and chitosan in the synthesis of nanoparticles are addressed in
this review. Currently, all of these polysaccharides are widely
employed as tissue-engineering scaffolds and in drug delivery
applications (as micelles, particles or hydrogels) as described
in a recent review [12]. These polysaccharides are generally
considered biocompatible polymers.
The second focus of this review is the synthesis of
nanoparticles by phytochemicals. This field remains underexplored
and is an area of research having great potential.
Since ancient times, both primary and secondary metabolites
of plants (phytochemicals) have demonstrated their importance
in human health applications. Traditional Chinese medicine,
very popular in Asian countries, actively investigates the role
and biological activities of phytochemicals. For example, tea is
known to contain powerful antioxidant compounds such as
polyphenols [13]. The antioxidant and anticancer activities of
tea is widely believed to provide important health benefits
[14–17]. Tea leaf extracts have been recently used for the
green synthesis of AuNPs and AgNPs [18–20]. Addressed in
this review is the use of phytochemicals present in plant
extracts, as pure compounds, and as present in various
consumable foods to synthesise nanoparticles.
This review focuses on the introduction of two types
of biologically active molecules, polysaccharides and
phytochemicals, for the green synthesis of AuNPs and
AgNPs. Nanoparticles prepared by biologically active
polysaccharides and phytochemicals might exert synergistic
effects by combining their biological activities with those of
nanoparticles. The preliminary studies of the synergistic
properties and potential applications of these polysaccharide
and phytochemical metal nanocomposites are also reviewed.