From Nature to Technology: Exploring the Potential of Plant-Based Materials and Modified Plants in Biomimetics, Bionics, and Green Innovations.

This review explores the extensive applications of plants in areas of biomimetics and bioinspiration, highlighting their role in developing sustainable solutions across various fields such as medicine, materials science, and environmental technology. Plants not only serve essential ecological functions but also provide a rich source of inspiration for innovations in green nanotechnology, biomedicine, and architecture. In the past decade, the focus has shifted towards utilizing plant-based and vegetal waste materials in creating eco-friendly and cost-effective materials with remarkable properties. These materials are employed in making advancements in drug delivery, environmental remediation, and the production of renewable energy. Specifically, the review discusses the use of (nano)bionic plants capable of detecting explosives and environmental contaminants, underscoring their potential in improving quality of life and even in lifesaving applications. The work also refers to the architectural inspirations drawn from the plant world to develop novel design concepts that are both functional and aesthetic. It elaborates on how engineered plants and vegetal waste have been transformed into value-added materials through innovative applications, especially highlighting their roles in wastewater treatment and as electronic components. Moreover, the integration of plants in the synthesis of biocompatible materials for medical applications such as tissue engineering scaffolds and artificial muscles demonstrates their versatility and capacity to replace more traditional synthetic materials, aligning with global sustainability goals. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the current and potential uses of living plants in technological advancements, advocating for a deeper exploration of vegetal materials to address pressing environmental and technological challenges.

Nanoformulations in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Applications: Green Perspectives.

This study provides a brief discussion of the major nanopharmaceuticals formulations as well as the impact of nanotechnology on the future of pharmaceuticals. Effective and eco-friendly strategies of biofabrication are also highlighted. Modern approaches to designing pharmaceutical nanoformulations (e.g., 3D printing, Phyto-Nanotechnology, Biomimetics/Bioinspiration, etc.) are outlined. This paper discusses the need to use natural resources for the "green" design of new nanoformulations with therapeutic efficiency. Nanopharmaceuticals research is still in its early stages, and the preparation of nanomaterials must be carefully considered. Therefore, safety and long-term effects of pharmaceutical nanoformulations must not be overlooked. The testing of nanopharmaceuticals represents an essential point in their further applications. Vegetal scaffolds obtained by decellularizing plant leaves represent a valuable, bioinspired model for nanopharmaceutical testing that avoids using animals. Nanoformulations are critical in various fields, especially in pharmacy, medicine, agriculture, and material science, due to their unique properties and advantages over conventional formulations that allows improved solubility, bioavailability, targeted drug delivery, controlled release, and reduced toxicity. Nanopharmaceuticals have transitioned from experimental stages to being a vital component of clinical practice, significantly improving outcomes in medical fields for cancer treatment, infectious diseases, neurological disorders, personalized medicine, and advanced diagnostics. Here are the key points highlighting their importance. The significant challenges, opportunities, and future directions are mentioned in the final section.

Biocomposite Materials Derived from Andropogon halepensis: Eco-Design and Biophysical Evaluation.

This research work presents a "green" strategy of weed valorization for developing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with promising interesting applications. Two types of AgNPs were phyto-synthesized using an aqueous leaf extract of the weed Andropogon halepensis L. Phyto-manufacturing of AgNPs was achieved by two bio-reactions, in which the volume ratio of (phyto-extract)/(silver salt solution) was varied. The size and physical stability of Andropogon-AgNPs were evaluated by means of DLS and zeta potential measurements, respectively. The phyto-developed nanoparticles presented good free radicals-scavenging properties (investigated via a chemiluminescence technique) and also urease inhibitory activity (evaluated using the conductometric method). Andropogon-AgNPs could be promising candidates for various bio-applications, such as acting as an antioxidant coating for the development of multifunctional materials. Thus, the Andropogon-derived samples were used to treat spider silk from the spider Pholcus phalangioides, and then, the obtained "green" materials were characterized by spectral (UV-Vis absorption, FTIR ATR, and EDX) and morphological (SEM) analyses. These results could be exploited to design novel bioactive materials with applications in the biomedical field.

Organic and Biogenic Nanocarriers as Bio-Friendly Systems for Bioactive Compounds' Delivery: State-of-the Art and Challenges.

