Green synthesis of nanoparticles and their applications in cancer treatment

Cancer, through the years has always been a topic of interest in research. Even with the advancement in technology, researchers are constantly on the lookout for novel ideas to prevent the progression of cancer. Green synthesis of nanoparticles has been a widely studied area owing to its immense potential applications in environmental and medical industry. Green synthesis employs an eco-friendly, a non-toxic and cost-effective approach; being the much more favored method of synthesis over physical and chemical synthesis. The use of biological entities, taking plants for example, in most cases is safe. Plants in nature have the ability to absorb inorganic metals from the surrounding environment and synthesize nanoparticles intracellularly as well as extracellularly. However, not all plants can self-synthesize nanoparticles due to their enzymatic properties or metabolic processes. Therefore, there is the need to synthesize nanoparticles, using biological entities or their extracts by green synthesis approach through reduction. Plant-based nanoparticles have been extensively researched for their therapeutic applications. Nanoparticles synthesized from plants and fruits have been proven to possess anti-cancer properties owing to their phytochemical compounds possessing strong antioxidant properties and inhibiting cancer cell progression and proliferation. In this review, we discuss green synthesis of nanoparticle and their various applications in cancer treatment.