Bioactive ZnO Nanoparticles: Biosynthesis, Characterization and Potential Antimicrobial Applications

Md Amdadul Huq; Md Aminul Islam Apu; Md Ashrafudoulla; Md Mizanur Rahman; Md Anowar Khasru Parvez; Sri Renukadevi Balusamy; Shahina Akter; Md Shahedur Rahman

doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics15112634

Bioactive ZnO Nanoparticles: Biosynthesis, Characterization and Potential Antimicrobial Applications

Pharmaceutics. 2023 Nov 16;15(11):2634. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15112634.

Authors

Md Amdadul Huq¹, Md Aminul Islam Apu², Md Ashrafudoulla³, Md Mizanur Rahman⁴, Md Anowar Khasru Parvez⁵, Sri Renukadevi Balusamy⁶, Shahina Akter⁷, Md Shahedur Rahman⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Biotechnology and Natural Resource, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Republic of Korea.
² Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS 38677, USA.
³ Department of Food Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Republic of Korea.
⁴ Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Biological Science, Islamic University, Kushtia 7003, Bangladesh.
⁵ Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka 1342, Bangladesh.
⁶ Department of Food Science and Technology, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea.
⁷ Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, Republic of Korea.
⁸ Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Jashore 7408, Bangladesh.

Abstract

In recent years, biosynthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) have gained tremendous attention because of their safe and non-toxic nature and distinctive biomedical applications. A diverse range of microbes (bacteria, fungi and yeast) and various parts (leaf, root, fruit, flower, peel, stem, etc.) of plants have been exploited for the facile, rapid, cost-effective and non-toxic synthesis of ZnONPs. Plant extracts, microbial biomass or culture supernatant contain various biomolecules including enzymes, amino acids, proteins, vitamins, alkaloids, flavonoids, etc., which serve as reducing, capping and stabilizing agents during the biosynthesis of ZnONPs. The biosynthesized ZnONPs are generally characterized using UV-VIS spectroscopy, TEM, SEM, EDX, XRD, FTIR, etc. Antibiotic resistance is a serious problem for global public health. Due to mutation, shifting environmental circumstances and excessive drug use, the number of multidrug-resistant pathogenic microbes is continuously rising. To solve this issue, novel, safe and effective antimicrobial agents are needed urgently. Biosynthesized ZnONPs could be novel and effective antimicrobial agents because of their safe and non-toxic nature and powerful antimicrobial characteristics. It is proven that biosynthesized ZnONPs have strong antimicrobial activity against various pathogenic microorganisms including multidrug-resistant bacteria. The possible antimicrobial mechanisms of ZnONPs are the generation of reactive oxygen species, physical interactions, disruption of the cell walls and cell membranes, damage to DNA, enzyme inactivation, protein denaturation, ribosomal destabilization and mitochondrial dysfunction. In this review, the biosynthesis of ZnONPs using microbes and plants and their characterization have been reviewed comprehensively. Also, the antimicrobial applications and mechanisms of biosynthesized ZnONPs against various pathogenic microorganisms have been highlighted.

Keywords: ZnONPs; antimicrobial applications; antimicrobial mechanisms; biosynthesis; characterization.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.