Functionalization of Amorphous and Crystalline Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles with Urea for Phosphorus and Nitrogen Fertilizer Applications.

The development of nanofertilizers has gained significant attention for their potential to enhance nutrient delivery to plants while mitigating the environmental impact of intensive agriculture. In this study, we investigated the urea functionalization of two types of calcium phosphate nanoparticles, hydroxyapatite (HAP) and amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP), as nanofertilizers capable of simultaneously releasing phosphorus and nitrogen in a controlled manner. Leaching experiments using a vermiculite column revealed that ACP-urea significantly slowed urea release compared with free urea, whereas HAP-urea exhibited a release profile similar to that of free urea.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes for enhanced photosynthesis and high-value compound production in microalgae and cyanobacteria.

Carbon nanomaterials such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can improve algal photosynthetic efficiency and increase the production of valuable compounds without decreasing biomass productivity. This work investigates the effects of SWCNTs dispersed by different proteins or functionalized with carboxylic groups (SWCNT-COOH) on several microalgae and a cyanobacterium, aiming to enhance photosynthetic performance and produce valuable compounds. The best SWCNTs' dispersion in water was achieved with lysozyme (LSZ@SWCNT), histone (HST@SWCNT) and SWCNT-COOH.

Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles Functionalized with a Cardio-Specific Peptide.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide, highliting the urgent need for new therapeutic strategies. Peptide-based therapies have demonstrated significant potential for treating CVDs; however, their clinical application is hindered by their limited stability in physiological fluids. To overcome this challenge, an effective drug delivery system is essential to protect and efficiently transport peptides to their intended targets.

Bioinspired oriented calcium phosphate nanocrystal arrays with bactericidal and osteogenic properties.

The global diffusion of antibiotic resistance poses a severe threat to public health. Addressing antibiotic-resistant infections requires innovative approaches, such as antibacterial nanostructured surfaces (ANSs). These surfaces, featuring ordered arrays of nanostructures, exhibit the ability to kill bacteria upon contact.

Stearate-Coated Biogenic Calcium Carbonate from Waste Seashells: A Sustainable Plastic Filler.

Waste seashells from aquaculture are a massive source of biogenic calcium carbonate (bCC) that can be a potential substitute for ground calcium carbonate and precipitated calcium carbonate. These last materials find several applications in industry after a surface coating with hydrophobic molecules, with stearate as the most used. Here, we investigate for the first time the capability of aqueous stearate dispersions to coat bCC powders from seashells of market-relevant mollusc aquaculture species, namely the oyster , the scallop , and the clam .

Inhalable Microparticles Embedding Biocompatible Magnetic Iron-Doped Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles.

Recently, there has been increasing interest in developing biocompatible inhalable nanoparticle formulations, as they have enormous potential for treating and diagnosing lung disease. In this respect, here, we have studied superparamagnetic iron-doped calcium phosphate (in the form of hydroxyapatite) nanoparticles (FeCaP NPs) which were previously proved to be excellent materials for magnetic resonance imaging, drug delivery and hyperthermia-related applications. We have established that FeCaP NPs are not cytotoxic towards human lung alveolar epithelial type 1 (AT1) cells even at high doses, thus proving their safety for inhalation administration.

Fluorescent Carbon Dots from Food Industry By-Products for Cell Imaging.

Herein, following a circular economy approach, we present the synthesis of luminescent carbon dots via the thermal treatment of chestnut and peanut shells, which are abundant carbon-rich food industry by-products. As-synthesized carbon dots have excellent water dispersibility thanks to their negative surface groups, good luminescence, and photo-stability. The excitation-emission behaviour as well as the surface functionalization of these carbon dots can be tuned by changing the carbon source (chestnuts or peanuts) and the dispersing medium (water or ammonium hydroxide solution).

Calcium phosphates from fish bones in sunscreen: An LCA and toxicity study of an emerging material for circular economy.

The use of sustainable and natural materials is an ever-increasing trend in cosmetic. Natural calcium phosphate (CaP-N) from food by-products and especially from fisheries (i.e.

Calcium Phosphates from Fishery Byproducts as a Booster of the Sun Protection Factor in Sunscreens.

