An Introduction to Green Synthesis and Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles Using

Plant Extracts and its Cytotoxic Activity

AgNPs have been increasingly developing in the scientific sector for the past years. It is
mostly utilized in the industry due to its peculiar biocidal features, particularly its size on
nanoscale, which affected its volume and surface area ratio, that resulted in its great potential
for a broad range of applications. However, it has limitations primarily because of the cost and
its environmentally unfriendly synthesis methods. Sodium borohydrides and amine borane
complexes have been efficiently used as reducing agents in nanoparticle synthesis, but these
agents have toxicity concerns. To obviate this issue attempts to develop green synthesis
alternative methods have been studied in recent years. Green synthesis employs reducing and
stabilizing agents from plants and other natural resources, to synthesize nanoparticles with less
toxicity. Henceforth, using naturally occurring reagents was considered an alternative method
that opens to different applications because of the presence of the phytochemicals.
Characterization of nanoparticle's physical and chemical properties is important for ensuring the
reproducibility of toxicology studies and is also vital for studying how it affects its biological
properties. A nanoparticle can be characterized by UV-Vis, XRD, FTIR spectroscopy, SEM,
TEM, and DLS. On the other hand, the study of nanoparticles become the major important
targets to be utilized in cancer therapy and its future developments. AgNPs were widely known
for their apoptosis and cell proliferation activity that can cause apoptotic protein activation, DNA
damage, mitochondrial degradation, formation of the apoptosome, and ultimately cell shrinkage.
Thus, AgNPs provide a safer alternative to conventional anticancer agents.
Keywords: silver nanoparticles, green synthesis, characterization techniques, cytotoxicity