Nanomedicine and nano delivery systems are a relatively new but rapidly developing science where materials in the nanoscale range are employed to serve as means of diagnostic tools or to deliver therapeutic agents to specific targeted sites in a controlled manner. Nanotechnology offers multiple benefits in treating chronic human diseases by site-specific, and target-oriented delivery of precise medicines. Recently, there are a number of outstanding applications of the nanomedicine (chemotherapeutic agents, biological agents, immunotherapeutic agents etc.) in the treatment of various diseases. The current review, presents an updated summary of recent advances in the field of nanomedicines and nano based drug delivery systems through comprehensive scrutiny of the discovery and application of nanomaterials in improving both the efficacy of novel and old drugs (e.g., natural products) and selective diagnosis through disease marker molecules. The opportunities and challenges of nanomedicines in drug delivery from synthetic/natural sources to their clinical applications are also discussed. In addition, we have included information regarding the trends and perspectives in nanomedicine area.

Different types of fermented foods such as chongkukjang, doenjang, ganjang, gochujang and kimchi are plentifully available and widely consumed in north eastern Asian countries including Korea. Among them, kimchi is one of the most popular Korean traditional food. It is prepared by fermenting the baechu cabbage together with other vegetables and lactic acid bacteria with functional potential. Many types of ingredients are added to kimchi to enhance its taste, flavor, nutritional value, texture etc. A number of bacteria are involved in the fermentation of kimchi, but lactic acid bacteria are the dominant species in the fermentation process. The addition of other sub ingredients and formation of different by-products during fermentation eventually leads to eradication of putrefactive and pathogenic bacteria, and also increase the functionalities, nutritional and nutraceutical potential of kimchi. Kimchi possesses anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer, antiobesity, probiotic properties, cholesterol reduction, and antiaging properties. In the present review an attempt has been made to review the different types of fermented foods found in the Korean peninsula with detailed scientific research regarding preparation, processing, structure of the microecosystem and health benefits of kimchi.

Currently, green nanotechnology-based approaches using waste materials from food have been accepted as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach with various biomedical applications. In the current study, AgNPs were synthesized using the outer peel extract of the fruit Ananas comosus (AC), which is a food waste material. Characterization was done using UV–visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses. The formation of AgNPs has confirmed through UV–visible spectroscopy (at 485 nm) by the change of color owing to surface Plasmon resonance. Based on the XRD pattern, the crystalline property of AgNPs was established. The functional group existing in AC outer peel extract accountable for the reduction of Ag⁺ ion and the stabilization of AC-AgNPs was investigated through FT-IR. The morphological structures and elemental composition was determined by SEM and EDX analysis. With the growing application of AgNPs in biomedical perspectives, the biosynthesized AC-AgNPs were evaluated for their antioxidative, antidiabetic, and cytotoxic potential against HepG₂ cells along with their antibacterial potential. The results showed that AC-AgNPs are extremely effective with high antidiabetic potential at a very low concentration as well as it exhibited higher cytotoxic activity against the HepG₂ cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. It also exhibited potential antioxidant activity and moderate antibacterial activity against the four tested foodborne pathogenic bacteria. Overall, the results highlight the effectiveness and potential applications of AC-AgNPs in biomedical fields such as in the treatment of acute illnesses as well as in drug formulation for treating various diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Further, it has applications in wound dressing or in treating bacterial related diseases.