Title:A Review on Metal Nanoparticles from Medicinal Plants: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications
Volume: 11
Issue: 5
Author(s): Jincy A. George, Smriti Sundar and Kuppusamy A. Paari*
Affiliation:
- Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore,India
Keywords:
Green nanotechnology, medicinal plants, anti-cancerous, anti-larval, anti-microbial, dye degradation, plant growth
enhancement, anti-diabetic, food preservation.
Abstract: Plant extracts contain secondary metabolites which have the potential to act as reducing and
stabilizing agents contributing to a greener and more efficient method to synthesize nanoparticles.
Rapid growth of Nanotechnology has led to an increased demand in various fields. This review summarizes
the use of potent medicinal plant extracts to synthesize metal nanoparticles, methods employed
to characterize the properties of the nanoparticles and its application. Characterization of the
nanoparticle based on its shape, size, chemical bonds, surface properties, hydrodynamic diameter and
crystalline structure using techniques such as UV-Visible Spectroscopy, XRD (X-ray Diffraction),
TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), EDS (X-ray energy
dispersive spectroscopy), DLS (Dynamic Light Scattering), Zeta Potential and FTIR (Fourier
Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy) are elaborated. The synthesized metal nanoparticles have wide
ranges of applications such as antimicrobial activity, antioxidative capability, anticancer effect, antidiabetic
properties, plant growth enhancement, dye degradation effects and anti-larval properties. Recent
advances in nanotechnology with special emphasis on plant metabolites provide an insight into
their usage as plant-derived edible nanoparticles (PDNPs). Applications, limitations and future prospects
of this technology have also been briefly discussed.