"Green" strategies to build up novel organic nanocarriers with bioperformance are modern trends in nanotechnology. In this way, the valorization of bio-wastes and the use of living systems to develop multifunctional organic and biogenic nanocarriers (OBNs) have revolutionized the nanotechnological and biomedical fields. This paper is a comprehensive review related to OBNs for bioactives' delivery, providing an overview of the reports on the past two decades. In the first part, several classes of bioactive compounds and their therapeutic role are briefly presented. A broad section is dedicated to the main categories of organic and biogenic nanocarriers. The major challenges regarding the eco-design and the fate of OBNs are suggested to overcome some toxicity-related drawbacks. Future directions and opportunities, and finding "green" solutions for solving the problems related to nanocarriers, are outlined in the final of this paper. We believe that through this review, we will capture the attention of the readers and will open new perspectives for new solutions/ideas for the discovery of more efficient and "green" ways in developing novel bioperformant nanocarriers for transporting bioactive agents.

Burdock-Derived Composites Based on Biogenic Gold, Silver Chloride and Zinc Oxide Particles as Green Multifunctional Platforms for Biomedical Applications and Environmental Protection.

Green nanotechnology is a rapidly growing field linked to using the principles of green chemistry to design novel nanomaterials with great potential in environmental and health protection. In this work, metal and semiconducting particles (AuNPs, AgClNPs, ZnO, AuZnO, AgClZnO, and AuAgClZnO) were phytosynthesized through a "green" bottom-up approach, using burdock (Arctium lappa L.) aqueous extract. The morphological (SEM/TEM), structural (XRD, SAED), compositional (EDS), optical (UV-Vis absorption and FTIR spectroscopy), photocatalytic, and bio-properties of the prepared composites were analyzed. The particle size was determined by SEM/TEM and by DLS measurements. The phytoparticles presented high and moderate physical stability, evaluated by zeta potential measurements. The investigation of photocatalytic activity of these composites, using Rhodamine B solutions' degradation under solar light irradiation in the presence of prepared powders, showed different degradation efficiencies. Bioevaluation of the obtained composites revealed the antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The tricomponent system AuAgClZnO showed the best antioxidant activity for capturing ROS and ABTS•+ radicals, and the best biocidal action against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The "green" developed composites can be considered potential adjuvants in biomedical (antioxidant or biocidal agents) or environmental (as antimicrobial agents and catalysts for degradation of water pollutants) applications.

Novel Green Nanotechnologies Applied in Environmental Protection and Health.

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Correction: Zgura et al. Cytotoxicity, Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Photocatalytic Activities of ZnO-CdS Powders. Materials 2020, 13, 182.

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Biological Performances of Plasmonic Biohybrids Based on Phyto-Silver/Silver Chloride Nanoparticles.

Silver/silver chloride nanoparticles (Ag/AgClNPs), with a mean size of 48.2 ± 9.5 nm and a zeta potential value of -31.1 ± 1.9 mV, obtained by the Green Chemistry approach from a mixture of nettle and grape extracts, were used as "building blocks" for the "green" development of plasmonic biohybrids containing biomimetic membranes and chitosan. The mechanism of biohybrid formation was elucidated by optical analyses (UV-vis absorption and emission fluorescence, FTIR, XRD, and SAXS) and microscopic techniques (AFM and SEM). The aforementioned novel materials showed a free radical scavenging capacity of 75% and excellent antimicrobial properties against Escherichia coli (IGZ = 45 mm) and Staphylococcus aureus (IGZ = 35 mm). The antiproliferative activity of biohybrids was highlighted by a therapeutic index value of 1.30 for HT-29 cancer cells and 1.77 for HepG2 cancer cells. At concentrations below 102.2 µM, these materials are not hemolytic, so they will not be harmful when found in the bloodstream. In conclusion, hybrid systems based on phyto-Ag/AgClNPs, artificial cell membranes, and chitosan can be considered potential adjuvants in liver and colorectal cancer treatment.

Characterization and Antitumoral Activity of Biohybrids Based on Turmeric and Silver/Silver Chloride Nanoparticles.

