The use of plant-based nanoparticles has been studied by medical researchers with positive results, with the findings showing a range of applications to the pharmaceutical industry and medicine. This includes the advantages of using plant-based nanoparticles to combat antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance is a major and growing concern in the medical field, with resistance caused due to excessive use of antibiotics in livestock and humans. At present, ineffective and costly drugs are used to treat antibiotic resistance, so scientists are looking at new approaches such as nanoparticles.
Nanoparticles synthesized from gold and silver have proven effective in overcoming antibiotic resistance, though they are toxic and not safe for widespread use. Turning to plant-based solutions, the researchers found nanoparticles synthesized from plants are less toxic for human health and display high antimicrobial activity to treat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections in the future.
“Plant-based nanoparticles will be less toxic than many other forms, which constitute promising candidates to avoid widespread damage to the microbiome associated with current practices”, explains the report published in the journal Science of The Total Environment.
