Researchers in India have reviewed the potential of using Brassica plants (broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, rape, kohlrabi, cauliflower, rutabaga, brown mustard, and turnip) as biological processors for the environmentally friendly reduction of silver and gold to nanoparticles of those metals.
Engineered nanoparticles can be made using various physical and chemical “bottom up” approaches as well as biological methods. Bacteria, fungi, and yeasts have been used to make nanoparticles, but there is great potential for a wide range of crop plants to be used too. The approach offers great cost savings versus physical and chemical methods and the resulting gold and silver nanoparticles have been demonstrated to have antibacterial and even anticancer activity.
Yadav, M. and Kaur, P. (2018) ‘A review on exploring phytosynthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles using genus Brassica’, Int. J. Nanoparticles, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp.165–177.