Green Synthesized Nanoparticles as Emerging Therapeutic Agents: Mechanisms, Biomedical Applications, and Future Prospects

Abstract

The concept of green-synthesized nanoparticles (GSNPs) has arisen as a novel, sustainable and biocompatible to traditional methods of nanomaterial production, being less toxic and possessing more functionality by taking advantage of environmentally friendly synthesis pathways. The review gives an in-depth discussion of the biological processes, therapeutic uses and safety analyses of GSNPs, which may prove to be the next generation agents in nanomedicine. Natural reducing and stabilizing agents include plants, microorganisms, algae, enzymes, and biomolecules, as they allow the creation of nanoparticles with a regulated morphology and an enhanced stability in mild conditions. This is the reason why GSNPs have a wide range of therapeutic uses, such as antimicrobial, anticancer, immunomodulatory, and diagnostic, due to their unique physicochemical characteristics. As demonstrated in vitro and in vivo, GSNPs are less cytotoxic and more biodegradable than chemically prepared analogs, which proves their appropriateness in the fields of biomedical and environmental uses. The issues of reproducibility, ability to manufacture on a large scale and limited knowledge of nanoparticle-biomolecule interactions still make clinical translation difficult, though. The integration of artificial intelligence, omics technologies, together with standardized protocols of green synthesis in the future will likely accelerate the creation of safe, scalable, and multifunctional GSNP platforms. Together, GSNPs constitute a significant step towards sustainable nanotechnology whose potential for health care around the world and environmental care is immense.