Current Nanoscience - Current Issue

Foodborne diseases (FBDs) are a major global public health problem, causing millions of deaths annually and substantial economic losses. Antimicrobial treatment is increasingly challenged by bacterial resistance. Essential oils from herbs and spices, such as carvacrol from thyme and oregano, offer potential solutions due to their broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties. However, its stability and its controlled release are affected by media and environmental conditions. Nanoencapsulation presents a promising alternative to address these challenges. This review analyzes 44 original papers and 21 patents concerning the recent advancements in the nanoencapsulation of carvacrol over the past decade, focusing on natural matrices and their applications in food, packaging, and human health fields. Various encapsulation techniques and matrices have been explored, demonstrating that nanoencapsulation can maintain the stability and antimicrobial efficacy of carvacrol. Moreover, nanoencapsulated carvacrol shows promising applications in inhibiting biofilm formation and quorum sensing, as well as exhibiting anticancer and anti-inflammatory effects. Patents related to nanoencapsulated carvacrol highlight its potential for intelligent packaging and healthcare. Nanoencapsulated carvacrol is a promising alternative to synthetic antimicrobials and as an adjuvant in inflammatory disease treatments and cancer, offering enhanced efficacy and versatility in applications.

The utilization of nanotechnology in developing novel packaging components has grown significantly in recent years, and it is anticipated to have a significant influence on the food industry shortly. It offers to produce food packaging with improved qualities that will assist food goods in lasting longer on the shelf. The present article comprehensively discusses the nanoparticles commonly used in food packaging, the significant changes they bring to the qualities of the material, and the commercially available packaging materials based on nanotechnology. This review primarily focuses on using nanotechnologies in food processing and packaging, explicitly examining their impact on food quality and safety. To comprehend the function of enhanced, active, and antimicrobial packaging in food packaging. The utilization of nanotechnology in food products has experienced a significant surge in popularity in both developed and developing nations. The review was obtained from searches conducted on academic databases such as Sci-Hub, Google Scholar, PubMed, etc. Collected data from many sources has been compiled and presented here to facilitate further research on the application of nanotechnology in food packaging. In the current review, we also discussed the different organic and inorganic nanomaterials. The article also discusses consumer health and safety concerns, highlighting the significance of thorough safety assessments and clear communication. Nanotechnology has numerous uses in diverse areas of food technology. This analysis examines the potential of nanotechnology to improve the quality and safety of packaged food. Nanotechnology in food packaging is highly encouraging, providing substantial advantages in terms of food preservation, safety, and sustainability. This paper offers a thorough examination of present trends, technological progress, and future predictions to provide a full understanding of how nanotechnology can fundamentally transform food packaging. This transformation will enable the development of creative, environmentally friendly, and more secure food systems.

The application of nanotechnology in agriculture provides efficient disease diagnosis and management, precision farming with nano-sensors, increased production with nano-fertilizers and pesticides, and improved food quality and safety via innovative packaging. Nanotechnology is used in various ways at various stages in the agriculture sector. Nanotechnology could be utilized to ensure crop safety in two ways: Nanoparticles that are harmful to pests and pathogens and serve as pesticide carriers, such as ZnO, SiO2, Cu, and TiO2, protect the plant from microbial disease and regulate its activity. Nanoparticles are essential tools used in manipulating plants, and there is a wide variety of nanoparticles, each with its own uses for different plants. Plants undergo minuscule gene manipulations that give them advantages and endurance. When particles are reduced to the nanometer scale, they exhibit a high surface area to volume ratio, resulting in unique properties that allow for systematic applications in engineering, biomedical, agricultural, and related fields. Nanomaterials can be created through bottom-up or top-down procedures using physical, chemical, and organic synthesis methods. This review study explores the use of different nano materials in the agricultural sector and the impact of silica nanoparticles, metal oxide, and metal nanoparticles on plant metabolic processes. Additionally, the impacts of nanoparticles on microbes, bacteria, and other pathogens are also being analyzed.

This review explores the potential of microneedles (MNs) in enhancing the delivery of biologics vital for treating conditions, including infectious diseases, cancer, and autoimmune disorders. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the demand for biologics, prompting research and development. The global biologics market is expected to grow substantially due to the rise of personalized medicine. Large, complex molecules, including proteins, peptides, and vaccines, are known as biologics, and a potential technique for their delivery is microneedles. MNs come in various forms: solid, hollow, coated, dissolvable, and hydrogel MNs. Traditional drug delivery methods have limitations, while transdermal drug delivery via Microneedles offers a promising alternative. Microneedles painlessly penetrate the skin's barrier, forming temporary microchannels for effective medication administration. This minimally invasive, self-administered technique increases patient comfort and compliance and eliminates the complications of oral medications and injections, indicating a bright future for biologic drug administration. Microneedles hold the promise to reshape healthcare delivery by facilitating broader access to vaccines, insulin, and other crucial biologics.

This study aims to create a high-speed, low-power data transmission solution for implantable medical devices based on cutting-edge FinFET technology. The work examines the application of Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) modulation through a transmission gate design, which provides an optimal blend of low resistance, high-speed performance, and minimal power consumption. Additionally, the work includes the design of a sine-to-square wave converter and a modulating signal generator. FinFET is employed owing to its high switching speed, low power consumption, low leakage current, and excellent tolerance of short channel effects. The design exhibits a steady electric field at the source end, a high electrostatic potential, and an improved ON current at low work function values using Sentaurus TCAD simulations of a 20nm FinFET, allowing high-speed data modulation in smart implants. A non-overlapping phase generator, a low-power, current-starved gated ring oscillator, a frequency divider utilizing a True Single Phase Clock D-Flip-flop, and an XOR gate serving as a pulse counter are all featured in the design of the BPSK demodulator. This work is significant for its ability to drastically reduce power consumption to 1.75µW while retaining high data transmission speeds, making it perfect for next-generation implantable medical devices. With a 0.9 V power supply, this FinFET-based BPSK modulator and demodulator achieve a far lower power consumption than conventional CMOS-based designs, which increases device longevity and efficiency in settings with limited resources.