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Green Nanoparticles Synthesis Using Plants Extracts and Biomedical Applications

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A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 19156

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jayanta Kumar Patra

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Guest Editor

Research Institute of Integrative Life Sciences, Dongguk University, Goyang-si, Republic of Korea
Interests: antioxidant activity; bioactive compounds; medicinal plants; functional foods; biomolecules; nanobiotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Gitishree Das

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Research Institute of Integrative Life Sciences, Dongguk University, Goyang-si, Republic of Korea
Interests: antioxidant activity; medicinal plants; functional foods; plant stress; green synthesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

“Nanotechnology is the application of science to control matter at the molecular level”. It is a promising technology applied in all areas of science. Nanoparticles have multifunctional properties and very interesting applications in various fields, such as medicine, nutrition, energy, agriculture and the environment. Nanoparticles are of great interest due to their extremely small size and large surface-to-volume ratio, which contribute to both chemical and physical differences in their properties (e.g., mechanical, biological and sterical properties, catalytic activity, thermal and electrical conductivity, optical absorption and melting point) compared to most materials with same chemical composition. The biogenic synthesis of monodispersed nanoparticles with specific sizes and shapes has challenged biomaterial science. Synthesizing metal nanoparticles using green technology (green synthesis methods) via microorganisms, plants, viruses, etc., has been extensively studied recently due to its recognition as a green and efficient way to exploit biological system as convenient nanofactories. The biological synthesis of nanoparticles is increasingly regarded as a rapid, ecofriendly and easy-to-scale-up technology. Biological nanoparticles were found to be more pharmacologically active than physico-chemically synthesized nanoparticles. Biosynthesized nanoparticles have various applications, especially in the field of biomedical research (for specific delivery of drugs, such as paclitaxel, methotrexate and doxorubicin; tumor detection; angiogenesis; genetic disease and genetic disorder diagnosis; photoimaging; and photothermal therapy.) These developments are aimed at enhancing the uptake and bioavailability of nano-sized nutrients and supplements and improving the taste, consistency, stability, texture and safety of food products, as well as the development of nano-delivery systems for bioactive compounds. Therefore, nanotechnology may provide an opportunity for researchers of plant science and other fields to develop new tools for synthesis of environmentally friendly and cost-effective nanoparticles for applications in various fields. This Special Issue will highlight the latest findings and developments in this field worldwide in the form of research, reviews and mini reviews on all aspects related to the future prospects of green synthesis of nanoparticles and their biomedical applications.

Dr. Jayanta Kumar Patra
Dr. Gitishree Das
Guest Editors

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Keywords

green nanoparticle synthesis
plant-based nanoparticle synthesis
biological synthesis of nanoparticles
plant metabolites used in the synthesis of nanoparticles
application of green nanotechnology in the agricultural field
application of green-synthesized nanomaterials in biomedical fields
application of green nanotechnology in the environment

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 5478 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Syzygium cumini (L.) Extract-Derived Green Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Induce Caspase-Dependent Apoptosis in Hepatic Cancer Cells

by Musaed Rayzah, Abozer Y. Elderdery, Nasser A. N. Alzerwi, Badr Alzahrani, Abdullah Alsrhani, Afnan Alsultan, Bandar Idrees, Fares Rayzah, Yaser Bakhsh, Ahmed M. Alzahrani, Suresh K. Subbiah and Pooi Ling Mok

Plants 2023, 12(18), 3174; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12183174 - 05 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1180

