title: Current state and prospects of the phytosynthesized colloidal gold nanoparticles and their applications in cancer theranostics.
abstract: The design, development, and biomedical applications of phytochemical-based green synthesis of biocompatible colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are becoming an emerging field due to several advantages (safer, eco-friendly, simple, fast, energy efficient, low-cost, and less toxic) over conventional chemical synthetic procedures. Biosynthesized colloidal gold nanoparticles are remarkably attractive in several biomedical applications including cancer theranostics due to small size, unusual physico-chemical properties, facile surface modification, high biocompatibility, and numerous other advantages. Of late, several researchers have investigated the biosynthesis and prospective applications (diagnostics, imaging, drug delivery, and cancer therapeutics) of AuNPs in health care and medicine. However, not a single review article is available in the literature that demonstrates the anti-cancer potential of biosynthesized colloidal AuNPs with detailed mechanistic study. In the present review article, we for the first time discuss the biointerface of colloidal AuNPs, plants, and cancer mainly (i) comprehensive mechanistic aspects of phytochemical-based synthesis of AuNPs; (ii) proposed anti-cancer mechanisms along with biomedical applications in diagnostics, imaging, and drug delivery; and (iii) key challenges for biogenic AuNPs as future cancer nanomedicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan. movais@bs.qau.edu.pk.|National Institute for Lasers and Optronics, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Islamabad, 45650, Pakistan. movais@bs.qau.edu.pk.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8104-1589
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ovais
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Lasers and Optronics, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Islamabad, 45650, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Abida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raza
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, University of Agriculture, Peshawar, 25130, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Shagufta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology, Peshawar, 25000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Nazar Ul
authors.initials: NU
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Ali Talha
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Khalil
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, 13100, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Shaukat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, 13100, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Adeeb
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan.|Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Zabta Khan
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Shinwari
mesh_terms: D017979:Gold Colloid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000378:metabolism*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D010788:Photosynthesis; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000068936:Theranostic Nanomedicine / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D017979:Gold Colloid
keywords: Cancer theranostics; Colloidal gold nanoparticles; Green synthesis; Nanomedicine; Phytonanotechnology