An overview on Arachis hypogea assisted green synthesis of nanoparticles for remediation of environmental contaminants

Due to numerous applications in various scientific fields and the need for an economic and eco-friendly approach, green synthesis of metal nanoparticles is gaining attention and interest day by day. This ultimately highlights the importance of the ability of many plant extracts to reduce metal salt to metal nanoparticles. Arachis hypogea (peanut or groundnut) is a widely consumed leguminous plant that belongs to the family Fabacea or Leguminosae. It exhibits a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing rhizobium species. Phytochemically, the plant is rich in polyphenolic compounds like flavonoids, phenolic acids, stilbene; and triterpenoid derivatives. The present article focuses on the uses of aqueous extracts of A. hypogea roots or nodules or nuts in the fabrication of different metal and metal oxide nanoparticles. In respective research attempts, silver nanoparticles were evaluated for applications like antibacterial, anti-cancer activity, and/or photocatalytic activity. Iron nanoparticles were synthesized using peanut extract and evaluated for their ability to remove toxic chromium ions. An attempt was also made for the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles. The use of the aqueous extract of A. hypogea indicated that its polar phytocompounds are responsible for reducing the salt and stabilizing as synthesized metal nanoparticles. In conclusion, it could be noted that metal nanoparticles have better antimicrobial activity and photocatalytic potential as compared to aqueous extract.