Yeast-mediated Green Synthesis of Nanoparticles for Biological Applications

Abstract

Green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) using microorganisms and green plants is one of the latest trends in research that has gained momentum, since it is an ecofriendly approach, with lesser toxicity to the environment. Microbial synthesis of metal NPs is a function of the ability of resistance against heavy metal toxicity, carried out by redox enzymes that participate in converting toxic metal ions to inert forms, or by structural proteins that bind metals. Yeasts are non-pathogenic, eukaryotic microorganisms, and available in different strains which have economic importance in breweries and bakeries as well as in food industry as nutrient supplements and their ability to ferment sugar. A novel use of yeasts, explored in recent times, is their potentiality to produce metal (gold, silver, titanium, palladium, and selenium)-NPs, of specific dimensions, either extracellularly or intracellularly, through their reducing enzymes involving different mechanisms. Such synthesized NPs also have tremendous importance as antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, and anticancer agents. This review focuses on yeast as a major scaffold for synthesis of different metal NPs and their several biological applications including nanomedicines.
Keywords: Biological application, Green synthesis, Nanomedicine, Nanoparticles, Yeast.