The phyto-development of nanomaterials is one of the main challenges for scientists today, as it offers unusual properties and multifunctionality. The originality of our paper lies in the study of new materials based on biomimicking lipid bilayers loaded with chlorophyll, chitosan, and turmeric-generated nano-silver/silver chloride particles. These materials showed a good free radical scavenging capacity between 76.25 and 93.26% (in vitro tested through chemiluminescence method) and a good antimicrobial activity against Enterococcus faecalis bacterium (IZ > 10 mm). The anticancer activity of our developed bio-based materials was investigated against two cancer cell lines (human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells HT-29, and human liver carcinoma cells HepG2) and compared to one healthy cell line (human fibroblast BJ cell line). Cell viability was evaluated for all prepared materials after a 24 h treatment and was used to select the biohybrid with the highest therapeutic index (TI); additionally, the hemolytic activity of the samples was also evaluated. Finally, we investigated the morphological changes induced by the developed materials against the cell lines studied. Biophysical studies on these materials were done by correlating UV-Vis and FTIR absorption spectroscopy, with XRD, SANS, and SAXS methods, and with information provided by microscopic techniques (AFM, SEM/EDS). In conclusion, these "green" developed hybrid systems are an important alternative in cancer treatment, and against health problems associated with drug-resistant infections.

Green Design of Novel Starch-Based Packaging Materials Sustaining Human and Environmental Health.

A critical overview of current approaches to the development of starch-containing packaging, integrating the principles of green chemistry (GC), green technology (GT) and green nanotechnology (GN) with those of green packaging (GP) to produce materials important for both us and the planet is given. First, as a relationship between GP and GC, the benefits of natural bioactive compounds are analyzed and the state-of-the-art is updated in terms of the starch packaging incorporating green chemicals that normally help us to maintain health, are environmentally friendly and are obtained via GC. Newer approaches are identified, such as the incorporation of vitamins or minerals into films and coatings. Second, the relationship between GP and GT is assessed by analyzing the influence on starch films of green physical treatments such as UV, electron beam or gamma irradiation, and plasma; emerging research areas are proposed, such as the use of cold atmospheric plasma for the production of films. Thirdly, the approaches on how GN can be used successfully to improve the mechanical properties and bioactivity of packaging are summarized; current trends are identified, such as a green synthesis of bionanocomposites containing phytosynthesized metal nanoparticles. Last but not least, bioinspiration ideas for the design of the future green packaging containing starch are presented.

Performant Composite Materials Based on Oxide Semiconductors and Metallic Nanoparticles Generated from Cloves and Mandarin Peel Extracts.

In this work, the metal and semiconducting nanoparticles (AgNPs, ZnONPs and AgZnONPs) were phyto-synthesized using aqueous vegetal extracts from: Caryophyllus aromaticus L. (cloves) and Citrus reticulata L. (mandarin) peels. The morphological, structural, compositional, optical and biological properties (antibacterial activity, and cytotoxicity) of the prepared composites were investigated. The most effective sample proved to be AgZnONPs, derived from cloves, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 0.11 mg/mL and a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) value of 2.68 mg/mL. All the other three composites inhibited bacterial growth at a concentration between 0.25 mg/mL and 0.37 mg/mL, with a bactericidal concentration between 3 mg/mL and 4 mg/mL. The obtained composites presented biocidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus, and biocompatibility (on human fibroblast BJ cells) and did not damage the human red blood cells. Additionally, an important result is that the presence of silver in composite materials improved the bactericidal action of these nanomaterials against the most common nosocomial pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus.

Cytotoxicity, Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Photocatalytic Activities of ZnO-CdS Powders.

In this work, ZnO-CdS composite powders synthesized by a simple chemical precipitation method were thoroughly characterized. The morphological, structural, compositional, photocatalytical, and biological properties of the prepared composites were investigated in comparison with those of the pristine components and correlated with the CdS concentration. ZnO-CdS composites contain flower-like structures, their size being tuned by the CdS amount added during the chemical synthesis. The photocatalytic activity of the composites was analyzed under UV irradiation using powders impregnated with methylene blue; the tests confirming that the presence of CdS along the ZnO in composites can improve the dye discoloration. The biological properties such as antioxidant capacity, antibacterial activity, and cytotoxicity of the ZnO, CdS, and ZnO-CdS composites were evaluated. Thus, the obtained composites presented medium antioxidant effect, biocidal activity against Escherichia coli, and no toxicity (at concentrations less than 0.05 mg/mL for composites with a low CdS amount) for human fibroblast cells. Based on these results, such composites can be used as photocatalytic and/or biocidal additives for photoactive coatings, paints, or epoxy floors, which in their turn can provide a cleaner and healthier environment.

