Prospective application of nanoparticles green synthesized using medicinal plant extracts as novel nanomedicines

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants in green synthesis of metal nanoparticles is increasing day by day. A simple search for the keywords “green synthesis” and “nanopar-ticles” yields more than 33,000 articles in Scopus. As of August 10, 2021, more than 4000 articles have been published in 2021 alone. Besides demonstrating the ease and environ-mental-friendly route of synthesizing nanomaterials, many studies report the superior phar-macological properties of green synthesized nanoparticles compared to those synthesized by other methods. This is probably due to the fact that bioactive molecules are entrapped on the surface of these nanoparticles. On the other hand, recent studies have confirmed the nano-dimension and biocompatibility of metal ash (Bhasma) preparations, which are commonly macerated with biological products and administered for the treatment of various diseases in Indian medicine since ancient times. This perspective article argues for the prospective medical application of green nanoparticles in the light of Bhasma.