Biomimetic synthesis of nanoparticles: A comprehensive review on green synthesis of nanoparticles with a focus on Prosopis farcta plant extracts and biomedical applications
Maryam Mohammadi Dargah, Parisa Pedram, Gustavo Cabrera‐Barjas, Cédric Delattre, Aleksandra Nešić, Gabriella Santagata, Pierfrancesco Cerruti, Arash Moeini
Abstract
The synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) using environmentally friendly methods has garnered significant attention in response to concerns about the environmental impact of various nanomaterial manufacturing techniques. To address this issue, natural resources like extracts from plants, fungi, and bacteria are employed as a green alternative for nanoparticle synthesis. Plant extracts, which contain active components such as terpenoids, alkaloids, phenols, tannins, and vitamins, operate as coating and reducing agents. Bacteria and fungi, on the other hand, rely on internal enzymes, sugar molecules, membrane proteins, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) dependent enzymes to play critical roles as reducing agents. This review collects recent advancements in biomimetic methods for nanoparticle synthesis, critically discussing the preparation approaches, the type of particles obtained, and their envisaged applications. A specific focus is given on using Prosopis fractal plant extracts to synthesize nanoparticles tailored for biomedical applications. The applications of this plant and its role in the biomimetic manufacturing of nanoparticles have not been reported yet, making this review a pioneering and valuable contribution to the field. • Biomimetic synthesis revolutionizes nanoparticle production, utilizing biological entities' capabilities. • Plants offer superior nanoparticle control, outperforming bacteria and fungi with quicker reduction rates. • Prosopis farcta from the Leguminosae family has been widely investigated for the biomimetic synthesis of NPs. • Bio-NPs enhance biocompatibility, reduce toxicity, and enable targeted drug delivery and imaging.