Shweta Sharma

Panjab University · Institute of Forensic Science and Criminology

In forensic toxicology, the accurate identification and quantification of drugs are essential for medico-legal investigations. However, the challenge of drug stability complicates this task. On-site extraction (OSE) offers a solution, eliminating the need for sample transportation and storage, reducing degradation risks, and enhancing time, cost, a...

The present invention disclosing a device that is made up with an adsorbent material, wherein the matrix of device is infused with the octanol solution and a magnetic bead is embedded within the layers of the matrix of the device so that the device can rotate under magnetic field. For forming device, involves cutting adsorbent material into individ...

Benzodiazepines are highly prevalent class of drugs utilized worldwide. They have been used as antidepressants and tranquilizers while also possessing the capability to induce sedative-hypnosis effects. In addition, the ease of access and the potential for addiction contribute to their high consumption on a global scale. They are frequently used fo...

For the first time, a novel biofluid sampler (BFS) and sample preparation device is introduced for the analysis of 11 basic and acidic drugs (i.e., pheniramine, chlorpheniramine, fluoxetine, tramadol, amitriptyline, ketamine, diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, clozapine, chlorpromazine, dothiepin) in postmortem biological matrices (blood and urine). BFS i...

Interactions of manganese dioxide nanoparticles (MnO2 NPs) with vital biomolecules namely deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and serum albumin (BSA) have been studied in association with different surfactants by using fluorescence (steady state, synchronous and 3D), UV-visible, resonance light scattering (RLS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and sodium d...

Chronological sequencing of ink strokes has been a challenge for the Forensic Document Examiners (FDE). Document forgery is a common practice and the ability to determine the order in which the primary and the subsequent strokes have been made is crucial for establishing the authenticity of a document. Lately, the prime thrust of establishing the s...

In forensic toxicology, the extraction and purification of analytes from complex biological matrices heavily rely on the effectiveness of sample preparation methods. However, existing methods often face inherent challenges such as interfering substances and limited sample quantities, which can compromise the accuracy and efficiency of toxicological...

This reference is a comprehensive guide to carbon quantum/ dots (CQDs) for researchers. The book includes ten chapters that explain the synthesis of CQDs, their chemical properties and their application in the field of nanotechnology. The content starts with a detailed introduction to CQDs, followed by the synthesis, chemical properties, and charac...

This reference is a comprehensive guide to carbon quantum/ dots (CQDs) for researchers. The book includes ten chapters that explain the synthesis of CQDs, their chemical properties and their application in the field of nanotechnology. The content starts with a detailed introduction to CQDs, followed by the synthesis, chemical properties, and charac...

Drug-facilitated crimes (DFCs) entail the use of a single drug or a mixture of drugs to render a victim unable. Traditionally, biological samples have been gathered from victims and conducting analysis to establish evidence of drug administration. Nevertheless, the rapid metabolism of various drugs and delays in analysis can impede the identificati...

In recent years, the occurrence of a wide variety of drug-resistant diseases has led to an increase in interest in alternate therapies. Peptide-based drugs as an alternate therapy hold researchers’ attention in various therapeutic fields such as neurology, dermatology, oncology, metabolic diseases, etc. Previously, they had been overlooked by pharm...

Counterfeiting or forged imitation of banknotes is a perpetual practice engulfing global economies. This not only poses challenges for the material scientists to come forth with advanced security materials but also demands veracious forensic examination to detect counterfeits. The present article pursues novel efforts in summarizing a study that la...

Reports related to incidences of drug facilitated crimes (DFCs) have notably increased in recently. In such cases, victims report being assaulted or robbed while under the influence of drugs. Lorazepam (LZ) is frequently used in DFCs as it can easily make victims docile owing to its potent numbing effect. Therefore, a straightforward and green anal...

Favipiravir, a pyrazine analog, is proposed as providential antiviral agent against the COVID-19 infection during 2020 pandemic emergency. For the first time, a fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been developed and applied for the determination of favipiravir (FAV) in biological sa...

Favipiravir (FAV) has become a promising antiviral agent for the treatment of COVID-19. Herein, a green, fast, high-sample-throughput, non-instrumental, and affordable analytical method is proposed based on surfactant-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (SA-DLLME) combined with thin-layer chromatography–digital image colourimetry (TLC...

Dichlorvos (DDVP) is an organophosphorous insecticide which is classified as “highly hazardous” Class 1B chemical by World Health Organization (WHO) and largely misused for the purpose of self-poisoning in developing countries. Forensic toxicology laboratories are routinely encountering cases of pesticide poisoning due to their fatal intoxication....

