a review on biosynthesis of nanoparticles by marine organisms

7/22/2019 A Review on Biosynthesis of Nanoparticles by Marine Organisms

1/5
http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_5/dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2012.10.030mailto:[email protected]://www.elsevier.com/locate/colsurfbhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09277765http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_5/dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2012.10.030


2/5

284 N. Asmathunisha, K. Kathiresan / Colloids andSurfaces B: Biointerfaces 103 (2013) 283287

Table 1

Outline of work on biosynthesisof nanoparticles using marine organisms.

Organism Species Name of the

species

Types of

nanoparticles

Size (nm) Biological activity Author and year

Marine m icrobes Cyanobacteria Spirulina platensis Silver 716 Govindaraju et al.

(2008)Gold 610

Biometallic 1725

Oscillatoriawillei Silver 100200 Mubarak et al. (2011)

Phormidiumtenue Cadmium 5 Mubarak et al. (2012)

Bacteria E. coli Silver 520 Antimicrobial Kathiresan et al. (2010)Pseudomonas sp. Silver 20100 Muthukannan and

Karuppiah (2011)

Yeast Pichia capsulata Silver 50100 Manivannanet al. (2010)

Rhodosporidium

diobovatum

Lead 25 Sesadhri et al. (2011)

Fungi Penicillium

fellutanum

Silver 520 Kathiresan et al. (2009)

Thraustochytrium

sp.

Silver Gomathi (2009)

Aspergillus niger Silver 535 Antimicrobial Kathiresan et al. (2010)

Diatoms Navicula atomus,

Diadesmis gallica

Gold 9 Adam et al. (2011)

Goldsilica 22

Stauroneis sp. Silicongermanium Mubarak et al. (2011)

Marine algae Seaweed Sargassumwightii Gold 812 Singaravelu et al. (2007)

Sargassumwightii Silver Antibacterial Govindaraju et al. (2009)

Turbinaria conoides Silver Fabricstrengthening

Mercy Sheeba andThambidurai (2009)

Gelidiella acerosa Silver 22 Antifungal Vivek et al. (2012)

Ulvafasciata Silver 2841 Antibacterial Rajeshet al. (2012)

Brown alga Fucus vesiculosus Gold Biosorption Mata et al. (2008)

Marine alga Cladosiphon

okamuranus

Kjellamaniella

crassifolia

Gold 8.5410.74 Suwicha et al. (2010)

Marine spermatophytes Mangroves Xylocarpus

mekongensis

Silver 520 Antimicrobial Asmathunishaet al. (2010)

Rhizophora

mucronata

Silver 6095 Larvicidal Gnanadesigan et al. (2011)

Salt marshes Sesuvium

portulacastrum

Silver 5090 Antimicrobial Asmathunisha (2010)

Sand dune Citrullus colosynthis Silver 85100 Anticancer Satyavani et al. (2011)

Coastal plant Prosopis chilensis Silver 525 Antibacterial to

control vibriosis inPenaeus monodon

Kathiresan et al. (2012)

Marine animals Sponges Acanthella elongata Gold 720 Inbakandan et al. (2010)

Fin fish Cod liver oil Silver 510 Khannaand Nair (2009)

used indrugdeliverydue totheirdistinctive features such asease of

use,good functionality, biocompatibility,abilityto targetedspecific

cell and controlled release of drugs [3].

3. Biological synthesis of nanoparticles

Use of chemical and physical method in the synthesis of

nanoparticles is very expensive and cumbersome. The chemicaland physical methods of nanoparticle synthesis lead to the pres-

ence of some toxic chemicals absorbed on the surface that may

have adverse effects in applications, so there is a growing need to

develop environmentally benign nanoparticles. Researchers have

usedbiological extractsfor thesynthesis of nanoparticles, by adopt-

ingsimple protocols, involving in the process of reduction of metal

ions by using biological extracts as a source of reductants either

extracellularly or intracellularly.

Synthesis of nanoparticles may be triggered by several com-

pounds such as carbonyl groups, terpenoids, phenolics, flavonones,

amines, amides, proteins, pigments, alkaloids and other reducing

agents present in the plant extracts and microbial cells [48]. The

exact mechanism of nanoparticles synthesis by biological extracts

is yet to be understood.

4. Biosynthesis of nanoparticles bymarinemicroorganisms

Microorganisms suchas bacteria,cyanobacteria, actinomycetes,

yeast, fungi, and algae are known to synthesize inorganicnanopar-

ticles such as gold, silver, calcium, silicon, iron, gypsum and lead,

in nature either inside or outside cells. At present, microbial meth-

ods in the synthesis of nanomaterials of varying compositions are

extremely limited and confined to metals, some metal sulfide, and

very low oxides. All these are restricted to the microorganisms ofterrestrial origin. Marine microbes have potential ability to synthe-

sisnanoparticle forthe reasonthatthe marine microbes exist in the

sea bottom, over millions of years in the past for reducing the vast

amount of inorganic elements deep in the sea. It is important to

study the marine microbes for biosynthesis of nanoparticles and

to elucidate biochemical pathways that lead to metal ion reduc-

tion by the different classes of microbes to develop nanoparticles.