Abstract

An aqueous extract of Syzygium cumini seeds was utilized to green synthesize titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs). UV-Visible, DLS, FTIR, XRD, FESEM, TEM, SAED, EDAX, and photoluminescence spectroscopy techniques were employed to characterize the prepared TiO₂ nanoparticles. The rutile crystal structure of TiO₂ NPs was revealed by XRD study. The TEM and FESEM images of the TiO₂ NPs revealed an average particle size of 50–100 nm. We employed EDAX to investigate the elemental compositions of TiO₂ NPs. The O-Ti-O stretching bands appeared in the FTIR spectrum of TiO₂ NPs at wavenumbers of 495 cm⁻¹. The absorption edge peaks of TiO₂ NPs were found in the UV-vis spectra at 397 nm. The MTT study revealed that TiO₂ NPs effectively inhibited the growth of liver cancer Hep3 and Hep-G2 cells. The results of the corresponding fluorescent staining assays showed that TiO₂ NPs significantly increased ROS generation, decreased MMP, and induced apoptosis in both liver cancer Hep3 and Hep-G2 cells. TiO₂ nanoparticles lessened SOD, CAT, and GSH levels while augmenting MDA contents in Hep3 and Hep-G2 cells. In both Hep3 and Hep-G2 cells treated with TiO₂ NPs, the Bax, CytC, p53, caspase-3, -8, and -9 expressions were remarkably augmented, while Bcl-2 expression was reduced. Overall, these findings revealed that formulated TiO₂ NPs treatment considerably inhibited growth and triggered apoptosis in Hep3 and HepG2 cells. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Nanoparticles Synthesis Using Plants Extracts and Biomedical Applications)

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22 pages, 4126 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Green Synthesized ZnO-NPs on Growth, Antioxidant System Response and Bioactive Compound Accumulation in Echinops macrochaetus, a Potential Medicinal Plant, and Assessment of Genome Size (2C DNA Content)

by Salim Khan, Fahad Al-Qurainy, Abdulrahman Al-hashimi, Mohammad Nadeem, Mohamed Tarroum, Hassan O. Shaikhaldein and Abdalrhaman M. Salih

Plants 2023, 12(8), 1669; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12081669 - 17 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1840

Abstract

Echinops macrochaetus is a medicinal plant that can be used to cure various diseases. In the present study, plant-mediated zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) were synthesized using an aqueous leaf extract of the medicinal plant Heliotropium bacciferum and characterized using various techniques. E. macrochaetus was collected from the wild and identified using the internal transcribed spacer sequence of nrDNA (ITS-nrDNA), which showed the closeness to its related genus in a phylogenetic tree. The effect of synthesized biogenic ZnO-NPs was studied on E. macrochaetus in a growth chamber for growth, bioactive compound enhancement and antioxidant system response. The irrigation of plants at a low concentration of ZnO-NPs (T1 = 10 mg/L) induced more growth in terms of biomass, chlorophyll content (273.11 µg/g FW) and carotenoid content (135.61 µg/g FW) than the control and other treatments (T2-20 mg/L and T3-40 mg/L). However, the application of a high concentration of ZnO-NPs (20 and 40 mg/L) increased the level of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, APX and GR), total crude and soluble protein, proline and TBARS contents. The accumulations of the compounds quercetin-3-β-D-glucoside, luteolin 7-rutinoside and p-coumaric acid were greater in the leaf compared to the shoot and root. A minor variation was observed in genome size in treated plants as compared to the control group. Overall, this study revealed the stimulatory effect of phytomediated ZnO-NPs, which act as bio-stimulants/nano-fertilizers as revealed by more biomass and the higher production of phytochemical compounds in different parts of the E. macrochaetus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Nanoparticles Synthesis Using Plants Extracts and Biomedical Applications)

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18 pages, 5807 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biogenic Synthesis, Characterization, and In Vitro Biological Evaluation of Silver Nanoparticles Using Cleome brachycarpa

by Ayesha Ahmed Sumra, Maryam Zain, Tahira Saleem, Ghulam Yasin, Muhammad Farooq Azhar, Qamar Uz Zaman, Vishwanie Budhram-Mahadeo and Hayssam M. Ali

Plants 2023, 12(7), 1578; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12071578 - 06 Apr 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1718