3D hybrid structures based on biomimetic membranes and Caryophyllus aromaticus - "green" synthesized nano-silver with improved bioperformances.

The paper describes an innovative bio-design of some hybrid nanoarchitectures containing bioartificial membranes and silver nanoparticles phytogenerated by using a natural extract Caryophyllus aromaticus (cloves) that contains many bioactive compounds. Two kinds of liposomes with and without chlorophyll a (Chla) obtained through thin film hydration method were used to achieve bio-green-generated hybrids by a simple, cost effective bottom-up approach. The characteristic peaks of CE-nAg monitored by UV-Vis absorption have firstly demonstrated the biohybrids formation. The slightly blue shift and fluorescence quenching observed by fluorescence emission spectra highlighted the formation of hybrid systems by biointeraction between lipid vesicles and silver nanoparticles. The incorporation of silver nanoparticles in lipid vesicles resulted in significant changes of FT-IR spectra of liposomes, indicating a reorganization of biomimetic membranes. All the microscopic methods (SEM, AFM and TEM) confirmed the biosynthesis of "green" AgNPs together with associated biohybrids, their spherical and quasi-spherical shapes with nano-scaled size. By TEM assay it was shown that CE-nAg are surrounded by petal like cloud structures that consist of biopolymers like proteins or polysaccharides and other phytochemicals arising from clove extract. EDS spectra confirmed the formation of phyto-nanoAg and also the presence of silver in the biohybrids. In addition, Selected Area Electron Diffraction showed characteristic polycrystalline ring patterns for a cubic structure of the clove-generated AgNPs. The hybrid materials showed efficient physical stability,i.e. ξ value of -28.0 mV (for biohybrids without Chla, BH) and of -31.7 mV (for biohybrids labelled with Chla, Chla-BH), assured by strong electrostatic repulsive forces between particles. The "green" nano-silver particles (CE-nAg) showed remarkable antioxidant activity (AA = 90.2%). The biohybrids loaded with clove-AgNPs proved to be more effective, scavenging about 98.8% of free radicals (in case of Chla-BH), and of 92.6% (in case of BH). The antibacterial effectiveness showed that green AgNPs combine in a synergistic manner the antibacterial properties of clove extract with those of silver, resulting in an enhancement of inhibition diameter, by 20%. Chla-BH proved to be more potent against Escherichia coli, than BH, exhibiting an inhibition diameter of 42 mm. Regarding the in vitro cytotoxicity against tumour cells, the CE-nAg concentration significantly influenced the cell viability, i.e. IC50 was 3.6% (v/v) for HT-29 cells. Chla-BH was more effective against HT-29 cancer cells at the concentrations ranging from 0 to 18% (v/v), when the normal cells were not affected. Clove-generated AgNPs exhibited haemolytic activity against hRBCs, while the biohybrids were haemocompatible. The action mechanism on the two cell lines (mouse fibroblast L929 cells and human colorectal adenocarcinoma HT-29 cells) investigated by fluorescence microscopy demonstrated that CE-nAg killed almost all the cells (94%) through necrosis at a concentration of 33.4% (v/v). The treatment of HT-29 cells with BH resulted in: 71.5% viable cells, 19.5% apoptotic and only 9% necrotic cells, while in the case of Chla-BH treatment, only 77.5% cells were viable, 16% cells were apoptotic and 6.5% were necrotic. In this way, the developed silver-based nanoparticles can represent viable promoters to develop new biohybrids with improved features, e.g. antioxidant and antibacterial effectiveness, haemolytic activity and greater specificity towards tumour cells.

Eco-designed biohybrids based on liposomes, mint-nanosilver and carbon nanotubes for antioxidant and antimicrobial coating.

Noncovalent entities (consisting of liposomes, phyto-nanosilver and carbon nanotubes) with interesting properties were constructed by a "green" bottom-up method. Phytosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using the Mentha piperita extract combines the benefits of this herb with the interesting properties of silver. The obtained silver-based biohybrids showed antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that have been considerable improved in the presence of carbon nanotubes. Thus the eco-designed bioconstructs consisting of cholesterol-containing liposomes, phytonanosilver and carbon nanotubes exhibited high antioxidant activity (AA=90.8%) and have been shown to be strong biocides offering inhibition zone of 25mm against Escherichia coli and 23mm against Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis.