The research work presented in this report focuses on a facile phytogenic process for fabrication of Ag@TiO2 nanocomposites with varying silver content (0.5 wt% to 7 wt%) using the extract of fennel (foeniculum vulgare) seeds. The polyphenolics found in seeds reduce the Ag + ions into Ag0 (AgNPs) and stabilize them on the periphery of TiO2 nanopowd...

Aiming towards simplifying sample preparation procedure, the present work explores use of unmodified laboratory filter paper as sorbent for extraction of ten basic drugs (five antidepressants, four benzodiazepines, and ketamine) from human blood samples and their analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The procedure termed as cell...

This paper sheds light into numerous features of the interaction of copper sulfide nanoparticles (CuS NPs) with vital proteins viz., bovine serum albumin (BSA), human serum albumin (HSA) and collagen in the absence and presence of different surfactants. We used the wet chemical co-precipitation process for the synthesis of CuS NPs. The synthesized...

Fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE) has become a popular sorptive-based microextrac-tion technique for the rapid analysis of a wide variety of analytes in complex matrices. The present study describes a simple and green analytical protocol based on in-matrix methyl chloroformate (MCF) derivatization of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) dr...

A green, simple and cost-effective, validated high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) with UV detector has been developed an analytical method for the simultaneous determination of the most significant phenolic compounds viz. Gallic acid (GA), Quercetin (QC) and Ferulic acid (FA). The detection limit of GA, QC, FA was 0.303, 0.168, 0.0976 μg...

Aspirin (ASA) is a globally used anti-inflammatory drug and salicylic acid (SA) is the biological metabolite of ASA. As an analytical chemist, it's always a challenge to accurately and precisely determine a drug along with its metabolites with a single method. Hence, we aim to develop a simple and low-cost assay based on combination of vortex assis...

In the present scenario, a serious predicament faced across the globe is the infection caused by bacteria. Bacterial infections rank higher among dreadful diseases and are considered to be the foremost leading causes of death worldwide. Although the recent decade has witnessed a notable development in the production of cogent antibiotics, still the...

Surface active agents, commonly known as surfactants are highly versatile and fascinating molecules. Their noble properties find tremendous application in the field of synthetic chemistry. However, there is a tremendous research interest focused on incorporating metal atoms in the molecular structure of these molecules. As they also exhibit propert...

Morphine (MO), a prime constituent of opium, is highly toxic and can alter various immune functions as well as disruption in the central nervous system. In this context, the present work focuses on the development of an electrochemical sensor based on thiourea (N and S atom) doped graphene for MO detection. The doping of nitrogen and sulphur (N and...

Lately, the explicit field of macromolecular compounds has been revolutionized by thermoplastic materials. With the introduction of these intriguing adaptable materials, the domains of commodity polymers have taken a diverse route. Amidst all the commodity polymers, polyvinylchloride (PVC) has turned out to be a milestone and has managed to place i...

This work reports the physicochemical behavior of antibiotic drug, cefixime (CEF) in presence of cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), dodecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (DTAB), dodecyl ethyl dimethyl ammonium bromide, (DDAB),...

Nanomaterials are considered as competent materials as compared to traditional interventions in biomedical fields, due to their distinct and remarkable size-dependent properties. Advancement in surface functionalization strategies of nanomaterials has enhanced their activities and usages in the field of biosensing and image-guided therapeutics. Fun...

This review embodies a comprehensive study pertaining to forensic examination of photocopied documents. A critical discussion on the trends, advances of analytical techniques implemented in the past four decades, and their respective edge over each other has been explicitly presented in the study. The field of interest has witnessed pronounced deve...

Glutamate excitotoxicity and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) recently have been found to be instrumental in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative diseases. However, the paucity of literature deciphering the inter-linkage among glutamate receptors, behavioral alterations, and ER demands thorough exploration. Reckoning the aforesaid concerns, a pr...

Thermal papers are replacing the conventional form of printing and are being extensively used across the globe. This study encompasses a non-destructive approach to examine thermal papers by using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and Video Spectral Comparator (VSC), where the former technique helps in characterizing and discriminating different samples and th...

The current monologue reports the facile synthesis of hybrid Patchouli oil (P. cablin) coated silver nanoparticles (P-Ag-NPs) using hyacinth bean (L. purpureus) seed extract as a reducing agent. Design of experiment (DoE) based methodical optimization of the formulation parameters such as metallic salt concentration, and pH resulted in the successf...