Abstract

The therapeutical attributes of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) in both conditions (in vitro and in vivo) have been investigated using different plants. This study focused on the green chemistry approach that was employed to optimize the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Cleome brachycarpa aqueous extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The characterization of obtained CB-AgNPs was undertaken using UV-visible spectroscopy, Atomic-force microscopy (AFM), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. Results suggest that CB-AgNPs synthesized via stirring produced small-sized particles with more even distribution. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were spherical with a 20 to 80 nm size range. In vitro studies were used to analyze antioxidant, antidiabetic, and cytotoxic potential under different conditions. The results also indicated that CB-AgNPs may have significant potential as an antidiabetic in low concentrations, but also exhibited potential antioxidant activity at different concentrations. Moreover, the anticancer activity against the breast cell line (MCF-7) with IC₅₀ reached up to 18 μg/mL. These results suggest that green synthesized silver nanoparticles provide a promising phytomedicine for the management of diabetes and cancer therapeutics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Nanoparticles Synthesis Using Plants Extracts and Biomedical Applications)

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13 pages, 4796 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization and Therapeutic Applications of Biosynthesized Silver Nanoparticles Using Cassia auriculate Flower Extract

by Nadana Sabapathi, Srinivasan Ramalingam, Kandasamy Nagarajan Aruljothi, Jintae Lee and Selvaraj Barathi

Plants 2023, 12(4), 707; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12040707 - 05 Feb 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2077

Abstract

The current study analyzes the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using the Cassia auriculate flower extract as the reducing and stabilizing agent. The Cassia auriculate- silver nanoparticles (Ca-AgNPs) obtained are characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. The results of the spectral characterization have revealed that the surface Plasmon resonance band observed at 448 nm confirms the formation of AgNPs. TEM analysis of the Ca-AgNPs was a predominately spherical shape with a size assortment of 30 to 80 nm and an angular size of 50 nm. The well-analyzed Ca-AgNPs were used in various biological assays, including healthcare analysis of antimicrobial, antioxidant (DPPH), and cytotoxic investigations. Ca-AgNPs showed efficient free radical scavenging activity and showed excellent antimicrobial activity against to pathogenic strains. The occurrence of Ca-AgNPs lead to reduced Live/Dead ratio of bacteria (from 36.97 ± 1.35 to 9.43 ± 0.27) but improved the accumulation of bacterial clusters. The cytotoxicity of Ca-AgNPs was carried out by MTT assay against MCF-7 breast cancer cells and a moderate cytotoxic. The approach of flower extract-mediated synthesis is a cost-efficient, eco-friendly, and easy alternative to conventional methods of silver nanoparticle synthesis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Nanoparticles Synthesis Using Plants Extracts and Biomedical Applications)

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24 pages, 8726 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biogenic Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Citrullus colocynthis for Potential Biomedical Applications

by Bushra Hafeez Kiani, Qudsia Ajmal, Nosheen Akhtar, Ihsan-ul Haq, Mostafa A. Abdel-Maksoud, Abdul Malik, Mohammed Aufy and Nazif Ullah

Plants 2023, 12(2), 362; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12020362 - 12 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2531

Abstract

Green nanoparticle synthesis is considered the most efficient and safe nanoparticle synthesis method, both economically and environmentally. The current research was focused on synthesizing zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) from fruit and leaf extracts of Citrullus colocynthis. Four solvents (n-hexane, methanol, ethyl acetate, and aqueous) were used to prepare the extracts from both plant parts by maceration and extraction. Zinc acetate was used to synthesize the nanoparticles (NPs), and color change indicated the synthesis of ZnONPs. X-ray diffraction, UV spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the ZnONPs. UV–visible spectroscopy revealed an absorbance peak in the 350–400 nm range. XRD patterns revealed the face-centered cubic structure of the ZnONPs. SEM confirmed a spherical morphology and a size range between 64 and 82 nm. Phytochemical assays confirmed that the complete flavonoid, phenolic, and alkaloid concentrations were higher in unrefined solvent extracts than in nanoparticles. Nanoparticles of C. colocynthis fruit aqueous extracts showed stronger antioxidant activity compared with the crude extracts. Strong antifungal activity was exhibited by the leaves, crude extracts, and nanoparticles of the n-hexane solvent. In a protein kinase inhibition assay, the maximum bald zone was revealed by nanoparticles of ethyl acetate extracts from leaves. The crude extracts and nanoparticles of leaves showed high cytotoxic activities of the n-hexane solvent, with LC₅₀ values of 42.08 and 46.35, respectively. Potential antidiabetic activity was shown by the n-hexane (93.42%) and aqueous (82.54%) nanoparticles of the fruit. The bioactivity of the plant showed that it is a good candidate for therapeutic use. The biosynthesized ZnONPs showed promising antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antidiabetic, and antioxidant properties. Additionally, the in vivo assessment of a nano-directed drug delivery system for future therapeutic use can be conducted based on this study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Nanoparticles Synthesis Using Plants Extracts and Biomedical Applications)

