12 - Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from endophytic fungi and their role in plant disease management

Abstract

Nanotechnology provides a platform for the application of metal nanoparticles from different areas such as electronics, catalysis, energy, textile, diagnostics, biomarkers, antiplatelets, cancer, and cytotoxic studies. Green synthesis of nanoparticles emerged as an attractive alternative to physical and chemical methods. Various biological entities such as plant, algae, fungi, yeast, bacteria, and viruses could be employed for the biosynthesis of nanoparticles. Among these, fungi are considered as a better source for the extracellular synthesis of stable metal nanoparticles. Fungi secrete a variety of enzymes/proteins when compared to other microbes such as bacteria, and it can produce metal nanoparticles in a large scale within a short time. Endophytic fungi are the microbes, which resides in healthy tissues of plants without causing any overt symptoms. Endophytic fungi are known to produce metal nanoparticles, which are highly active against several microbial pathogens of humans and plants. Among several metal nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have gained increasing interest due to their unique characteristics, which can be tailored for a specific application by modifying size, shape, and morphology. The present review focuses on the synthesis of AgNPs from entophytic fungi and its potential role in biological control and plant disease management.