Anticancer Nanoparticles from Sida Species: Green Synthesis and Mechanisms-A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Cancer remains a leading global health challenge, with traditional treatments often limited by side effects, inefficacy, and drug resistance. Nanotechnology offers innovative solutions, particularly in targeted drug delivery systems that enhance specificity and minimize side effects. Among these, plant-mediated synthesis of nanoparticles has emerged as a green, biocompatible, and sustainable approach. Sida plants, for long time utilized for their medicinal purposes, have now been used as a material in the preparation of nanoparticles, particularly silver and gold nanoparticles, which has shown notable anticancer properties. Nanoparticles produced ROS, mediated oxidative stress, and even induced apoptosis in cancerous cells by using Sida retusa extract against breast cancer cell lines. This paper reviews the synthesis, characterisation and pharmacological action of nanoparticles based on Sida and compares the latter with traditional methods and the plant itself. In it lies the thrust of developing more personalised approaches to cancer care while emphasizing what plant-based nanotechnology offers in cancer therapy in the future.