An insight into green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles using Zingiber officinale (ginger): Mechanisms, optimization strategies, characterization, and biological applications.

Abstract

s Green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) using medicinal plant resources has continued to attract great attention of researchers within the scientific community due to their unique physicochemical and biological properties. Over the decades, the use of natural bioactive constituents contained in Zingiber officinale (ginger) rhizome extracts as reducing, capping, and stabilizing agents for the biosynthesis of various MNPs has been highly exploited. In this review, we provided updated and detailed information on the phytoactive constituents in the ginger extracts, and their significance in the field of nanotechnology was critically evaluated. While highlighting the ginger extract preparation and procedures for the biosynthesis of metallic NPs using ginger rhizome extracts as a mediating agent, the review also provides an in-depth discussion on the synthesis mechanisms. In addition, possible factors influencing their physicochemical properties, current techniques employed in characterization studies, and the associated biological properties were extensively reviewed. The challenges and limitations regarding the safety, scalability, and reproducibility of ginger-based MNPs were also highlighted. This review will impart assertiveness to future researchers in unravelling the fundamental insight into the toxicity, pharmacokinetics, mechanistic actions, and impact of long-term exposure to ginger-based MNPs on humans and the environment.