GUAVA-DERIVED GREEN NANOPARTICLES: PHYTOCHEMICAL CONTRIBUTIONS, SYNTHESIS, BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS, AND THERAPEUTIC PROSPECTS

N WASEEM; S MANZOOR; H SARFRAZ; S MANZOOR; S YOUNAS

doi:10.64013/bbasr.v2026i1.139

Authors

N WASEEM Centre for Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
S MANZOOR Centre for Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
H SARFRAZ Centre for Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
S MANZOOR Government College University (GCU), Lahore, Pakistan
S YOUNAS Centre for Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64013/bbasr.v2026i1.139

Keywords:

Psidium guajava, green nanotechnology, phytochemical capping, silver nanoparticles, antimicrobial activity, anticancer activity, reactive oxygen species, nanotoxicology

Abstract

Psidium guajava L. (Guava) is one of the most commonly utilized plant species in the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles due to the presence of polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, and ascorbic acid in its leaf, fruit, peel, seeds, and bark. This review paper presents an analysis of 53 published research articles (2016-2026) where guava is employed for the synthesis of silver, gold, zinc oxide, copper oxide, iron oxide, manganese oxide, cobalt oxide, titanium dioxide, palladium, and nickel oxide nanoparticles, along with their biological applications including antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, neuroprotection, and agricultural protection. The guava phytochemicals can act effectively as reducing and capping agents for a large variety of metal precursors, yielding nanoparticles that display broad bioactivities both in vitro and, in some cases, in vivo. However, the research in the area is still largely descriptive, carried out in individual laboratories with inconsistent characterization of nanoparticles and insufficient testing for normal cell and in vivo safety, as well as a lack of any direct evidence of ROS-mediated damage rather than just its presumed involvement. The guava-mediated nanoparticles remain thus a promising yet essentially pre-clinical approach, awaiting the standardization of extraction and synthesis, characterization, and safety studies.

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