Biologically synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles as nanoantibiotics against ESBLs producing gram negative bacteria

The accelerative outgrowth of extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Proteus mirabilis (P. mirabilis) was mainly due to incessant relentless influence of antibiotics thereby increasing incidence and death rate which was obvious from the survey of ESBLs producing bacteria related health problem. In the present paper, we synthesized and characterized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) employing using Camellia japonica leaf extract, bactericidal action of these NPs against extended spectrum β lactamases (ESBLs) positive E. coli and P. mirabilis clinical strains owing the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) percentage 83, 81% at 100 μg/mL concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) final inhibiting concentration at 150 μg/mL. Moreover, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) results evident for loss of viability, cell shrinkage, disarrangement of cell membrane, and cell wall lysis activity of ZnO NPs against ESBLs positive E. coli BDUMS3 (KY617770) and P. mirabilis BDUMS1 (KY617768) strains. From the results, it was observed that the biologically synthesized ZnO NPs has stronger antibacterial effect against ESBLs producing bacterial strains. Nevertheless, current date there is no reports of antibacterial activity of metal oxide (ZnO) NPs against ESBL producing gram negative bacteria. Consequently, this finding is the first report in this respect and it shows band gap energy and ROS accumulation to damage the cell wall and inhibit the growth of ESBL producing gram negative strains.