Preface

Nanotechnologies are extremely diverse, bringing about new opportunities in human lives through countless applications. There are numerous ways to produce dispersed nanomaterials in different shapes, forms, and functionalization, and our perception is challenged in terms of apprehending the complexity and diversity of nanostructures. Materials reduced to small dimensions are considerably different from molecules in a solution, bulk, or crystalline form and this opens the door to emerging new materials with very unique properties. It is for this reason that nanoparticles have made an invasive presence in the agriculture, medicine, and electronics industries, contributing to the unprecedented development of these fields. Nanoparticles prepared by different techniques and chemical composition bring about the question of the delicate balance between their importance and cautions for using them without proper assessment. This book is intended to emphasize a new perspective of knowledge on the environmental and human health impact of engineered nanoparticles in general with a focus on Ag nanoparticles as the most studied and manufactured material in this field. This book shows that friends or foes, nanoparticles can be managed and developed in environmentally benign ways to keep their outstanding features that drive the scientist to create them in the first place. Editing this book was a meaningful experience and also beneficial to improve knowledge of the field. The authors are renowned specialists from different countries and their expertise allows us to fulfill the difficult task of presenting some insightful data from this vast field. Thus, this study can be considered an important reference for chemists, biochemists, physicians, and materials scientists working with and developing nanoparticle systems with a focus on the possible impact on human health.

It has been a good experience to edit this book and interact with the other authors in the related fields, who are specialized in their area. I strongly acknowledge all of my partner editors, especially Dr. Sher Bahadar Khan for all of his support and precious time.

#### **Sorin Marius Avramescu**

Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry and Catalysis, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania

#### **Kalsoom Akhtar, Sher Bahadar Khan and Abdullah Asiri**

King Abdulaziz University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

**Irina Fierascu**

National Institute for Research and Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry, Bucharest, Romania

**II**

**Chapter 7 119**

**Chapter 8 153**

**Chapter 9 179**

Copper Complexes as Influenza Antivirals: Reduced Zebrafish Toxicity

*Steven Walker, Johnny Lynch, Roger G. Harrison and David D. Busath*

Theranostic Nanoparticles and Their Spectrum in Cancer

Biological and Physical Applications of Silver Nanoparticles

*by Kelly L. McGuire, Jon Hogge, Aidan Hintze, Nathan Liddle, Nicole Nelson, Jordan Pollock, Austin Brown, Stephen Facer,* 

*by Anca Onaciu, Ancuta Jurj, Cristian Moldovan* 

with Emerging Trends of Green Synthesis *by Atamjit Singh and Kirandeep Kaur*

*and Ioana Berindan-Neagoe*

**Fayaz Ali** School of Pharmacy, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China

**1**

Section 1

Preparation and

Characterisation of

Nanoparticles

Section 1

Preparation and Characterisation of Nanoparticles

**3**

**Chapter 1**

**Abstract**

medicine.

**1. Introduction**

antimicrobial activity, catgut, suture

Green Synthesis of Silver

Nanoparticles Using *Heterotheca* 

Activity in Catgut Suture Threads

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized through a green method, using *Heterotheca inuloides* as a bioreducing agent. Moreover, catgut suture threads were decorated with those biogenic silver nanoparticles, and their antibacterial activity versus highly resistant pathogenic microorganisms was evaluated. The principles of green chemistry and nanotechnology allow us to obtain advanced materials, such as suture threads, which can reduce or avoid the prevalence of infectious processes in the medical field. Mexican medicinal plants, such as *H. inuloides*, represent an adequate alternative for biosynthesis; this plant species is known for its medicinal benefits and its antibacterial activity, and for that reason, it is being used in folk

Diverse green synthesis methods, involving the use of plant extracts as reducing

The wide use of *H. inuloides*, in medicine, can be attributed to its more than 140 components. Several constituents of the aqueous extract obtained from the dried

Mexican medicinal plants represent an adequate alternative for biosynthesis, such is the case of *Heterotheca inuloides*, a plant known for its medicinal benefits, as well as anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. The plant, commonly named as Mexican arnica has been traditionally used for its antimicrobial activity, antifungal, cytotoxic and antioxidative properties, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to recognize its use in medicine. This species has also been used to treat

*inuloides* and Its Antimicrobial

*Saraí C. Guadarrama-Reyes, Raúl A. Morales-Luckie,* 

*Edith Lara-Carrillo, Ulises Velazquez-Enriquez,* 

**Keywords:** *Heterotheca inuloides*, green synthesis, silver nanoparticles,

agents, provide attractive approaches to synthesize AgNPs.

dental diseases and gastrointestinal disorders [1–6].

*Victor Toral-Rizo and Rogelio Scougall-Vilchis*

*Víctor Sánchez-Mendieta, María G. González-Pedroza,* 

#### **Chapter 1**
