Ramovatar Meena's research while affiliated with Jawaharlal Nehru University and other places

With their distinctive core–shell design, core–shell nanocrystals have drawn interest in catalysis, medicinal research, and nanotechnology. These nanocrystals have a variety of characteristics and possible uses. The application of core–shell nanocrystals offers significant potential in increasing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for cancer research in apoptosis and in vitro cancer cell imaging. In the present study, we investigated the fluorescence behavior of hydrophilic CdSe (core-only) and CdSe@CdS (core–shell) nanocrystals (NCs) and their potential in cancer cell imaging. The addition of a CdS coating to CdSe NCs increased the fluorescence intensity tenfold. The successful fabrication of core–shell CdSe@CdS nanocrystals was proven by a larger particle size (evaluated via DLS and TEM) and their XRD pattern and surface morphology compared to CdSe (core-only) NCs. When these NCs were used for bioimaging in MCF-7 and HEK-293 cell lines, they demonstrated excellent cellular uptake due to higher fluorescence intensity within cancerous cells than normal cells. Comparative cytotoxicity studies revealed that CdSe NCs were more toxic to all three cell lines (HEK-293, MCF-7, and HeLa) than CdSe@CdS core–shell structures. Furthermore, a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular ROS production supported NCs inducing oxidative stress, which led to apoptosis via the mitochondria-mediated pathway. Increased cytochrome c levels, regulation of pro-apoptotic gene expression (e.g., p53, Bax), and down-regulation of Bcl-2 all suggested cellular apoptosis occurred via the intrinsic pathway. Significantly, at an equivalent dose of core–shell NCs, core-only NCs induced more oxidative stress, resulting in increased apoptosis. These findings shed light on the role of a CdS surface coating in reducing free radical release, decreasing cytotoxicity, and improving fluorescence, advancing the field of cell imaging.

Cadmium selenium quantum dots (CdSe QDs) with modified surfaces exhibit superior dispersion stability and high fluorescence yield, making them desirable biological probes. The knowledge of cellular and biochemical toxicity has been lacking, and there is little information on the correlation between in vitro and in vivo data. The current study was carried out to assess the toxicity of CdSe QDs after intravenous injection in Wistar male rats (230 g). The rats were given a single dose of QDs of 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg and were kept for 30 days. Following that, various biochemical assays, hematological parameters, and bioaccumulation studies were carried out. Functional as well as clinically significant changes were observed. There was a significant increase in WBC while the RBC decreased. This suggested that CdSe quantum dots had inflammatory effects on the treated rats. The various biochemical assays clearly showed that high dose induced hepatic injury. At a dose of 80 mg/kg, bioaccumulation studies revealed that the spleen (120 g/g), liver (78 g/g), and lungs (38 g/g) accumulated the most. In treated Wistar rats, the bioretention profile of QDs was in the following order: the spleen, liver, kidney, lungs, heart, brain, and testis. The accumulation of these QDs induced the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species, resulting in an alteration in antioxidant activity. It is concluded that these QDs caused oxidative stress, which harmed cellular functions and, under certain conditions, caused partial brain, kidney, spleen, and liver dysfunction. This is one of the most comprehensive in vivo studies on the nanotoxicity of CdSe quantum dots.

Organometallic nanoconjugates have raised great interest due to their bimodal properties and high stability. In the present study, we analyzed the cytotoxicity property of carbon dots (CDs) and a series of organometallic nanoconjugates including gold@carbon dots (Au@CDs) and silver@carbon dots (Ag@CDs) synthesized via an aqueous mode. We aimed to divulge a comparative analysis of cell proliferation, uptake, and localization of the particles in HeLa and HEK293 cell lines. Our results showed dose-dependent cytotoxicity of Au@CDs, Ag@CDs, and CDs. However, Ag@CDs showed the highest inhibition through HeLa cells with an IC50 value of around 50 ± 1.0 μg/mL. Confocal imaging signified the uptake of the particles suggested by blue fluorescence in the interior region of HeLa cells. Furthermore, the TEM micrographs depicted that the particles are entrapped by endocytosis assisted through the cell microvilli. The CDs and Au@CDs were thus observed to be relatively safe up to a concentration of 100 μg/mL and did not induce any morphological changes in the cells. Moreover, the cell proliferation assay of these nanoconjugates against HEK 293 cells signified the nontoxic nature of the nanoconjugates. The results thus revealed two major facts: firstly, the Ag@CDs had potent therapeutic potential, signifying their potential as a promising anticancer drug, and secondly, the CDs and Au@CDs at a defined dose could be used as probes for detection and also bioimaging agents.

