Ficus Plant-Mediated Silver Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Optimization, Characterization, and Biomedical Applications

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are known for their exceptional physicochemical characteristics, including remarkable stability and conductivity, catalytic activity, and antibacterial capabilities. The emerging approach of plant-mediated synthesis of AgNPs is eco-friendly, non-hazardous, sustainable in biomedical applications, and highly cost-effective. Its non-toxicity and rapidity instill confidence in its potential, making it a secure choice. Plant-derived AgNPs combine nanotechnology features with the therapeutic potential of plant bioactive compounds, offering significant potential for medicinal applications. With their ease of availability and unique phytochemical composition, Ficus plants outperform other plant species in synthesizing AgNPs, adding more confidence to this efficient and economically secure synthesis process. This article underscores the benefits and advances of the Ficus plant in AgNP synthesis and highlights its promising antimicrobial, anticancer, antibacterial, and cytotoxic activities. The potential of the Ficus plant in AgNP synthesis is genuinely intriguing and inspiring, opening up new possibilities in nanotechnology. However, this process has challenges and limitations, such as precise control of the synthesis conditions, inconsistent synthesis efficiency, potential variability in the complex phytochemical compositions, scalability issues, and safety concerns. This article also discusses the key challenges of the Ficus-based AgNP synthesis. It suggests mitigation strategies, underscoring the urgent need for further research and motivating the researchers to engage in this vital topic.