Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in Pharmacy and Medicine. In particular, AgNPs synthesized and mediated by plant extracts have shown topossess several biological activities. In the present study, AgNPs were synthesized using Picea abies L. stem bark extract as reducing agent. Factors, such as metal ion solution, pH, and time, which play a role in the AgNPs synthesis, were assessed. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Further, the study has been extended to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of AgNPs. The broad peak obtained at 411–475 nm (UV-Vis spectroscopy), and the color change pattern, confirmed the synthesis of AgNPs. TEM results showed spherical or rarely polygonal AgNPs with an average size of 44 nm at pH = 9. The AgNPs showed antioxidant activity and antibacterial effect against human pathogenic Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The results show that spruce bark extract is suitable for obtaining AgNPs, with antibacterial and antioxidant activity.

Nanoparticles are intensely studied because of their importance in diverse fields of biotechnology, especially in medicine. This paper highlights that waste bark can be a cheap source of biocompounds, with high recovery and functionalization potential in nanoparticle synthesis. Due to their biocompatibility and activity as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer agents, the green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles is of great importance. This review aims to bring together the diversity of synthesized metallic nanoparticles mediated by bark extracts obtained from different woody vascular plants, the phytoconstituents responsible for the reduction of metal salts, and the activity of metallic nanoparticles as diverse agents in combating the microbial, oxidant, and cancer activity. The literature data highlight the fact that metallic nanoparticles obtained from natural compounds are proven reducing agents with multiple activities. Thus, the activity of natural components in environmental protection and human health is confirmed.

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Green synthesis is one of the rapid and best ways for silver nanoparticles (AgNP) synthesis. In the present study, synthesis and bioactivity of AgNPs has been demonstrated using water beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) bark extract. The physical and chemical factors such as time, metal ion solution, and pH, which play a vital role in the AgNPs synthesis, were assessed. The AgNPs were characterized by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the obtained AgNPs was evaluated. AgNPs were characterized by color change pattern, and the broad peak obtained at 420–475 nm with UV-Vis confirmed the synthesis of AgNPs. FT-IR results confirmed that phenols and proteins of beech bark extract are mainly responsible for capping and stabilization of synthesized AgNPs. TEM micrographs showed spherical or rarely polygonal and triangular particles with an average size of 32 nm at pH = 9, and 62 nm at pH = 4. Furthermore, synthesized AgNPs were found to exhibit antioxidant activity and have antibacterial effect against Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These results indicate that bark extract of F. sylvatica L. is suitable for synthesizing stable AgNPs, which act as an excellent antimicrobial agent.

The study of bimetallic nanoparticles (BNPs) has constantly been expanding, especially in the last decade. The biosynthesis of BNPs mediated by natural extracts is simple, low-cost, and safe for the environment. Plant extracts contain phenolic compounds that act as reducing agents (flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins, and alkaloids) and stabilising ligands moieties (carbonyl, carboxyl, and amine groups), useful in the green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs), and are free of toxic by-products. Noble bimetallic NPs (containing silver, gold, platinum, and palladium) have potential for biomedical applications due to their safety, stability in the biological environment, and low toxicity. They substantially impact human health (applications in medicine and pharmacy) due to the proven biological effects (catalytic, antioxidant, antibacterial, antidiabetic, antitumor, hepatoprotective, and regenerative activity). To the best of our knowledge, there are no review papers in the literature on the synthesis and characterisation of plant-mediated BNPs and their pharmacological potential. Thus, an effort has been made to provide a clear perspective on the synthesis of BNPs and the antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer, antidiabetic, and size/shape-dependent applications of BNPs. Furthermore, we discussed the factors that influence BNPs biosyntheses such as pH, temperature, time, metal ion concentration, and plant extract.