Emerging perspectives of plant-derived nanoparticles as effective antimicrobial agents

Abstract

Schematic representation of plant-derived preparation of NPs and their possible biomedical applications (Created with BioRender.com ). • Discussion on various aspects of plant-mediated preparation of NPs and their mechanism of action against pathogens. • A drug delivery aspect of plant-derived NPs to understand the unique role of NPs as drug carriers. • Attention towards environmental and health aspects of NPs use in the medical field and suggestions on future possible solutions. • Illuminating path of researchers working on plant-derived NPs and their biomedical applications. Recently, antimicrobial resistance is the most challenging and significant concern faced by the present generation since diverse pathogenic microbes have gained resistance to even newly manufactured drugs which complicates the treatment of most common microbial diseases. Numerous attempts have been made to establish alternative ways to overcome the antimicrobial resistance towards the drugs. In this connection, the NPs have emerged as the most innovative and promising antimicrobial agents for the various treatment approaches. Furthermore, plant-based NPs have been widely used for various biomedical applications such as antimicrobial agents and cancer therapy due to their cost-effectiveness, ease of synthesis and environment friendly nature. Eco-friendly plant-derived NPs are viewed as critical components of future medicinal chemistry to control various life-threatening diseases in humans and animals. The present review focuses on an updated assessment of synthesis methodologies adopted for preparation of plant-derived NPs and antimicrobial efficiency of plant-derived NPs. We also explored the role of NPs in drug transport and mode of action of the frequently used plant-derived NPs, specifically silver, gold, copper and zinc NPs. The environmental and health aspects of NPs used in the medical field are also reviewed with the probable solutions for minimizing side effects. Hence, this review summarizes all important aspects (synthesis, medical applicability, challenges and possible solutions) of plant-derived NPs which can provide the unique platform for researchers working in the field of plant-derived NPs for the exploration of various biomedical applications.