Nanobioarchitectures based on chlorophyll photopigment, artificial lipid bilayers and carbon nanotubes.

In the last decade, building biohybrid materials has gained considerable interest in the field of nanotechnology. This paper describes an original design for bionanoarchitectures with interesting properties and potential bioapplications. Multilamellar lipid vesicles (obtained by hydration of a dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine thin film) with and without cholesterol were labelled with a natural photopigment (chlorophyll a), which functioned as a sensor to detect modifications in the artificial lipid bilayers. These biomimetic membranes were used to build non-covalent structures with single-walled carbon nanotubes. Different biophysical methods were employed to characterize these biohybrids such as: UV-vis absorption and emission spectroscopy, zeta potential measurements, AFM and chemiluminescence techniques. The designed, carbon-based biohybrids exhibited good physical stability, good antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, and could be used as biocoating materials. As compared to the cholesterol-free samples, the cholesterol-containing hybrid structures demonstrated better stability (i.e., their zeta potential reached the value of -36.4 mV), more pronounced oxygen radical scavenging ability (affording an antioxidant activity of 73.25%) and enhanced biocidal ability, offering inhibition zones of 12.4, 11.3 and 10.2 mm in diameter, against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis, respectively.

Green silver nanobioarchitectures with amplified antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

Cornelian silver-based architectures were achieved from liposomes, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) by a "green" bottom-up strategy. Liposomes were prepared by a thin film hydration method and labelled with a natural porphyrin extracted from spinach leaves, cholorophyll a (Chla). Due to its strong visible absorption and fluorescence emission, this phytopigment was used as a spectral sensor to monitor any possible changes occurring in lipid membranes caused by the action of various agents. An aqueous extract from Cornus mas L. fruits was used for AgNP phytosynthesis. Addition of appropriate amounts of phytonanosilver particles and SWCNTs to biomimetic membranes resulted in biohybrid material with good physical stability (ZP = -34 mV) and high antioxidant activity (AA = 97.8%). Moreover, they have been shown to be a strong biocide having diameters of inhibition zones of 18.3 mm, 23.8 mm and 21.6 mm against Escherichia coli ATCC 8738, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, respectively. Chla rapidly sensed the modifications that occurred in artificial lipid bilayers as a result of interactions with silver nanoparticles and carbon nanotube surfaces indicating the biohybrid formation, and these results were supported by AFM analysis. The bioconstructed hybrid material consisting of biomimetic membranes, phyto-nanosilver and SWCNTs could be applied as an antimicrobial and antioxidant coating.

Antioxidant properties of biohybrids based on liposomes and sage silver nanoparticles.

This paper is aimed to describe a simple and rapid eco-friendly bottom-up approach for the preparation of antioxidant silver bionanostructures using a leaf extract from sage (Salvia officinalis L.). The bioreduction property of sage in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles was investigated by UV-VIS and Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. During their preparation, the particle size analysis was performed by using Dynamic Light Scattering technique. Ultrasonic irradiation was used to obtain sage silver nanoparticles. The morphology (size and shape) of the herbal silver nanoparticles was evaluated by Scanning Electron Microscopy that revealed the formation of spherical phytonanoparticles with size less than 80 nm. In order to increase their stability and their biocompatibility, the sage silver nanoparticles were introduced in two types of liposomes: soybean lecithin- and Chla-DPPC-lipid vesicles which were prepared by thin film hydration method. X-Ray Fluorescence analysis confirmed the silver presence in liposomes/sage-AgNPs biohybrids. The stability of liposomes/herbal AgNPs bioconstructs was checked by zeta potential measurements. The most stable biohybrids: Chla-DPPC/sage-AgNPs with zeta potential value of -34.2 mV, were characterized by Atomic Force Microscopy revealing the spherical and quasi-spherical shaped profiles of these nanobiohybrids with size less than 96 nm. The antioxidant activity of the silver bionanostructures was evaluated using chemiluminescence assay. The developed eco-friendly silver phytonanostructures based on lipid membranes, nanosilver and sage extract, manifest strong antioxidant properties (between 86.5% and 98.6%).