Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles for biomedical and environmental applications

Nanobiotechnology has been making rapid strides in diverse fields. The green techniques are straight forward in their approach, involve usage of low-cost procedures, present better reducing potential and result in near-zero contamination. Of the noble metals, silver takes the lion’s share, in terms of ongoing research and published literature. Plant-mediated synthesis offers numerous advantages over chemical, thermal, sonic and microbial methods. It is possible to optimize the overall yield, size and shape of the silver nanoparticles by altering the reaction parameters. The usage of plant parts like leaves, fruits, pods, seeds, flowers and roots paves the way for an eco-friendly utilization of easily accessible raw materials. The phytochemicals in the plant extracts serve two important roles. First, they act as reducing agents for the conversion of silver in its monovalent form to zerovalent form. Second, they stabilize the nanoparticles, preventing their agglomeration and precipitation. The potential pharmaceutical applications include their antimicrobial, antibiofilm, anticoagulant, antidiabetic, antioxidant, anticancer, larvicidal, pupicidal, pediculocidal and acaricidal activities. The environmental applications include their catalytic activity against dyes and ability to detect heavy metal ions. The current chapter presents an overview of the published literature with regard to the phytosynthesis and applications of silver nanoparticles.