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Nanomaterials
Special Issues
Nanoparticles from Plant Extracts: Synthesis, Properties and Applications
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Nanoparticles from Plant Extracts: Synthesis, Properties and Applications

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Biology and Medicines".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 November 2026 | Viewed by 2305

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Raluca Șuică-Bunghez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Institute for Research & Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry–ICECHIM Bucharest, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: metallic nanoparticles; plant extract; antioxidant activity; UV-VIS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Cristina Emanuela Enǎşcuţǎ

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Institute for Research & Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry–ICECHIM Bucharest, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: design, synthesis, and characterization of nanostructured materials obtained using environmentally friendly chemical and biological routes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant extracts have important properties for human health, with applications in medicine and the food and cosmetics industries. Medicinal plants present antitumor, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities. Their extraction is performed using different methods in order to obtain the best results.

Plants are composed of flavonoids, phenolics, alkaloids, and terpenoids, which can be used as natural reducing agents and can help in the conversion of metallic ions into nanoparticles. These biological molecules can also play an important role as capping agents, preventing them from aggregating and stabilizing the obtained nanoparticles.

The aim of this Special Issue, ‘Nanoparticles from Plant Extracts: Synthesis, Properties and Applications’, is to showcase important research on nanomaterials that use plant extracts.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity;
  • Plant extract analysis;
  • Characterization of metallic nanoparticles.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Raluca Șuică-Bunghez
Dr. Cristina Emanuela Enǎşcuţǎ
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • metallic nanoparticles
  • eco-friendly methods
  • SEM
  • UV-VIS
  • antioxidant and antimicrobial activity

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 4812 KB  
Article
Inorganic and Erythroxylum coca Leaf Extract-Mediated Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles: A Comparative Study of Size, Surface Chemistry, and Colloidal Stability
by Juan A. Ramos-Guivar, Henry Daniel Lizana-Segama, Mercedes del Pilar Marcos-Carrillo and Noemi-Raquel Checca-Huaman
Nanomaterials 2026, 16(6), 341; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano16060341 - 10 Mar 2026
Viewed by 596
Abstract
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized via two complementary routes, an inorganic surfactant-mediated method and a plant-extract-assisted biosynthesis, to elucidate how synthesis pathways influence nanoparticle physicochemical properties. In the inorganic route, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-stabilized AuNPs were prepared using CTAB dissolution temperatures of 70–90 °C. [...] Read more.
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized via two complementary routes, an inorganic surfactant-mediated method and a plant-extract-assisted biosynthesis, to elucidate how synthesis pathways influence nanoparticle physicochemical properties. In the inorganic route, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-stabilized AuNPs were prepared using CTAB dissolution temperatures of 70–90 °C. UV–Vis spectroscopy showed localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) bands at 554–556 nm, while dynamic light scattering (DLS) indicated a decrease in hydrodynamic diameter from 110 to 97 nm with increasing dissolution temperature. Zeta potentials above +40 mV indicated strong electrostatic stabilization, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed ultrasmall Au cores with a narrow size distribution (2.4–3.0 nm) and a face-centered cubic crystal structure. In the biosynthetic route, AuNPs were obtained using aqueous Erythroxylum coca leaf extracts (1–4% w/v). The extracts exhibited a concentration-dependent red shift (~380 to ~420 nm), and biosynthesized AuNPs displayed LSPR bands in the 550–580 nm range. DLS yielded hydrodynamic diameters of 270–390 nm, with pronounced aggregation (3341 nm) at the lowest extract concentration. Under optimized conditions (HC5, n = 5), reproducible plasmonic and colloidal properties were obtained (maximum absorbance, localized surface plasmon resonance wavelength (λmax) = 569.6 ± 1.7 nm; hydrodynamic diameter (DH) = 237.6 ± 24.3 nm; absolute zeta potential (|ζ|)= 32.2 ± 2.6 mV). TEM analysis indicated predominantly quasi-spherical particles with a broader, log-normal size distribution, consistent with extract-mediated growth under heterogeneous organic capping environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles from Plant Extracts: Synthesis, Properties and Applications)
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23 pages, 1876 KB  
Article
Biogenic Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Biological Evaluation of Nanoparticles Derived from Chlorella vulgaris Ethanolic Extract
by Alexandra Ivanova, Mina Todorova, Dimitar Petrov, Vera Gledacheva, Iliyana Stefanova, Miglena Milusheva, Valeri Slavchev, Gabriela Kostadinova, Zhana Petkova, Olga Teneva, Ginka Antova, Velichka Yanakieva, Slava Tsoneva, Daniela Karashanova, Krastena Nikolova and Stoyanka Nikolova
Nanomaterials 2026, 16(3), 177; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano16030177 - 28 Jan 2026
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Abstract
Chlorella vulgaris is a microalga with well-established nutritional, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial potential. The current study aimed to explore the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the ethanolic extract of C. vulgaris and to assess how nanoparticle formation affects the chemical composition, [...] Read more.
Chlorella vulgaris is a microalga with well-established nutritional, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial potential. The current study aimed to explore the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the ethanolic extract of C. vulgaris and to assess how nanoparticle formation affects the chemical composition, antimicrobial potential, antioxidant capacity, and spasmolytic activity of the extract, building on earlier evidence for its modulatory effects on gastrointestinal smooth muscle. Even though AgNPs from Chlorella have been obtained previously, to the best of our knowledge, their spasmolytic activity has not been evaluated. To assess their properties and stability, ATR-FTIR, TEM images, XRD, DLS, and zeta potential were used. The obtained AgNPs were mostly spherical (with a diameter between 10 and 50 nm) and showed good colloidal stability. The synthesis of AgNPs resulted in significant changes in lipid composition, pigment content, and fatty acid profiles, including a decrease in total chlorophylls and an increase in mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The biosynthesized AgNPs showed moderate to strong antibacterial activity against a variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts, and fungi. The most pronounced inhibitory effect was observed against A. niger and P. chrysogenum. In ex vivo organ bath experiments, AgNPs modulated the contractile activity and the spasmolytic profile of isolated rat gastric smooth muscle compared with C. vulgaris extract. These results demonstrate that green-synthesized AgNPs present systems with altered smooth muscle activity and improved antibacterial qualities, underscoring their potential for use in functional foods, nutraceuticals, and gastrointestinal therapeutics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoparticles from Plant Extracts: Synthesis, Properties and Applications)
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