Biosynthesis and Antibacterial Activity of ZnO Nanoparticles by Artemisia aucheri Extract

Green approach to nanoparticles, including metal oxides Because of an inevitable disadvantage of physical or chemical synthesis routes is attractive nowadays. ZnO nanoparticles play a key role in the medicals and drugs area.

In this study, biosynthesis of ZnO nanoparticles with new approach to enhanced the Antimicrobial properties against gram-negative and gram-positive was performed by use of a new type of plant extract, Artemisia aucheri, in an environmentally friendly, cost-effective, simple procedure way.

By adding Zn(NO₃)₂ to A. aucheri methanol extract followed by stirring The resulted solution and final heat treatment in 200 °C the ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized. Disc diffusion method was applied to evaluation the Antimicrobial properties of the extract and nanoparticles towards resistance into Escherichia coli (gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive).

X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) result showed all of the peaks proportion to ZnO and no other peaks were detected, also demonstrated nanostructure nature with crystallite size about 9 nm. In the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), there is a band in the 550 cm^-1 which is corresponded to ZnO. Also 76 nm average particle size obtained by DLS experiments. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis showed strong peaks for Zn and O, support supposition of ZnO nanoparticles. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images indicated spherical rounded particles with the size of average 30 nm. Antibacterial tests showed effective diameter about 11 and 10 mm for plant extract and also 7 and 5 mm for ZnO nanoparticles against E. coli (gram-negative) and S. aureus (gram-positive) in agar disc diffusion method, respectively.

Biosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles could be a good candidate for antibacterial activity, both against E. coli (gram-negative) and S. aureus (gram-positive) especially for versus E. coli.