Calcium phosphates (CaPs) have been recently proposed as a bio- and eco-compatible alternative to UV filters in sunscreens, which are in the spotlight for being associated with health risks for both people and the environment. Here, natural CaPs extracted from fish bones have been tested as a booster of the sun protection factor (SPF), that is, as material working in synergy with UV filters to increase sunscreen UV-shielding efficiency, in combination with three of the most used UV filters, namely, octocrylene (OCR), octinoxate, and padimate-O, at different concentrations (10.0 and 20.

An study of thermal crystallization of amorphous calcium phosphates.

The heat-induced crystallization of amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) is an intriguing process not yet well comprehended. This is because most of the works on this topic are based on studies where the materials are characterized after the heat and cooldown cycles, thus missing transient structural changes. Here, we used time-resolved energy dispersive X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy to study, for the first time, the thermal crystallization of ACP .

Microbial Volatile Organic Compound (VOC)-Driven Dissolution and Surface Modification of Phosphorus-Containing Soil Minerals for Plant Nutrition: An Indirect Route for VOC-Based Plant-Microbe Communications.

We investigated the ability of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) emitted by (a well-known MVOC producer) to modify the dissolution kinetics and surface of hydroxyapatite, a natural soil mineral. Facilitated phosphate release was induced by the airborne MVOCs in a time-dependent manner. Use of each standard chemical of the MVOCs then revealed that acetic and oxalic acids are crucial for the phenomenon.

The Use of Calcium Phosphates in Cosmetics, State of the Art and Future Perspectives.

Calcium phosphates (CaPs) belong to a class of biomimetic materials widely employed for medical applications thanks to their excellent properties, such as biodegradability, biocompatibility and osteoinductivity. The recent trend in the cosmetics field of substituting potentially hazardous materials with natural, safe, and sustainable ingredients for the health of consumers and for the environment, as well as the progress in the materials science of academics and chemical industries, has opened new perspectives in the use of CaPs in this field. While several reviews have been focused on the applications of CaP-based materials in medicine, this is the first attempt to catalogue the properties and use of CaPs in cosmetics.

Calcium Phosphate Particles Coated with Humic Substances: A Potential Plant Biostimulant from Circular Economy.

Nowadays, the use of biostimulants to reduce agrochemical input is a major trend in agriculture. In this work, we report on calcium phosphate particles (CaP) recovered from the circular economy, combined with natural humic substances (HSs), to produce a plant biostimulant. CaPs were obtained by the thermal treatment of bones and were subsequently functionalized with HSs by soaking in a HS water solution.

Thermal crystallization of amorphous calcium phosphate combined with citrate and fluoride doping: a novel route to produce hydroxyapatite bioceramics.

Amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) is a material of high interest for dentistry, orthopedics, and other biomedical sectors. Being intrinsically metastable, the process of transformation of ACP into a crystalline phase upon heating is of high relevance for the development of innovative bioceramics. Here we have first studied the thermal behavior of a citrate-stabilized ACP (Cit-ACP) also doped with fluoride ions (Cit-FACP) prepared at three different nominal Cit/Ca ratios (i.

Optimization of In Vivo Studies by Combining Planar Dynamic and Tomographic Imaging: Workflow Evaluation on a Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles System.

Molecular imaging holds great promise in the noninvasive monitoring of several diseases with nanoparticles (NPs) being considered an efficient imaging tool for cancer, central nervous system, and heart- or bone-related diseases and for disorders of the mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS). In the present study, we used an iron-based nanoformulation, already established as an MRI/SPECT probe, as well as to load different biomolecules, to investigate its potential for nuclear planar and tomographic imaging of several target tissues following its distribution via different administration routes. Iron-doped hydroxyapatite NPs (FeHA) were radiolabeled with the single photon -emitting imaging agent [Tc]TcMDP.

Influence of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles on Two Terrestrial Wild Plant Species.

Most current studies on the relationships between plans and engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are focused on food crops, while the effects on spontaneous plants have been neglected so far. However, from an ecological perspective, the ENMs impacts on the wild plants could have dire consequences on food webs and ecosystem services. Therefore, they should not be considered less critical.

The effect of chemical structure of carboxylate molecules on hydroxyapatite nanoparticles. A structural and morphological study.

