Applications of Bioconjugated Silver Nanoparticles

The bioconjugated AgNPs present various applications starting from advanced molecular medicine agents, drug delivery vectors, gene transfection, bioimaging and contrast enhancement agents, and as anticancer chemotherapeutics. Mainly, the theranostic applications of AgNPs combined with the therapeutic effect of the conjugated biomolecule result in advanced applications. The most recent state-o- -the-art applications of bioconjugated or biogenic AgNPs include the magnetic imaging of vital life processes, cellular internalization of bioactive ingredients or therapeutics, DNA repair and gene transfection in molecular medicine for correcting the anomalies at the genetic level. The conjugation with AgNPs causes a considerable improvement in the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer chemotherapeutics owing to targeted release coupled with the physiological changes associated with the interaction of biological systems with AgNPs that triggers redox stress and heightened cellular response. The present chapter deals with the applications of AgNPs conjugated to biological ingredients or biogenic AgNPs in various fields.