Pollution of water linked to microbial decontamination and extensive use of sodium chlorite (NaClO2) as a disinfectant, especially in the face of the current COVID-19 situation, is a serious water pollution issue that needs to be addressed. In this context, an environmentally friendly and cost-effective method has been developed for the biomimetic...

Biosensors are devices that capture the biological signal and convert it into a detectable electrical signal through transduction. Biological entities like DNA, RNA, and proteins/enzymes can be conjugated onto the biosensor surface to detect and observe certain biological analytes in environment, biomedical, and food industries. Peptides have been...

Tuberculosis (TB) holds a central and deadly platform around the globe, affecting mankind with around one-third of the world being affected by latent TB. TB progresses in the body through inhalation process and has a critical discrimination in terms of affecting individuals depending upon age, sex, socio-economic status, and even the stature of nat...

Forensic DNA Phenotyping (FDP) is evolving as a new technology in forensic science which can make predictions on the externally visible characteristics (EVCs) of an individual based on the information derived from DNA left at a crime scene. FDP as a forensic tool is gaining tremendous importance for successfully predicting the phenotype from biolog...

A new theranostic formulation for effective Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) delivery is designed using silver nanoparticles. Sulfamethoxazole-Silver nanocomposite (SMX-AgNP) was formulated by chemical reduction method and was characterized via X-ray diffraction [XRD], thermogravimetric analysis [TGA], differential scanning calorimetry [DSC], fourier transfo...

Drug abuse is a major issue worldwide. Methylphenidate (MPH) and alprazolam (ALZ) are commonly prescribed drugs for the treatment of ADHD and anxiety disorders, respectively. The limited studies suggest that abusers primarily use benzodiazepines to counteract adverse effects associated with methylphenidate usage. The main aim of this study was to i...

The present work highlights the microwave-assisted synthesis of novel superabsorbent gum gellan cross-linked poly(acrylic-co- methacrylic acid) hydrogel [GG-cl-poly(AA-co-MAA)] prepared by the simultaneous graft copolymerization using ammonium persulfate as the initiator and N,N′-methylene-bis-acrylamide as the cross-linker for the removal of catio...

OBJECTIVE: Methylphenidate (MPH) is a first‑line treatment option for attention‑deficit hyperactive disorder and narcolepsy. MPH is one of the most abused psychostimulants by the adults and young population to stay awake, perform better, or improve concentration. The scanty reports say that the medical users or abusers mostly consider the administr...

Micelles are well established solubilizing agents which can solubilize poorly soluble drug moieties. For choosing the optimum solubilizing medium for levofloxacin (LEVO) solubilization, studies were carried out using various surfactants viz., tyloxapol, tween 80, tween 20, sodium cholate, (NaC), sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), dodecyl ethyl dimethyl...

Pesticides are environmental contaminants which are widely used all over the world in agriculture, the industry as well as household to put a check on pests, weeds and other unwanted living species. These chemicals are known to cause acute and chronic toxic effects on the health of exposed subjects. The molecular procedures that underlie these effe...

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is the current global public health threat with no specific, effective, and approved treatment available till date. The outbreak of COVID-19 has led the world into an unimagined and uncertain situation by disrupting the economies, claiming human lives, and leaving many into secondary mental health problems. As per the...

Background In the previous decade, abuse of several types of prescription drugs, particularly anxiolytics, opioid analgesics, and stimulants has increased significantly worldwide. Methylphenidate (MPH) and Alprazolam (ALZ) are extensively used drugs for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety disorders, respecti...

The biogenic synthesis of carbon micro composites (CMCs) using a simple chemical method was accomplished by assorting mushroom (Asparagus Disporus) as the organic precursor. Synthesized CMCs ensued the good yield of 0.425 g. The resulted product was characterized using CHN (O) elemental analysis displaying the carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen content...

The deficiency, as well as overconsumption of essential metal ions, has serious health implications. Hence, the design and synthesis of sensors for detection of such ionic species are of great significance. In this work, a Dehydroacetic acid-based chemosensor DHB ((E)-N-(1-(2-hydroxy-6-methyl-4-oxo-4H-pyran-3-yl) ethylidene benzohydrazide) was deve...

