Biofabrication of ZnO and MgO Nanoparticles Using Dracaena trifasciata-Derived Reducing Agents and Their Antimicrobial Activity Against Pathogens
Sheetal Rajpoot1, Shivani1, Aparna Sharma1, Akanksha Yadav1, Swati Sharma2, Shefali Singh2 and Shashi Bala1*
1Department of Chemistry, University of Lucknow, India
2Department of Chemistry, Integral University, Lucknow, India
Email: shashichem15@gmail.com
Various plant-mediated nanoparticles have been used as drugs due to their antimicrobial activity because they are active against various pathogens like bacteria, fungi, etc. ZnO and MgO are emerging as promising antimicrobial agents. Biofabricated nanoparticles were synthesized with Dracaena trifasciata, characterized using a field emission scanning electron microscopic (FE-SEM) analysis depicting the spherical shape of the NPs, and an energy-dispersive X-ray (EDAX) analysis confirmed the presence of oxygen and zinc in the synthesized NPs. XRD (X-ray diffraction) patterns were recorded to measure the size and phase of the NPs. The MgO nanoparticles have particle size distributions lower than 11.5 nm. The agar well diffusion method was used to assess the antibacterial activity of samples SRNP-1, SRNP-2, and SRNP-3 against Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacterial strains. Among the isolates, SRNP-1 showed the highest activity against Escherichia coli, with an inhibition zone of 30.33 ± 0.58 mm at 100 µg/mL, comparable to the standard antibiotic gentamycin (30.67 ± 0.58 mm). SRNP-2 and SRNP-3 also displayed activity, with inhibition zones of 26.67 ± 2.31 mm and 24.33 ± 0.58 mm, respectively, at 100 µg/mL. Nanoparticles of ZNO and MgO can significantly improve food packaging materials by enhancing their mechanical strength, barrier properties, and antimicrobial activity, ultimately extending shelf life and improving food safety.
