Table 2 Application of different types of nanoparticles

Fullerenes

Eg: berberine-loaded fullerene (C₆₀) for cancer (a molecule composed entirely of carbon [79])

 1. Fullerene (C₆₀)

Liver toxicity and diminished lipid peroxidation

 2. Metallofullerol [31]

Leukemia and bone cancer

 3. Cationic, anionic, and amino acid-type fullerene

HIV-reverse transcriptase and hepatitis C

Solid lipid nanoparticles( SLN)

Eg: curcumin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (mainly comprise lipids that are in solid phase)

 1. Glycerol palmitostearate and cetyl palmitate [80]

Fungi and type 1 diabetes

 2. Hyaluronic acid-coupled chitosan SLN

Colorectal cancer

 3. Steric acid, soya

Gram-positive bacteria

Nanostructured lipid carriers

Eg: quercetin-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier (nanostructured lipid carriers are produced from a blend of solid and liquid lipid) [81]

 1. Stearylamine and diacetyl phosphate

Human immunodeficiency

 2. DC-chol liposome

Gene transfer in subcutaneous tumor

 3. Hydrogenated soy phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, and di-stearoyl phosphatidylglycerol

Gram-negative bacteria

 4. Phosphatidylcholine, dynasan, and flurbiprofen

Sustained release of anti-inflammatory drug

 5. Fluticasone propionate, glyceryl palmitostearate and PEG

Topical cortico-therapy

Nanoshells

Eg: Artemisinin nanoshells, Radix Salvia miltiorrhiza nanoshell

(Spherical core, surrounded by a shell or outer coating of a thin layer of another materials)

 1. Silica coating of silver colloids

Stability of colloids

 2. Gold nanoshell particles

Imaging of disease

 3. Silver nanoshells, silica–silver core-shell particles

To detect antibodies and microorganism [82]

 4. Nanoshell

To detect cancer cell and tumors

Quantum dots

(Semiconductor nanocrystals and core shell nanocrystals containing interface between different semiconductor materials)

 1. Quantum dots [83]

For measuring protein conformational changes, protein interaction, use in immune assay

 2. PEG-encapsulated QDs

In vivo animal imaging, lymph node mapping

 3. QDs encapsulated in phospholipid micelles

Cell tracking and color imaging of liver cells

Superparamagnetic nanoparticles

Eg: Hyaluronic acid-loaded superparamagnetic nanoparticles [84] (molecules are those attracted to a magnetic field)

 1. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

Magnetic particle imaging

 2. Colloidal dispersion of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

Magnetic fluid hyperthermia

 3. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles coated with polyvinyl benzyl

Liver targeting MRI contrast agent

Dendrimers

Eg: lactoferrin-tagged quantum dots [85]

(unimolecular, monodisperse, micellar

nanostructures, around 20 nm in size) [86]

 1. Polyamidoamine dendrimers

Various bacteria

 2. Polylysine dendrimer

Glaucoma

 3. Pegylated lysine-based copolymeric dendrimer [87]

Antifungal agent