Applications and Toxicity of Silver Nanoparticles: A Recent Review

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) exhibit a consistent amount of flexible properties which endorse them for a larger spectrum of applications in biomedicine and related fields. Over the years, silver nanoparticles have been subjected to numerous in vitro and in vivo tests to provide information about their toxic behavior towards living tissues and organisms. Researchers showed that AgNPs have high antimicrobial efficacy against many bacteria species including Escherichia coli, Neisseria gonorrhea, Chlamydia trachomatis and also viruses. Due to their novel properties, the incorporation of silver nanoparticles into different materials like textile fibers and wound dressings can extend their utility on the biomedical field while inhibiting infections and biofilm development. Among the noble metal nanoparticles, AgNPs present a series of features like simple synthesis routes, adequate and tunable morphology, and high surface to volume ratio, intracellular delivery system, a large plasmon field area recommending them as ideal biosensors, catalysts or photo-controlled delivery systems. In bioengineering, silver nanoparticles are considered potentially ideal gene delivery systems for tissue regeneration. The remote triggered detection and release of bioactive compounds of silver nanoparticles has proved their relevance also in forensic sciences. The authors report an up to date review related to the toxicity of AgNPs and their applications in antimicrobial activity and biosensors for gene therapy.

Biosynthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles prepared from two novel natural precursors by facile thermal decomposition methods

“…As historical anti-infectious agents1, silver nanoparticles (SNPs) have always been one of the most intriguing materials for research and developments in order to improve its inherent properties2345. Coupled with antimicrobial ability of SNPs which plays a vital role in various applications including orthopaedics6, packaging7, medical devices8, footwear, and household items9, this nobel nano-metal is well-known for its unique properties which makes it potentially applicable in various fields such as electronic10, photonics11, photocatalysis12, surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy (SERS) detection13, biosensor material14, etc.…”

Nanoparticles and nanofibers for topical drug delivery

“…One example is silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), which have been shown to have antiseptic and antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria [57]. AgNPs (ranging in size from ~1–100 nm) can be prepared using a variety of methods: (i) chemical synthesis, (ii) physical dispersion, (iii) photochemical synthesis, and (iv) biological synthesis [58].…”

Biomedical Applications of Silver and Gold Nanoparticles: Effective and Safe Non-Viral Delivery Vehicles

“…Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were endorsed for biomedical applications. Recently, biomedical researcher were notices that silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have high bactericidal efficacy against Escherichia coli, Neisseria gonorrhea, Chlamydia trachomatis and other pathological viruses that have been proposed for gene delivery systems for tissue previously [9]. Nucleic acid conjugated photo labile silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) nucleic acid was used for the inducible gene silencing for delivery of antisense oligonucleotides [10].…”