Biosynthesized nanomaterials with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties

Nanomaterials are structures with dimensions less than 100 nm. Among different nanomaterials, metal- and carbonbased nanoarchitectures have attracted interest due to their ease of production, biocompatibility, low cost, excellent physio-chemistry characteristics, and biological activities. They are synthesized by various methods such as physical, chemical, and biological methods Biosynthesized nanomaterials exhibit remarkably improved biological activities such as antioxidant and antibacterial capabilities. Antioxidant nanomaterials can shield molecules from oxidation processes by decelerating or preventing them from oxidizing in the first place. These nanomaterials are widely used in the food industries and biomedical sectors. Several factors (e.g., size, shape, composition, and synthesized procedure) may influence the antimicrobial activity of these nanocompounds. It was shown that biosynthesized nanomaterials have higher antioxidant and antimicrobial activities than those by conventional methods. In the present review, we overview the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of biosynthesized metal- and carbon-based nanoarchitectures. In addition, the mechanism of antimicrobial activity, as well as commonly used methods to measure the antioxidant activity of nanomaterials, are highlighted.