A Review on Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Plant Extracts and Its Biomedical Applications

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are one of the prominent metal oxide nanoparticles with significant applications in many industries and research institutes. Various methods of synthesis have been adopted in the production of ZnO NPs so as to meet its high demand. The environmental implications and economic challenges attached to most of the means of ZnO NPs synthesis have resulted in the quest for other alternatives with environmental and economic benefits. Interestingly, the biological method of synthesis using plant sources have been found appropriate for the production of ZnO NPs dues to its numerous health, environmental, economic, and medicinal benefits. The distinctive features of ZnO NPs synthesized using plant extracts enhanced its application in agriculture for the production of fertilizers, pesticides, and fumigants. In the field of medicine and pharmacy, phytosynthesized ZnO NPs have gained remarkable usage in the production of disinfectant, antifungal, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetics agents. Despite the enlisted benefits of biosynthesized ZnO NPs, the difficulties associated with the elucidation of formation mechanism and reactions still remain unraveled. This review described the summary of the recent advances in the synthesis, mechanism routes, characterization techniques, and applications of biosynthesized ZnO NPS in agriculture, medicine, and textile industries.