The biosynthesis of nanoparticles with the use of microorgan-

isms depends on culture conditions and hence standardizing these

conditions for high synthesis of nanoparticles is necessary. Many

marine microorganisms are known to produce nanostructured

mineral crystals and metallic nanoparticles with properties similar

to chemically synthesized materials, while exercising strict control

over size, shape and composition of the particles (Table 1).


3/5

N. Asmathunisha, K. Kathiresan / Colloids andSurfaces B: Biointerfaces 103 (2013) 283287 285

The marine fungus Penicillium fellutanum isolated from coastal

mangrove sediment extracellularly produces silver nanoparti-

cles, when it is exposed to AgNO3 [9]. In spite of the fact that

Thraustochytrids, obligate marine fungi are abundant with poly

unsaturated fatty acids [1012]. Their application in nanoparticles

is not known, until. Gomathi [13] demonstrates the extracellular

biosynthesis of silver nanoparticlesusing Thraustochytriumsp., and

the formation of lipid/silver nanoparticle composites.

The strains ofEscherichia coli AUCAS 112 and Aspergillus niger

AUCAS 237isolatedfrom mangrovesediments arecapableof reduc-

ing the silver ions in faster rate. The antimicrobial activity of

nanoparticles produced from E. coli is more pronounced than that

ofA. niger and is also enhanced with the addition of polyvinyl

alcohol as a stabilizing agent. The synthesized silver nanoparti-

cles are monodispersed and spherical in nature [14]. Whereas, a

novel strain ofPsuedomonas sp. 591786 has been shown to pro-

duce the intracellular silver nanoparticles which are polydispersed

with different size groups ranging from 20 to 100 nm [15].

The culture filtrate of mangrove-derived yeast Pichia capsulata

exhibitsthe mostefficientproductionof silver nanoparticleswithin

minutes [16]. The protein present in the culture filtrate of the

yeast species is responsible for the synthesis of silver nanopar-

ticles [16]. But sulphur rich peptide present in the marine yeast

Rhodosporidiumdiobovatumacts as a capping agent forsynthesis oflead sulphide nanoparticles [17].

Govindaraju et al. [18] have studied the production of silver,

gold and bimetallic nanoparticles production using single-cell pro-

tein, Spirulina platensis. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic

measurement reveals the fact that the protein is the possible

biomolecule responsible for the reduction and capping of the

biosynthesized nanoparticles. The marine cyanobacterium, Oscil-

latoria willei NTDM01 is known to secrete a protein which is

responsible for reduction of silver ions and stabilization of silver

nanoparticles [19]. Very recently Mubarak et al. (2012) [20] have

reported the synthesis and characterization of cadmium sulphide

(CdS) nanoparticles using C-phycoerythrin (C-PE) extracted from

the marine cyanobacterium, Phormidium tenue NTDM05. The size

of the CdS nanoparticles is found to be about 5 nm. Essentially, it isfound that the pigment stabilized the CdS nanoparticles. The pig-

ments labeled CdS nanoparticles can also be applied as a biolabel.

5. Biosynthesis of nanoparticles bymarine spermatophytes

Recently, coastal plants are known to synthesis nanoparticles.

While screening 26 plants of coastal origin for silver nanoparticle

synthesis,Asmathunisha [21] has observed thehighestsynthesis by

the mangrove Xylocarpus mekongensis followed by the salt marsh

Suaeda maritima. In addition to intact plant extracts, callus is also

known to better produce nanoparticles. This has been proved with

synthesis of antimicrobial silver nanoparticles by leaf callus better

than leaf extracts of the salt marsh plant, Sesuvium portulacastrum[22]. Flavonones and terpenoids are likely responsible for the sta-

bilization of the silver nanoparticles. The silver nanoparticles do

inhibit clinical strains of bacteria and fungi. Antibacterial activ-

ity of the nanoparticles is more distinct than antifungal activity

[22]. The silver nanoparticles have also been proved to have anti-

cancer property in the sand dune plant, Citrullus colocynthis when

thenanoparticles synthesized by callus extract of theplant hasbeen

testedon thecell line of human epidermoid larynxcarcinoma (HEp

-2) by using MTT assay, caspase-3 assays, lactate dehydrogenase

leakage assay and DNA fragmentation assay [23]. In addition to

the antimicrobial and anticancer properties, silver nanoparticles

also exhibit mosquito larvicidal activity. The nanoparticles synthe-

sizedby the mangroveleafextractofRhizophoramucronataexhibits

larvicidal activity againstAedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus

