Biosynthesis and Potential Applications of Silver and Gold Nanoparticles and Their Chitosan-Based Nanocomposites in Nanomedicine

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Abstract

Biosynthesized or biogenic metallic nanoparticles, particularly silver and gold nanoparticles (AgNPs and AuNPs, respectively), have been increasingly used because of their advantages, including high stability and loading capacity; moreover, these nanoparticles are synthesized using a green and cost-effective method. Previous studies have investigated reducing and/or stabilizing agents from various biological sources, including plants, microorganisms, and marine-derived products, using either a one-pot or a multistep process at different conditions. In addition, extensive studies have been performed to determine the biological or pharmacological effects of these nanoparticles, such as antimicrobial, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. In the recent years, chitosan, a natural cationic polysaccharide, has been increasingly investigated as a reducing and/or stabilizing agent in the synthesis of biogenic metallic nanoparticles with potential applications in nanomedicine. Here, we have reviewed the mechanism of biosynthesis and potential applications of AgNPs and AuNPs and their chitosan-mediated nanocomposites in nanomedicine.

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Nanoparticles in medicine: therapeutic applications and developments.

L. Zhang, F. Gu, J M Chan … (2008)

Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter generally in the 1-100 nm dimension range. The application of nanotechnology to medicine, known as nanomedicine, concerns the use of precisely engineered materials at this length scale to develop novel therapeutic and diagnostic modalities. Nanomaterials have unique physicochemical properties, such as ultra small size, large surface area to mass ratio, and high reactivity, which are different from bulk materials of the same composition. These properties can be used to overcome some of the limitations found in traditional therapeutic and diagnostic agents.

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Probing the Cytotoxicity of Semiconductor Quantum Dots

Austin M. Derfus, Warren C W Chan, Sangeeta N. Bhatia (2004)

With their bright, photostable fluorescence, semiconductor quantum dots show promise as alternatives to organic dyes for biological labeling. Questions about their potential cytotoxicity, however, remain unanswered. While cytotoxicity of bulk cadmium selenide (CdSe) is well documented, a number of groups have suggested that CdSe QDs are cytocompatible, at least with some immortalized cell lines. Using primary hepatocytes as a liver model, we found that CdSe-core QDs were indeed acutely toxic under certain conditions. Specifically, we found that the cytotoxicity of QDs was modulated by processing parameters during synthesis, exposure to ultraviolet light, and surface coatings. Our data further suggests that cytotoxicity correlates with the liberation of free Cd2+ ions due to deterioration of the CdSe lattice. When appropriately coated, CdSe-core QDs can be rendered non-toxic and used to track cell migration and reorganization in vitro. Our results inform design criteria for the use of QDs in vitro and especially in vivo where deterioration over time may occur.