MINI REVIEW article
Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Sec. Nanobiotechnology
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvancements in Research on Plant-derived Extracellular Vesicles and Nanoparticles- Applications in Biotechnology and One HealthView all 3 articles
Plant-Derived Extracellular Vesicles and Nanoparticles: Origins, Functions, and Applications
Provisionally accepted
- Texas A and M University, College Station, United States
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Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) and plant-derived nanoparticles (PDNPs) are emerging plant-based nanomaterials with growing relevance in biotechnology, agriculture, and health. Although often grouped together, they arise from distinct origins: PDEVs are actively secreted vesicles with selective cargo loading, whereas PDNPs form during tissue disruption and reflect the lipid-metabolite composition of plant biomass. This review summarizes recent progress in distinguishing these systems, including advances in biogenesis, isolation, biomarkers, and functional characterization. We highlight mechanistic insights into PDEV-mediated cross-kingdom RNA communication in plant immunity and the strong translational potential of PDNPs in oral drug delivery, immunomodulation, and microbiome regulation. Remaining challenges include standardization, scalable purification, and deeper mechanistic clarity. By clarifying their differences and complementary strengths, this review outlines a foundation for developing reliable plant-derived nanovesicle technologies.
Keywords: Cross-kingdom communications, Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEV), Plant-derived nanoparticles(PDNP), Plant-derived nanotechnology, vesicle biogenesis
Received: 01 Dec 2025; Accepted: 02 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Alsaid, Davila and He. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Baoye He
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.