded that higher resistance at seed germination could be followed by the higher resistance of seedlings. Fluorene toxicity also induced oxidative stress in plants as shown by MDA accumulation in the plants. There was a significant correlation between the lower activity of CAT and MDA accumulation in the studied plants. Therefore, CAT could be an important enzyme involved in detoxification of ROS and plants resistance to fluorene toxicity. Depending on plant species and fluorene concentration, photosynthetic pigments content was differently affected.