Plant-Mediated Green Nanoparticles in Modern Drug Delivery: Advances in Synthesis, Characterization, Therapeutic Applications, and Safety Challenges
Ezekiel Izudike Odimgbe1, Micheal Abimbola Oladosu*2, Moses Adondua Abah3, Emmanuel Orisewenyinmi Ajagbawa4, Bashidoshi Bawa Musa5, Judith Osakpamwan Enemudo6
1Ezekiel Izudike Odimgbe, Department of Healthcare Administration and Risk Management, Ohio Dominican University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ohio, United States of America (USA).
2Micheal Abimbola Oladosu, Department of Chemical Sciences, Anchor University, Lagos, Ayobo, Lagos, Nigeria.
3Moses Adondua Abah, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University Wukari, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, Wukari, Taraba, Nigeria.
4Emmanuel. Orisewenyinmi Ajagbawa, Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Physics, College of Science and Mathematics, Georgia Southern University, Georgia, United States of America (USA).
5Bashidoshi Bawa Musa, Department of Basic and Applied Science, School of Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Jalingo, Taraba, Nigeria.
6Judith Osakpamwan Enemudo, Department of Biology, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Faculty of Science, North Carolina, United States of America (USA).
Manuscript received on 20 September 2026 | First Revised Manuscript received on 29 September 2026 | Second Revised Manuscript received on 04 October 2026 | Manuscript Accepted on 15 October 2026 | Manuscript published on 30 October 2026 | PP: 8-14 | Volume-6 Issue-6, October 2026 | Retrieval Number: 100.1/ijapsr.F412106061026 | DOI: 10.54105/ijapsr.F4121.06061026
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© The Authors. Published by Lattice Science Publication (LSP). This is an open-access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: Background: With the increasing demand for biocompatible, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly nanocarriers, plant-mediated (“green”) synthesis of metallic and metal-oxide nanoparticles has become a major direction in pharmaceutical research. Phytochemical synthesis uses the polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, and proteins available in plant extracts as reducing and capping agents to produce nanoparticles that are less toxic and more biologically active than those produced by conventional physicochemical methods. Objective: This study aims to summarise the literature on the synthesis, characterisation, and therapeutic potential of plantmediated nanoparticles over the past five years (2020-2025), focusing on theirincorporation into current drug delivery systems. Methodology: We used PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science/Scopus, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar to conduct the structured narrative review. We screened articles published from January 2020 to September 2025 using combinations of keywords, including green synthesis, characterisation, phytochemicals, drug delivery, plant-mediated nanoparticles, and nanotoxicology. We included articles only if they reported a synthesis mechanism, physicochemical characterisation, or a biomedical/toxicological outcome. Findings: Plant-extracted-synthesised silver, gold, zinc oxide and iron oxide nanoparticles show good physicochemical characteristics (around 1-100 nm), which are supported by the results of UV-Vis, FTIR, and XRD, TEM/SEM and dynamic light scattering studies show antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant, and targeted drug-delivery activities. However, important barriers to translation remain, including batch-to-batch variability, incomplete phytochemical characterisation, and insuf icient long-term toxicity data. Conclusions: Plant-mediated nanoparticles are a potential scalable alternative for next-generation drug delivery, but future applications require standard synthesis protocols and thorough safety testing.
Keywords: Green Synthesis; Plant-Mediated Nanoparticles; Phytochemicals; Drug Delivery; Nanotoxicology; Characterization.
Scope of the Article: Medicinal Chemistry/ Pharmaceutical Chemistry (drug design)