Eco-friendly synthesized nanoparticles as antimicrobial agents: an updated review

Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2023 Aug 16:13:1224778. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1224778. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Green synthesis of NPs has gained extensive acceptance as they are reliable, eco-friendly, sustainable, and stable. Chemically synthesized NPs cause lung inflammation, heart problems, liver dysfunction, immune suppression, organ accumulation, and altered metabolism, leading to organ-specific toxicity. NPs synthesized from plants and microbes are biologically safe and cost-effective. These microbes and plant sources can consume and accumulate inorganic metal ions from their adjacent niches, thus synthesizing extracellular and intracellular NPs. These inherent characteristics of biological cells to process and modify inorganic metal ions into NPs have helped explore an area of biochemical analysis. Biological entities or their extracts used in NPs include algae, bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, viruses, yeasts, and plants, with varying capabilities through the bioreduction of metallic NPs. These biosynthesized NPs have a wide range of pharmaceutical applications, such as tissue engineering, detection of pathogens or proteins, antimicrobial agents, anticancer mediators, vehicles for drug delivery, formulations for functional foods, and identification of pathogens, which can contribute to translational research in medical applications. NPs have various applications in the food and drug packaging industry, agriculture, and environmental remediation.

Keywords: DNA damage; anticancer agents; antimicrobial agents; antioxidant activity; drug delivery; eco-friendly; green synthesis.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Actinobacteria*
  • Agriculture
  • Anti-Infective Agents* / pharmacology
  • Drug Delivery Systems
  • Nanoparticles*

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents