In Vitro Antifungal and Antibacterial Effects of Biosynthesized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Against Selected Pathogenic...

We have developed a simple, robust environment-friendly and efficient method for ZnO nanoparticles biosynthesis using Dalbergia sissoo fresh leaf extract. Before using these nanoparticles for antimicrobial assay, a detailed characterization was performed using techniques like Ultraviolet/Visible (UV/Vis) spectroscopy, Particle size analysis (PSA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM),Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) etc. The average size of biosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles was around 30 nm and they were pure and crystalline by nature. The effectiveness of these biosynthesized nanoparticles were checked against both pathogenic and non-pathogenic microbes. A total of eight bacterial strains-Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsilla pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus entericus, Bacillus cereus, Pantoea cypripedii and three fungal strains-Candida albicans, Aspergilus niger and Aspergilus flavus were studied to have a clear view of the spectrum of ZnO nanoparticles anti-microbial activity. The effectiveness of biosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles against the microbes was found to be better than the standard reference antibiotics used (streptomycin, chloramphenicol and rifampicin). The results seem to be very promising and can be used for some practical applications of ZnO nanoparticles in nearfuture.