Nanobiotechnology has grown rapidly and become an integral part of modern disease diagnosis and treatment. Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are a class of eco-friendly, cost-effective and biocompatible agents that have attracted attention for their possible biomedical and bioengineering applications. Like many other inorganic and organic nanoparticles, such as AuNPs, iron oxide and quantum dots, AgNPs have also been widely studied as components of advanced anticancer agents in order to better manage cancer in the clinic. AgNPs are typically produced by the action of reducing reagents on silver ions. In addition to numerous laboratory-based methods for reduction of silver ions, living organisms and natural products can be effective and superior source for synthesis of AgNPs precursors. Currently, plants, bacteria and fungi can afford biogenic AgNPs precursors with diverse geometries and surface properties. In this review, we summarized the recent progress and achievements in biogenic AgNPs synthesis and their potential uses as anticancer agents.

Since the early 1990s, nanotechnology has led to new horizons in nanomedicine, which encompasses all spheres of science including chemistry, material science, biology, and biotechnology. Emerging viral infections are creating severe hazards to public health worldwide, recently, COVID-19 has caused mass human casualties with significant economic impacts. Interestingly, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) exhibited the potential to destroy viruses, bacteria, and fungi using various methods. However, developing safe and effective antiviral drugs is challenging, as viruses use host cells for replication. Designing drugs that do not harm host cells while targeting viruses is complicated. In recent years, the impact of AgNPs on viruses has been evaluated. Here, we discuss the potential role of silver nanoparticles as antiviral agents. In this review, we focus on the properties of AgNPs such as their characterization methods, antiviral activity, mechanisms, applications, and toxicity.

The structural, morphological, magnetic and ferroelectric properties of calcium (Ca) doped bismuth ferrite (BFO) synthesized using a sol-gel method were studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis followed by Rietveld refinement revealed the lattice distortion of BFO after doping with 6% and 8% Ca. This also led to the reduction in particle size by creating oxygen vacancies, which was observed from the surface morphology using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The Magnetic properties exhibited some enhancements in saturation magnetization when the particle size was near a limiting value. The reduction in the coercive magnetic field with the increase in dopant concentration was also evident from the M-H hysteresis loop measured by Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). The Ferroelectric P-E hysteresis loop exhibited an increased symmetry in the hysteresis loop and increase in the polarization with the increase in %Ca. The 8% Ca doped BFO exhibited an incomplete saturation in the hysteresis loop and was evident to exhibit leakage current characteristics. Journal of Engineering Science 11(1), 2020, 123-131