Triggered by the resounding success of cisplatin, the past decades have seen tremendous efforts to produce clinically beneficial analogues. The recent achievement of oxaliplatin for the treatment of colon cancer should, however, not belie the imbalance between a plethora of investigated complexes and a very small number of clinically approved platinum drugs. Strategies opening up new avenues are increasingly being sought using complexes of metals other than platinum such as ruthenium or gallium. Based on the chemical differences between these metals, the spectrum of molecular mechanisms of action and potential indications can be broadened substantially. Other approaches focus on complexes with tumour-targeting properties, thereby maximizing the impact on cancer cells and minimizing the problem of adverse side effects, and complexes with biologically active ligands.

Antitumour metal compounds: more than theme and variations

The low concentration levels of different chemical compounds in complex matrices such as food, environmental, biological and pharmaceutical, requires adequate analytical methods to isolate, preconcentrate and accurately quantify the analytes obtaining satisfactory results. The sample preparation step is a critical part of the whole analytical process, once it is constantly prone to contamination and at the same time, it is more difficult to automate. Aiming to improve the extraction performance of sample preparation techniques, highlighting the microextraction techniques, several sorbent materials have been developed and used in different application areas. They are based upon sorption processes and usually are in accordance with the principles of green chemistry (greener analytical methods). This review summarizes the recent advances and the prospects for new materials to be utilized in sample preparation techniques, emphasizing microextraction techniques based upon a sorption process in line with the concept of green analytical chemistry. We also approached the synthesis and main properties of the sorbent materials as well as the main miniaturized techniques that use them, and their most relevant and representative applications.

New materials in sample preparation: Recent advances and future trends

Co-precipitation synthesis and characterization of Co doped SnO2 NPs, HSA interaction via various spectroscopic techniques and their antimicrobial and photocatalytic activities.

Lamotrigine (an epileptic drug) interaction with human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated by fluorescence, UV-Vis, FTIR, CD spectroscopic techniques, and molecular modeling methods. Binding constant (Kb) of 5.74×103 and number of binding site of 0.97 showed that there is a slight interaction between lamotrigine and HSA. Thermodynamic studies was constructed using the flourimetric titrations in three different temperatures and the resulted data used to calculate the parameters using Vant Hoff equation. Decreased Stern Volmer quenching constant by enhanced temperature revealed the static quenching mechanism. Negative standard enthalpy (ΔH) and standard entropy (ΔS) changes indicated that van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonds were dominant forces which facilitate the binding of Lamotrigine to HSA, the results were confirmed by molecular docking studies which showed no hydrogen binding. The FRET studies showed that there is a possibility of energy transfer between Trp214 and lamotrigine. Also the binding of lamotrigine to HSA in the studied concentrations was not as much as many other drugs, but the secondary structure of the HSA was significantly changed following the interaction in a way that α-helix percentage was reduced from 67% to 57% after the addition of lamotrigine in the molar ratio of 4:1 to HSA. According to the docking studies, lamotrigine binds to IB site preferably.

Interaction of an antiepileptic drug, lamotrigine with human serum albumin (HSA): Application of spectroscopic techniques and molecular modeling methods.

Interaction of erucic acid with bovine serum albumin using a multi-spectroscopic method and molecular docking technique.

Study on the interaction of the epilepsy drug, zonisamide with human serum albumin (HSA) by spectroscopic and molecular docking techniques.

Synthesis, characterization, cytotoxicity and DNA binding studies of Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles coated by an antiviral drug lamivudine

Investigation of the effects of Zn2+, Ca2+ and Na+ ions on the interaction between zonisamide and human serum albumin (HSA) by spectroscopic methods.

Epirubicin loaded on magnetite-coated calcium ferrite conjugated folic acid (Fe3O4@CaFe2O4-FA@EPI) was synthesized and characterized using various techniques like SEM, EDX, FT-IR, XRD, TGA, BET, and VSM. Also, the therapeutic effects on A-549 and A-431 cancer cell lines and delivering ability of Fe3O4@CaFe2O4-FA@EPI for potential use as a system of targeted drug delivery in cancer therapy were investigated. The obtained results show that these hybrid nanoscale particles have a large capacity of adsorption for EPI (19.4 wt.%) and desirable drug loading performance (97.5%). The acetate buffer environment guides the drug release to a higher amount (99%), in comparison with the phosphate-buffered saline (28%). Also, the Fe3O4@CaFe2O4-FA@EPI nanohybrids in vitro cytotoxic activity versus A-549 (null folate receptor) and A-431 (positive folate receptor) cancer cell lines in group III (Fe3O4@EPI) investigations, show the higher cell cytotoxicity and apoptosis in A-549 cells compared to A-431 (p < 0.05). Moreover, in A-431 cells, the percent of cell cytotoxicity and cell death grew in the Fe3O4@CaFe2O4-FA@EPI group in comparison with the A-549 cell line (p < 0.05). The results illustrated the effects of Fe3O4@CaFe2O4-FA@EPI group on cytotoxicity and apoptosis of A-431 positive folate receptor cancer cells were almost two times greater than free EPI. Furthermore, obtained findings show that the Fe3O4@CaFe2O4-FA@EPI provides a specific growth inhibition of cancer cells through binding to receptors on the cell membrane and intracellular uptake.

Investigation of controlled release properties and anticancer effect of folic acid conjugated magnetic core–shell nanoparticles as a dual responsive drug delivery system on A-549 and A-431 cancer cell lines

Aref Khorshidi

Papers

Study on the interaction of the epilepsy drug, zonisamide with human serum albumin (HSA) by spectroscopic and molecular docking techniques.

Synthesis, characterization, cytotoxicity and DNA binding studies of Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles coated by an antiviral drug lamivudine

Investigation of the effects of Zn2+, Ca2+ and Na+ ions on the interaction between zonisamide and human serum albumin (HSA) by spectroscopic methods.

Investigation of controlled release properties and anticancer effect of folic acid conjugated magnetic core–shell nanoparticles as a dual responsive drug delivery system on A-549 and A-431 cancer cell lines