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19 pages, 5269 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Bio-Potential Effects of Fresh and Boiled Mountain Vegetable (Fern) Extract Mediated Silver Nanoparticles

by Gitishree Das, Han-Seung Shin and Jayanta Kumar Patra

Plants 2022, 11(24), 3575; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11243575 - 18 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1543

Abstract

This current investigation was designed to synthesize Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) using both the fresh (Fbf) and boiled (Bbf) Korean mountain vegetable fern (named Gosari) extracts and make a comparative evaluation of its multi-therapeutic potentials. The screening of phytochemicals in the fern extract was undertaken. The synthesized fern-mediated silver nanoparticles are characterized and investigated for their bio-potential like α-glucosidase inhibition, antioxidant, and cytotoxicity prospects. The obtained AgNPs were characterized by the UV-Vis Spectra, SEM, EDS, XRD, FTIR, DLS, Zeta potential analysis, etc. The synthesis of the Fbf-AgNPs was very fast and started within 1 h of the reaction whereas the synthesis of the Bbf-AgNPs synthesis was slow and it started around 18 h of incubation. The UV-Vis spectra displayed the absorption maxima of 424 nm for Fbf-AgNPs and in the case of Bbf-AgNPs, it was shown at 436 nm. The current research results demonstrated that both Fbf-AgNPs and Bbf-AgNPs displayed a strong α-glucosidase inhibition effect with more than 96% effect at 1 µg/mL concentration, but the Bbf-AgNPs displayed a slightly higher effect with IC₅₀ value slightly lower than the Fbf-AgNPs. Both Fbf-AgNPs and Bbf-AgNPs displayed good antioxidant effects concerning the in vitro antioxidant assays. In the case of the cytotoxicity potential assay also, among both the investigated Fbf-AgNPs and Bbf-AgNPs nanoparticles, the Bbf-AgNPs showed stronger effects with lower IC₅₀ value as compared to the Fbf-AgNPs. In conclusion, both the fern-mediated AgNPs displayed promising multi-therapeutic potential and could be beneficial in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors. Though the synthesis process is rapid in Fbf-AgNPs, but it is concluded from the results of all the tested bio-potential assays, Bbf-AgNPs is slightly better than Fbf-AgNPs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Nanoparticles Synthesis Using Plants Extracts and Biomedical Applications)

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17 pages, 4989 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Efficacy of Sterculia diversifolia Leaf Extracts: Volatile Compounds, Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activity, and Green Synthesis of Potential Antibacterial Silver Nanoparticles

by Ezz Al-Dein M. Al-Ramamneh, Ayoup M. Ghrair, Ashok K. Shakya, Khalid Y. Alsharafa, Khalid Al-Ismail, Samer Y. Al-Qaraleh, Jacek Mojski and Rajashri R. Naik

Plants 2022, 11(19), 2492; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11192492 - 23 Sep 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2333

