Metallic Nanoparticles Functionalized with Aminolevulinic Acid and Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid: Applications in Medicine and Agriculture

Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) as a prodrug can be converted to protoporphyrin IX, which can be accumulated preferentially in tumor cells, presenting theranostic applications. ALA is also a precursor to chlorophyll, essential for photosynthesis. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a vertebrate central nervous system neurotransmitter. In plants, intracellular levels of GABA are typically low. GABA can be significantly accumulated in response to drought, salt, and low temperature and can increase the resistance of plants against these stresses. This paper describes the synthesis and characterization of metallic nanoparticles (silver, gold, and copper) and their applications in medicine and agriculture are exploited.