Microfilaricidal efficacy of silver nanoparticles

Abstract Parasitic infections are caused mainly by parasites of nematode and it can be transferred to the hosts via vectors. In humans, “lymphatic filariasis” and “onchocerciasis” are significant microfilariae diseases. These vector-borne diseases are induced by nematode parasites such as Wucheria bancrofti, Brugia timori, Brugia malayi, and Onchocerca volvulus. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an average of 1000 million individuals in 72 nations were at higher threat of lymphatic filariasis (LF) septicity and 360 lakh individuals of various age groups suffer from related illness prior to the launch of the Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF). Among the abovementioned microfilariae diseases, LF is commonly spread throughout India. Lymphatic filariasis (LF) causes infection to 120 million individuals worldwide with lymphatic pathology. India alone has identified 40% of filarial patients across the global burden of this disease. Nanomedicine is a branch of advanced science and technology that focuses on the prevention and treatment of any disease or diseases. This chapter deals with the application of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to control of filariasis and various methods of synthesis and also summarizes the biological way of synthesizing AgNPs using numerous sources and its application. Green-synthesized nanoparticles have been highly efficient and can be a promising source in treating or controlling this serious bacteria.