Abstract

Sterculia diversifolia, widely distributed in Jordan as an ornamental plant, is a synonoum for Brachychiton populneus. Phytochemical studies examining the volatile chemicals in Sterculia diversifolia leaves are limited, despite the rising demand for their numerous applications. Furthermore, it was only recently that a report described the friendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous extract derived from Brachychiton populneus leaves. Therefore, AgNPs were produced using either aqueous plant extracts (AgWPE) or ethanolic plant extracts (AgEPE), and Shimadzu GC-MS equipment was used to detect volatile compounds in the ethanolic leaf extracts. GC-MS profile of leaf ethanolic extracts of the Jordanian chemotypes of S. diversifolia revealed the existence of major components: (3β)-Lup-20(29)-en-3-ol acetate (30.97%) and 1-octadecyne (24.88). Other compounds are squalene (7.19%), germanicol (6.23), dl-α-tocopherol (5.24), heptacosane (4.41), phytol (3.54) and pentacosane (2.89). According to published studies, these reported chemicals have numerous uses, including as animal feed, vitamin precursors, possible eco-friendly herbicides, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory agents. Aqueous extracts of S. diversifolia leaves had total phenolic of 5.33 mg GAE/g extract and flavonoid contents of 64.88 mg QE/g extract, respectively. The results indicated the contribution of phenolic and flavonoids to this plant’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The reduction in AgNO₃ to AgNPs using S. diversifolia leaf extracts was confirmed by the change in solution color from colorless to dark black. Further characterization was attempted by X-ray diffraction, Malvern zeta-sizer and scanning electron microscope. The efficacy of synthesized Ag nanoparticles using aqueous or ethanolic plant extract of S. diversifolia against the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus showed appreciable activity at 25 µg/mL concentration compared to the source plant extracts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Nanoparticles Synthesis Using Plants Extracts and Biomedical Applications)

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Review

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14 pages, 1590 KiB

Open AccessReview

Nano-Priming for Inducing Salinity Tolerance, Disease Resistance, Yield Attributes, and Alleviating Heavy Metal Toxicity in Plants

by Jisun H. J. Lee and Deepak M. Kasote

Plants 2024, 13(3), 446; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13030446 - 03 Feb 2024

Viewed by 964

Abstract

In today’s time, agricultural productivity is severely affected by climate change and increasing pollution. Hence, several biotechnological approaches, including genetic and non-genetic strategies, have been developed and adapted to increase agricultural productivity. One of them is nano-priming, i.e., seed priming with nanomaterials. Thus far, nano-priming methods have been successfully used to mount desired physiological responses and productivity attributes in crops. In this review, the literature about the utility of nano-priming methods for increasing seed vigor, germination, photosynthetic output, biomass, early growth, and crop yield has been summarized. Moreover, the available knowledge about the use of nano-priming methods in modulating plant antioxidant defenses and hormonal networks, inducing salinity tolerance and disease resistance, as well as alleviating heavy metal toxicity in plants, is reviewed. The significance of nano-priming methods in the context of phytotoxicity and environmental safety has also been discussed. For future perspectives, knowledge gaps in the present literature are highlighted, and the need for optimization and validation of nano-priming methods and their plant physiological outcomes, from lab to field, is emphasized. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Nanoparticles Synthesis Using Plants Extracts and Biomedical Applications)

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18 pages, 353 KiB

Open AccessReview

Reports of Plant-Derived Nanoparticles for Prostate Cancer Therapy

by Abdulrahman M. Elbagory, Rodney Hull, Mervin Meyer and Zodwa Dlamini

Plants 2023, 12(9), 1870; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12091870 - 03 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2437

Abstract

Plants have demonstrated potential in providing various types of phytomedicines with chemopreventive properties that can combat prostate cancer. However, despite their promising in vitro activity, the incorporation of these phytochemicals into the market as anticancer agents has been hindered by their poor bioavailability, mainly due to their inadequate aqueous solubility, chemical instability, and unsatisfactory circulation time. To overcome these drawbacks, it has been suggested that the incorporation of phytochemicals as nanoparticles can offer a solution. The use of plant-based chemicals can also improve the biocompatibility of the formulated nanoparticles by avoiding the use of certain hazardous chemicals in the synthesis, leading to decreased toxicity in vivo. Moreover, in some cases, phytochemicals can act as targeting agents to tumour sites. This review will focus on and summarize the following points: the different types of nanoparticles that contain individual phytochemicals or plant extracts in their design with the aim of improving the bioavailability of the phytochemicals; the therapeutic evaluation of these nanoparticles against prostate cancer both in vitro and in vivo and the reported mode of action and the different types of anticancer experiments used; how the phytochemicals can also improve the targeting effects of these nanoparticles in some instances; and the potential toxicity of these nanoparticles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Nanoparticles Synthesis Using Plants Extracts and Biomedical Applications)

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