Plant-Extract-Mediated Silver and Copper Nanoparticles for Wound Healing Applications: A Comprehensive Review
Keywords:
Green Synthesis, Silver nanoparticles, Copper nanoparticles, Wound healing, Medicinal plantsAbstract
The increasing incidence of chronic and infected wounds has highlighted the limitations of conventional antimicrobial and wound-care therapies, necessitating the development of safer and more effective alternatives. Green nanotechnology has emerged as a promising approach for biomedical applications by integrating plant-derived bioactives with metal nanoparticles (NPs). This review critically evaluates the potential of polyherbal-mediated synthesis of silver and copper NPs using Pereskia aculeata (barbados gooseberry), Trachyspermum ammi (ajwain), and Sphagneticola trilobata (bay), three medicinal plants with well-established ethnopharmacological relevance in wound healing and infection control. The phytochemical constituents of these plants, including phenolics, flavonoids, terpenoids, and polysaccharides, play a dual role as reducing and stabilizing agents during NP synthesis while imparting additional antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. This review summarizes current knowledge on green synthesis strategies, antimicrobial and antioxidant mechanisms of silver and copper NPs, and their influence on key wound-healing processes. Evidence from in vitro and in vivo studies indicates that plant-mediated NPs exhibit enhanced biocompatibility and reduced toxicity compared to chemically synthesized counterparts, particularly for topical wound applications. Furthermore, the polyherbal approach offers potential synergistic effects that may improve therapeutic efficacy and stability. Challenges related to standardization, reproducibility, toxicological assessment, and regulatory approval are discussed, along with future perspectives for translating polyherbal-based nanomaterials (NMs) into clinically viable wound-healing formulations. Overall, this review underscores the promise of polyherbal-derived silver and copper NPs as sustainable and multifunctional platforms for advanced wound management.
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