Betel leaf is consumed as a mouth freshener due to its characteristic flavor, aromaticity, and medicinal values. Abundance of phytochemicals in betel leaf contributes towards unique qualitative features. Screening of metabolites is quintessential for identifying flavoring betel leaves and their origin. Metabolomics presently lays emphasis on the cumulative application of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic approaches. Here we adopted different protocols based on the above-mentioned analytical metabolomics platform for untargeted plant metabolite profiling followed by multivariate analysis methods and a phytochemical characterization of Piper betel leaf cultivars endemic to coastal Odisha, India. Based on variation in the solvent composition, concentration of solvent, extraction temperature, and incubation periods, five extraction methods were followed in GC–MS and NMR spectroscopy of betel leaf extracts. Phytochemical similarities and differences among the species were characterized through multivariate analysis approaches. Principal component analysis, based on the relative abundance of phytochemicals, indicated that the betel cultivars could be grouped into three groups. Our results of FTIR-, GC–MS-, and NMR-based profiling combined with multivariate analyses suggest that untargeted metabolomics can play a crucial role in documenting metabolic signatures of endemic betel leaf varieties.

Advancements in telecommunication sector result in increasing exposure to electromagnetic (EM) radiation, which has been correlated with incidence of male infertility. Therefore, the present study focused on analyzing the consequence of EM radiation (2115 MHz) exposure on the reproductive system of male Wistar rats. Besides, the antioxidant protective effect of Punica granatum juice was also evaluated. For experimental analysis, rats were divided into five groups (control, sham exposed, exposed, herbal plus exposed, and herbal only). Individual group consisted of 6 rats which were exposed to radiation for 45 days (2 h/day). The herbal-treated groups were given 1 ml of Punica granatum extract orally. Various parameters such as organ to body ratio, sperm count, motility, viability, and testis histopathology were studied. Furthermore, oxidative stress parameters and free radical generation were analyzed. The exposed group showed changes in sperm parameters along with decrease in seminiferous tubule diameter. On the contrary, herbal-exposed group showed enhanced sperm count, increased motility, and viability in comparison to exposed group. Histopathology studies also revealed the protective role of herbal juice. Significant alteration in oxidative parameters along with an enhanced free radical generation in exposed group and reduction in herbal groups was observed. The results thus indicate that continuous exposure to EM radiation can lead to oxidative stress which induces biochemical changes in rat sperms. However, Punica granatum extract has a protective role against oxidative damage induced by EM radiation.

A facile relatively lower temperature solvothermal approach has been used to synthesize boron carbide quantum dots (∼7 nm in size). The detailed structural analysis emphasizes the presence of defect states due to which B4C yielded 1.5 times more fluorescence intensity in tumor cells than normal cell lines. Detailed cytotoxicity and boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) studies have been analyzed. The synthesized material has the potential to stand with traditional clinically studied boron agents (L-BPA) in BNCT. Therefore, the synthesized B4C quantum dots can act as a potential candidate for detector as well as treatment for tumor cells.