In this report, we described an environment friendly synthesis procedure for cleaner production of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) through biochemical reduction of Ag+ ions using aqueous extract of Vigna mungo beans. The primary phytochemical analysis of V. mungo beans revealed that seeds contain flavonoids, phenolic acids and proteins, which play a d...

The biogenic synthesis of carbon micro composites (CMCs) using a simple chemical method was accomplished by assorting mushroom (Asparagus Disporus) as the organic precursor. Synthesized CMCs ensued the good yield of 0.425 g. The resulted product was characterized using CHN (O) elemental analysis displaying the carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen content...

Peptides exhibit unique binding behavior with graphene and its derivatives by forming bonds on its edges and planes. This makes them useful for sensing and imaging applications. This review with (155 refs.) summarizes the advances made in the last decade in the field of peptide-GO bioconjugation, and the use of these conjugates in analytical scienc...

The present research work was aimed to synthesize neem gum-based site-specific drug delivery device for anticancer drug methotrexate at different pH condition. The hydrogel-based drug delivery device was synthesized by optimizing reaction parameters using a factorial design approach response surface method. This model comprised of various sets of r...

Benzylisothiocynate also referred to as BITC is a compound which is commonly found in Cruciferae plants. This chemical moiety falls under the category of Isothiocynates (ITCs), and is known to possess superior antibacterial properties. Hence, endeavors have been made in the present research to encapsulate benzyl isothiocynate (BITC) within the fram...

Benzylisothiocynate also referred to as BITC is a compound which is commonly found in Cruciferae plants. This chemical moiety falls under the category of Isothiocynates (ITCs), and is known to possess superior antibacterial properties. Hence, endeavors have been made in the present research to encapsulate benzyl isothiocynate (BITC) within the fram...

Unfortunately, the author name (Rajat Sandhir) has been left in the online published article. The correct author group is given below:

In the present work, an attempt has been made to elucidate the structural features of synthesized graphite materials, i.e., expanded graphite (EG) and an expanded graphite/silver nanoparticles (EG/AgNPs) nanocomposite. In order to obtain knowledge about the functional groups present, the interlayer spacing between the carbon layers, topographical f...

Metal oxide (ZnO-NP s) and hybrid polymeric poly (dl-Lactide-co-glycolide)-metal oxide nanocomposites (PLGA-ZnO-N C) were fabricated via biogenic and modified solvent emulsification-diffusion method, respectively. The optical, morphological , elemental traits, along with photocatalytic and bactericidal activity of the nanosystems were intrigued usi...

Benzylisothiocynate also referred to as BITC is a compound which is commonly found in Cruciferae plants. This chemical moiety falls under the category of Isothiocynates (ITCs), and is known to possess superior antibacterial properties. Hence, endeavors have been made in the present research to encapsulate benzyl isothiocynate (BITC) within the fram...

Graphene oxide (GO) films are deposited on flexible Kapton substrates and selectively modified to conductive reduced graphene oxide (rGO) electrodes using laser patterning. Based on this, we design, fabricate, and test a flexible sensor integrating laser-reduced GO with silver plasmonic nanostructures. The fabricated device results in dual transduc...

Metal oxide (ZnO-NP s) and hybrid polymeric poly (dl-Lactide-co-glycolide)-metal oxide nanocomposites (PLGA-ZnO-N C) were fabricated via biogenic and modified solvent emulsification-diffusion method, respectively. The optical, morphological , elemental traits, along with photocatalytic and bactericidal activity of the nanosystems were intrigued usi...

A facile synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) was carried out by employing a biomimetic approach. Herein, the extract of Eugenia jambolana was used as the precursor excipients, which played a synergistic role in the reduction and capping (stabilization) of Ag ⁺ into zero valent (viz. Ag ⁰ ) Ag-NPs. In addition to this, the study was further d...

Cypermethrin, a type II pyrethroid, is a widely used insecticide worldwide. It is considered a safe insecticide to be used in pet shampoos and household cleaning agents thus ignoring the possible health hazards caused by it. Cypermethrin may contaminate food, water, fruits or get deposited on furniture, mats or floors leading to acute or chronic di...

Herein, we report a unique single step biogenic deposition precipitation (BDP) approach as a straight forward route for producing efficient Schottky contact between the noble metal nanoparticles and wide band gap semiconductors. A successful preparation of Ag-ZnO heterojunctions using fennel seeds extract (FSE) has been described. The effective bio...

