Biosynthesis of nanoparticles using endophytes : a novel approach for enhancing plant growth and sustainable agriculture

Current strategies for increasing food production rely heavily on the use of agrichemicals to improve plant growth and resistance to disease. However, many of these chemicals have been shown to have negative impacts on human health and the environment. Nanotechnology presents itself as one of the promising technologies that can be employed to overcome these challenges, but, in the same way that agrichemicals can be harmful, so too can nanotechnology production lines cause harm. In an effort to produce nanoparticles (NPs) in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner, biological synthesis pathways using microbes and plants are being explored and developed. Synthesis of NPs using endophytic microbiomes is one of the biological approaches showing great potential, offering environmentally friendly alternatives to current production lines and adding value to agricultural systems. This review presents the current potential of NPs synthesized using endophytic microbiomes (primarily bacteria and fungi) to enhance plant growth and improve disease resistance, ultimately making agriculture more sustainable. The future focus on the exploration of this important technique is advocated.