The Piper betle L. leaves and their significance were described in various ayurvedic studies of India and China for its diverse use in cultural practices and treatment of various health disorders. The leaves of P. betle were used as post-meal mouth freshener in India for centuries. However, it offers economic benefits to farmers of Coastal India at large. Betel leaves cultivated agricultural soils play a significant role for their mineralogical composition. So, this present study aimed to find out the soil physicochemical characteristics and C/N contents of Betel vineyards of coastal Odisha. The soil and water samples were collected from local varieties of P. betle L. cultivated vineyards of Balasore, Ganjam, and Puri districts of Odi-sha and investigated their mineralogical composition. The soil mineralogy plays crucial role to understand the soil-plant relations. Coastal soil samples also contain the most prized mineral aggregations from economical perspectives. The mineralogical composition involves chemical composition, essential elemental composition, and surface morphology. The mineralogical and elemental composition of soil samples were carried out by using various techniques like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy attached with energy-dispersive X-ray system. CHNS analyzer for quantification of hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon , and sulfur content. H 2 O 2 (30%)-treated soil is employed to eliminate the organic carbon from mass soil samples. The scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed the presence of heterogeneity shape and size of surface soils of both treated and untreated soils. For estimation of total organic carbon (TOC), inorganic carbon, total nitrogen, and total carbon, water samples were analyzed through TOC analyzer. Percentage variation arises in GAN and PUR sites soil due to more assumption of organic matter from clay soils in comparison with sandy soils of BAL. The spectra of FTIR point out Kaolinite and Quartz as the key components and others are minor components. The common minerals like quartz, hematite, kaolinite, montmorillonite, calcite, organic matter and illite in diverse compositions are recognized. Further, the presence of these above minerals was confirmed by the XRD analysis. Morphological analysis of kaolinite indicated euhedral, hexagonal, and pseudo-hexagonal-shaped plates. The mineralogical data revealed the relative abundance of phosphorus and nitrogen was less in all soils. Depletion of P and N may be resulted due to introduction of fresh plowed soil from grazed pastoral land. The present research uncovers that soils requires adequate input of additional compost, manures, and fertilizers for maximal vegetative growth and economic yield as well. As P. betle species is very precious medicinal plant, and this research suggested not to use contaminated water for betel cultivation. Our results also helpful for the improvement in soil management in the vineyards to determining the mineral nutrients that affect plant growth and development.

Objective(s): Aluminium nitride (AlN) could be used in implantable biomedical sensor devices, for which cytotoxicity analysis is of utmost importance. Materials and Methods: AlN nanoparticles were synthesized using a simple and effective solvothermal method. The X-ray diffraction results revealed the cubic phase of AlN, and the field emission scanning electron microscopy analysis demonstrated the structural morphology of the synthesized materials. In addition, the cytotoxicity of the AlN nanoparticles was assessed against healthy (HEK-293, HUVEC, and MCF10A) and cancerous cell line (HeLa). The intensity of the reactive oxygen species was also measured to determine the induced oxidative stress in the treated cells. Results: The cytotoxicity analysis indicated that the AlN nanoparticles were nontoxic against the cancerous and normal cell lines. No significant changes were observed between the low doses of the AlN nanoparticles in the treated and control cells. However, morphological changes were detected by a phase contrast microscope, while insignificant changes were observed similar to the control cells. Conclusion: The findings of this study could lay the groundwork for the development of AlN nanoparticles for further biomedical applications.

Boron carbide enriched with 10B isotope (10B4C) was synthesized by simple and low cost solvothermal method. Structural, morphological and optical analysis has been done. Hexagonal phase of the synthesized material show emission in visible region and makes it a promising material for cancer diagnosis. Cytotoxicity analysis has been done to analyze its suitability for biomedical applications. Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) has been performed using thermal neutron source in comparison to clinically studied compound on tumor cell lines (HeLa and U-87MG).

Highly water dispersible 10BN has been synthesized using solvothermal method at relatively low temperature. Structural and morphological analysis of 10BN has been done. Cytotoxicity analysis on normal (HEK-293) and cancer (HeLa, MCF-7) cells showed that 10BN is relatively less toxic and produces insignificant oxygen species. Promising BNCT antitumor effect was observed in 10BN treated HeLa cells. The thermal neutron fluence of ~6.3 � 1012/cm2 resulted in almost 50% cell killing of BN treated HeLa cells.