An effective strategy for the synthesis of biocompatible gold nanoparticles using cinnamon phytochemicals for phantom CT imaging and photoacoustic detection of cancerous cells.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to explore the utilization of cinnamon-coated gold nanoparticles (Cin-AuNPs) as CT/optical contrast-enhancement agents for detection of cancer cells.

Methods: Cin-AuNPs were synthesized by a "green" procedure, and the detailed characterization was performed by physico-chemical analysis. Cytotoxicity and cellular uptake studies were carried out in normal human fibroblast and cancerous (PC-3 and MCF-7) cells, respectively.

Green Nanotechnology from Tea: Phytochemicals in Tea as Building Blocks for Production of Biocompatible Gold Nanoparticles.

Phytochemicals occluded in tea have been extensively used as dietary supplements and as natural pharmaceuticals in the treatment of various diseases including human cancer. Results on the reduction capabilities of phytochemicals present in tea to reduce gold salts to the corresponding gold nanoparticles are presented in this paper. The phytochemicals present in tea serve the dual roles as effective reducing agents to reduce gold and also as stabilizers to provide robust coating on the gold nanoparticles in a single step.

Soybeans as a phytochemical reservoir for the production and stabilization of biocompatible gold nanoparticles.

The present study demonstrates an unprecedented green process for the production of gold nanoparticles by simple treatment of gold salts with soybean extracts. Reduction capabilities of antioxidant phytochemicals present in soybean and their ability to reduce gold salts chemically to nanoparticles with subsequent coating of proteins and a host of other phytochemicals present in soybean on the freshly generated gold nanoparticles are discussed. The new genre of green nanoparticles exhibit remarkable in vitro stability in various buffers including saline, histidine, HSA, and cysteine solutions.