A review on anti-inflammatory activity of green synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticle: Mechanism-based approach

Inflammation plays a very important role in the pathogenesis of various diseases like atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and cancer. Lack of anti-inflammatory drugs and vectors provokes the need for developing new molecules for the management of inflammatory disorders. Nanotechnology has emerged as a wonderful research area in the past decade owing to its enhanced properties than bulk counterparts. This paper discusses the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnO NPs) and various characterization tools employed to comprehend the physiochemical properties of nanoparticles. ZnO NPs interaction with cells and its pharmacokinetic behavior inside the cells has also been discussed. The anti-inflammatory activity of ZnO NPs has been elucidated with the mechanism-based approach. A concise literature review has been included which summarizes the size, shape of ZnO NPs and the inflammatory model used for analyzing the anti-inflammatory activity of ZnO NPs. ZnO NPs potential offering towards anti-inflammatory activity like stable nature, selective targeting has been discussed briefly. The present study highlights the potential of ZnO NPs as an anti-inflammatory drug molecule or a vector for drug delivery.