In the context of the wide misuse of benzodiazepine drugs, this work is an attempt to sense diazepam, which is the most exploited drug molecule amongst this class. A graphene oxide/lysine (GO/lys) composite, synthesized using a very simple chemical method, has been used to modify a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the voltammetric detection of dia...

This work reports the physicochemical behavior of antibiotic drug Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in presence of different surfactants, viz., CTAB, DTAB, DDAB, SDS, NaDOC, Tween 80 and Tween 20. The drug-surfactant systems were studied by UV-Visible and fluorescence spectroscopy to assess the binding constants (Kb), partition coefficient (Kx), free energy o...

The numbers indicating the permissible limits of concentration of the different metal ion consumptions and exposure levels on the environment are as important as their consumption for healthy existence of living systems. Overpassing these consumption and exposure limits can be unsafe for the living systems and environment. In this perspective, we d...

Present work encompasses the facile green and biogenic preparation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using of cumin seeds (Cuminum cyminum) extract. The phytochemicals present in seeds extract, possessing strong anti-oxidant potential, reduce silver (Ag⁺) ions and subsequently stabilize the newly formed silver (Ag⁰) nuclei. The effect of pH, concentr...

The scarcity of water is a serious problem in the agricultural production, leading to decrease in crop yield. The solution to this problem can be generated by inducing the production of synthetic materials based on natural polysaccharide with good water absorption and retention capacities. The present work aimed at preparing an acrylic acid grafted...

Present work encompasses the facile green and biogenic preparation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using of cumin seeds (Cuminum cyminum) extract. The phytochemicals present in seeds extract, pos- sessing strong anti-oxidant potential, reduce silver (Ag+) ions and subsequently stabilize the newly formed silver (Ag0 ) nuclei. The effect of pH, conce...

DNA sequence is a powerful tool that can be used for an individual's identification and investigation of various abnormalities in the genome. However, recent studies have identified other heritable changes by epigenetic mechanisms that cause changes in gene expression without altering the DNA sequence itself. In particular, DNA methylation mediates...

The objective of the present study is to enhance the permeation of bioactive molecules across highly lipophilic insurmountable blood brain barrier (BBB) using folic acid (FA) functionalized poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (FA-PNPs) coated with non-ionic surfactant, Polysorbate 80 (P80). The developed Mtx-Tf loaded folic acid anch...

A procedure for the determination of Eszopiclone (ESZ) from complex matrices i.e. in vitro (spiked matrices), as well as in vivo (mice model) was developed using cloud point extraction coupled with microwave-assisted back-extraction (CPE-MABE). Analytical measurements have been carried using UV–Visible, HPLC and MS techniques. The proposed method h...

The process of drug dissolution depends upon a number of physical phenomenon i.e. wetting of the particle's surface, breakdown of solid state bonds, solvation, diffusion (through the liquid unstirred boundary layer surrounding the particle), and convection. Development of less complex theories and appropriate mathematical equations can be pioneer i...

A facile biomimetic approach for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using aqueous extract of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seeds have been reported in this article. The seeds of F. vulgare are rich in various plant secondary metabolites (phytochemicals) such as polyphenolic acids, flavonoids, and saponins. The phytochemicals of F. vulgare se...

Extraction of diazepam (DZP) from complex matrices, i.e. blood, milk and urine, has been carried out using conventional solvents and surfactant formulations. The formulations have been spectrophotometrically (A) analysed and method specificity has been depicted through first-order derivative (D1) spectrophotometry. A comparative study between conve...

This review is intended to put in front the unique, amazing and outstanding properties of graphene material and silver nanostructures and their composites. Analytical techniques required to know the surface morphology, shape and size, crystallinity, physiochemical changes during the preparation methods of respective structures are discussed in deta...

Polymers were first introduced three decades ago as bioresorbable surgical devices. Since then, polymer-based nanoparticles have been extensively studied in a variety of fields. Nanocarriers formulated with biocompatible and biodegradable polymers approved by the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and EMA (European Medicines Agency) are being st...

With the objective of extracting a large amount of analytical information from spectral data comprising of unresolved bands, a number of techniques have been proposed. In context to spectral data analysis, 1st or higher order mathematical derivative treatments of absorbance plots have proven to be a pioneer. Pharmacy, food, cosmetics and environmen...

Nanostructured drug delivery systems have emerged as an upcoming area in medical research due to its ultimate potential to improve human health. However, there are numerous safety challenges, which need to be addressed before new products based on this technology, enter the market. Nanoparticles (NPs), because of their small size (less than 100 nm)...