Being the most abundant non-macromolecular organic component of bone, the role of citrate (Cit) in hydroxyapatite (HA) crystallization is of high relevance. In this work we have investigated the influence of hydroxycitrate (CitOH) and glutarate (Glr) on HA crystallization in terms of particle growth, composition, and morphology in comparison to Cit. CitOH and Glr have been selected for this work because they share the same backbone structure of Cit but bear different functional groups in the central region.

Germination and Early Development of Three Spontaneous Plant Species Exposed to Nanoceria (CeO) with Different Concentrations and Particle Sizes.

This study aimed to provide insight regarding the influence of Ce oxide nanoparticles (CeO) with different concentrations and two different particle sizes on the germination and root elongation in seedlings of spontaneous terrestrial species. In a bench-scale experiment, seeds of the monocot, and dicots and were treated with solutions containing CeO 25 nm and 50 nm in the range 0-2000 mg Ce L. The results show that CeO enters within the plant tissues.

Selenium-doped hydroxyapatite nanoparticles for potential application in bone tumor therapy.

In the present study we have studied the incorporation and release of selenite ions (SeO) in hydroxyapatite nanoparticles for the treatment of bone tumors. Two types of selenium-doped hydroxyapatite (HASe) nanoparticles (NPs) with a nominal Se/(P + Se) molar ratio ranging from 0.01 up to 0.

Mussel Shell-Derived Macroporous 3D Scaffold: Characterization and Optimization Study of a Bioceramic from the Circular Economy.

Fish industry by-products constitute an interesting platform for the extraction and recovery of valuable compounds in a circular economy approach. Among them, mussel shells could provide a calcium-rich source for the synthesis of hydroxyapatite (HA) bioceramics. In this work, HA nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized starting from mussel shells () with a two steps process based on thermal treatment to convert CaCO in CaO and subsequent wet precipitation with a phosphorus source.

Synergistic Release of Crop Nutrients and Stimulants from Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles Functionalized with Humic Substances: Toward a Multifunctional Nanofertilizer.

The use of salt- or macro-sized NPK fertilizers is typically associated with low nutrient use efficiency and water eutrophication. Nanotechnology can overcome such drawbacks, but its practical application on a large scale is limited by (i) high costs and difficult scale-up of nanoparticle synthesis, (ii) questionable advantages over traditional methods, and (iii) health hazards related to nanomaterial introduction in the food stream and the environment. Here, we report on a novel biocompatible and multifunctional P nanofertilizer obtained by self-assembling natural or synthetic humic substances and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles using a simple and straightforward dipping process, exploiting the interaction between the polyphenolic groups of humic substances and the surface of nanohydroxyapatite.

Nanomedicine Approaches for the Pulmonary Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease affecting today nearly 70,000 patients worldwide and characterized by a hypersecretion of thick mucus difficult to clear arising from the defective CFTR protein. The over-production of the mucus secreted in the lungs, along with its altered composition and consistency, results in airway obstruction that makes the lungs susceptible to recurrent and persistent bacterial infections and endobronchial chronic inflammation, which are considered the primary cause of bronchiectasis, respiratory failure, and consequent death of patients. Despite the difficulty of treating the continuous infections caused by pathogens in CF patients, various strategies focused on the symptomatic therapy have been developed during the last few decades, showing significant positive impact on prognosis.

Surface Phenomena Enhancing the Antibacterial and Osteogenic Ability of Nanocrystalline Hydroxyapatite, Activated by Multiple-Ion Doping.

The present work describes a novel nanocrystalline, multidoped hydroxyapatite featuring excellent eukaryotic versus prokaryotic cell selectivity, attested by excellent osteoinductive character and evaluated with human stem cells, and anti-infective ability, tested against different pathogens. Physicochemical analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)/scanning STEM observations highlighted that such enhanced biological features are related to the lower crystallinity level and increased surface charge of hydroxyapatite, both induced by multiple-ion doping. Specifically, the lattice substitution of Ca with Zn promotes the segregation of Ca and doping Mg cations to a less-ordered surface layer, thus promoting dynamic ion absorption/release acting as bioactive signals for cells and exerting an antiproliferative effect on all tested pathogens.