with theLC50values of 0.585 and0.891 mg/Lrespectively [24]. Very

recently, the application of silver nanoparticles is reported in con-

trolling shrimp diseases such as vibriosis. The silver nanoparticles

produced by the coastal Prosopis chilensis inhibit vibrio pathogens

viz., Vibrio cholerae, V. harveyi, and V. parahaemolyticus and this

antibacterialeffectof nanoparticlesis better thanthatof leafextract

as provedby disc diffusionassay. The nanoparticles are then tested

in the shrimp challenged with the four species of vibrio pathogens

for 30 days.The shrimps fed withsilvernanoparticles exhibit higher

survival, associated with immunomodulation in terms of higher

haemocyte counts, phenoloxidase and antibacterial activities of

haemolymph of the tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon [25].

6. Biosynthesis of nanoparticles bymarine algae

There is a very littleliteraturesupportingthe useof marine algae

in nanoparticle synthesis. The brown seaweed Sargassumwightii is

reportedly capable of synthesizing gold nanoparticles with a size

ranging between 8 and 12nm. An important potential benefit of

the synthesisis thatthe nanoparticlesare quitestable [26]. Another

brown seaweed Fucus vesiculosus is reported to have an ability of

gold biosorption and bioreduction, as an environmental friendly

process that canbe used for recovering gold from dilutehydromet-allurgical solutions and leachates of electronic scraps, and for the

synthesis of gold nanoparticles of different size and shape [27].

Similarly, the extracellular synthesis of silver nanoparticles by the

brown seaweedSargassumwightiiandtheir antibacterialeffects are

registered [28]. In addition to antibacterial activity, the nanoparti-

cles synthesized by seaweed extracts do have stabilizing effect on

cotton fabrics [29]. Fucoidan is an algal polysaccharide, reported

to stabilize gold particles and this green synthesis using natural

fucoidans will provide an alternative to chemical method [30]. The

red seaweed Gelidiella acerosa is reported to have the potential of

synthesizing antifungal silver nanoparticles [31]. Recently, Rajesh

et al. have reported the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Ulva

fasciata extract as a reducing agent and this nanoparticles inhibited

the growth ofXanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum [32]. In

additionto seaweeds,microalgaesuch as diatoms(Naviculaatomus,

Diadesmis gallica) have the ability to synthesize gold nanopar-

ticles, gold, and silicagold bionanocomposites [33]. The diatom

Stauroneis sp. was used for the preparation of silicongermanium

nanocomposite and this method of nanocomposite preparation has

great importance for possible future applications due to its acces-

sibility, simplicity and effectiveness [34].

7. Biosynthesis of nanoparticles bymarine animals

Fishoil is of neutraceutical value andthe presence of permissible

limitof silver nanoparticlesin the oil might enhance its efficacyan

idea that may open many avenues in the field of nanobiotech-

nology. The use of cod liver fish oil is shown to produce silvernanoparticles, as reducing agent as well as surfactant. Presence of

carboxylateionsand aminegroupsin thefishoil triggersin situ gen-

eration of organically capped silver nanoparticles [35]. The marine

sponge,Acanthella elongata is shown to produce gold nanoparticles

and this process is attributed to water-soluble organics present in

the sponge extract [36].

8. Applications of nanoparticles

Nanoparticles have a greater surface area perweight than larger

particles and this property makes them to be more reactive to

certain other molecules and they are used or being evaluated for

use in many fields [9]. Quantum dots are the crystalline nanopar-

ticles used to identify the location of cancer cells in the body.


4/5
http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_5/dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13204-012-0064-1http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_5/dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13204-011-0048-6


5/5

N. Asmathunisha, K. Kathiresan / Colloids andSurfaces B: Biointerfaces 103 (2013) 283287 287

[43] M. Sasidharan, D. Liu, N. Gunawardhana, M. Yoshio, K. Nakashima, J. Mater.Chem. 21 (2011) 13881.

[44] S.Mornet, F. Grasset, J. Portier, E. Duguet, Eur. Cells Mater. 3 (2002) 110.[45] O.F. Norah,H. Andrew, R.H. Benjamin, Int. J. Nanomed. 1 (4) (2006) 451.[46] I. Perelshtein, G. Applerot, N. Perkas, G. Guibert, S. Mikhailov, A. Gedanken,

Nanotechnology 19 (2008).

[47] A . Yadav , V. Prasad, A. Kathe, S. Raj, D. Yadav, J. Mater. Chem. 2 1 (2011)13881.

[48] S. Kathirvelu, L. Dsouza, B. Dhurai, Indian J. Fiber Text. Res. 34 (2009) 267.[49] Y.H. Liou, S.L. Lo, C.J. Lin, Water Res.41 (2007) 1705.[50] R. Li, L. Chen, Chinese Patent CN10027622, 2005.

a review on biosynthesis of nanoparticles by marine organisms

Documents