Griffin Sharoon, Masood Muhammad Irfan, Nasim Muhammad Jawad, Sarfraz Muhammad, Ebokaiwe Azubuike Peter, Schäfer Karl-Herbert, Keck Cornelia M, Jacob Claus
Division of Bioorganic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Saarland University, D-66123 Saarbruecken, Germany.
Institute of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Philipps University of Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany.
Antioxidants (Basel). 2017 Dec 29;7(1):3. doi: 10.3390/antiox7010003.
During the last couple of decades, the rapidly advancing field of nanotechnology has produced a wide palette of nanomaterials, most of which are considered as "synthetic" and, among the wider public, are often met with a certain suspicion. Despite the technological sophistication behind many of these materials, "nano" does not always equate with "artificial". Indeed, nature itself is an excellent nanotechnologist. It provides us with a range of fine particles, from inorganic ash, soot, sulfur and mineral particles found in the air or in wells, to sulfur and selenium nanoparticles produced by many bacteria and yeasts. These nanomaterials are entirely natural, and, not surprisingly, there is a growing interest in the development of natural nanoproducts, for instance in the emerging fields of phyto- and phyco-nanotechnology. This review will highlight some of the most recent-and sometimes unexpected-advances in this exciting and diverse field of research and development. Naturally occurring nanomaterials, artificially produced nanomaterials of natural products as well as naturally occurring or produced nanomaterials of natural products all show their own, particular chemical and physical properties, biological activities and promise for applications, especially in the fields of medicine, nutrition, cosmetics and agriculture. In the future, such natural nanoparticles will not only stimulate research and add a greener outlook to a traditionally high-tech field, they will also provide solutions-pardon-suspensions for a range of problems. Here, we may anticipate specific biogenic factories, valuable new materials based on waste, the effective removal of contaminants as part of nano-bioremediation, and the conversion of poorly soluble substances and materials to biologically available forms for practical uses.
在过去几十年中，快速发展的纳米技术领域产生了各种各样的纳米材料，其中大多数被认为是“合成的”，在广大公众中，它们常常受到某种怀疑。尽管这些材料背后有复杂的技术，但“纳米”并不总是等同于“人造”。事实上，大自然本身就是一位出色的纳米技术专家。它为我们提供了一系列细颗粒，从空气中或水井中发现的无机灰分、烟尘、硫和矿物颗粒，到许多细菌和酵母产生的硫和硒纳米颗粒。这些纳米材料完全是天然的，不出所料，人们对天然纳米产品的开发兴趣与日俱增，例如在新兴的植物纳米技术和藻类纳米技术领域。本综述将重点介绍这一令人兴奋且多样化的研发领域中一些最新的——有时甚至是意想不到的——进展。天然存在的纳米材料、天然产物的人工合成纳米材料以及天然产物天然存在或产生的纳米材料都展现出它们自身独特的化学和物理性质、生物活性以及应用前景，尤其是在医学、营养、化妆品和农业领域。未来，这类天然纳米颗粒不仅会刺激研究并为传统高科技领域增添更环保的前景，还将为一系列问题提供解决方案——抱歉，是悬而未决的办法。在此，我们可以预见特定的生物工厂、基于废物的有价值新材料、作为纳米生物修复一部分的污染物有效去除，以及将难溶性物质和材料转化为生物可利用形式以供实际使用。
