Amna Sirelkhatim

Review on Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles: Antibacterial Activity and Toxicity Mechanism

Antibacterial activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) has received significant interest worldwide particularly by the implementation of nanotechnology to synthesize particles in the nanometer region. Many microorganisms exist in the range from hundreds of nanometers to tens of micrometers. ZnO-NPs exhibit attractive antibacterial properties due to increased specific surface area as the reduced particle size leading to enhanced particle surface reactivity. ZnO is a bio-safe material that possesses photo-oxidizing and photocatalysis impacts on chemical and biological species. This review covered ZnO-NPs antibacterial activity including testing methods, impact of UV illumination, ZnO particle properties (size, concentration, morphology, and defects), particle surface modification, and minimum inhibitory concentration. Particular emphasize was given to bactericidal and bacteriostatic mechanisms with focus on generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), OH− (hydroxyl radicals), and O2−2 (peroxide). ROS has been a major factor for several mechanisms including cell wall damage due to ZnO-localized interaction, enhanced membrane permeability, internalization of NPs due to loss of proton motive force and uptake of toxic dissolved zinc ions. These have led to mitochondria weakness, intracellular outflow, and release in gene expression of oxidative stress which caused eventual cell growth inhibition and cell death. In some cases, enhanced antibacterial activity can be attributed to surface defects on ZnO abrasive surface texture. One functional application of the ZnO antibacterial bioactivity was discussed in food packaging industry where ZnO-NPs are used as an antibacterial agent toward foodborne diseases. Proper incorporation of ZnO-NPs into packaging materials can cause interaction with foodborne pathogens, thereby releasing NPs onto food surface where they come in contact with bad bacteria and cause the bacterial death and/or inhibition.

Characterization of ZnO Nanopowder and Antibacterial Response against Staphylococcus aureus under UVA Illumination

In this study, we study the physical property and antibacterial bioactivity of ZnO nanopowder towards Staphylococcus Aureus. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), FTIR, Raman spectroscopy and UV-Vis were used to characterize the ZnO nanopowder. The major morphology consists of nanorods which have length 70-200 nm and width 30-120 nm. FTIR spectra performed a well-synthesis of ZnO that has Zn-O stretching bond (482 cm-1). UV-Vis absorption spectra showed an intense UV absorption at 387 nm, corresponding to optical bandgap 3.24 eV. Raman spectroscopy exhibited a prominent peak in E2high mode located at 435 cm-1. The antibacterial response of ZnO was performed toward Staphylococcus aureus. Higher concentration of ZnO had caused higher inhibition of the bacteria. Besides, the increment of capability of ZnO towards the bacteria was observed under UV radiation. It was believed that the irradiation had induced oxygen to be released from the surface of the ZnO and caused the increasing of reactive oxygen species, which enhance the bacteria inhibition.

In-vitro efficacy of different morphology zinc oxide nanopowders on Streptococcus sobrinus and Streptococcus mutans

ZnO with two different morphologies were used to study the inhibition of Streptococcus sobrinus and Streptococcus mutans which are closely associated with tooth cavity. Rod-like shaped ZnO-A and plate-like shaped ZnO-B were produced using a zinc boiling furnace. The nanopowders were characterized using energy filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS) to confirm the properties of the ZnO polycrystalline wurtzite structures. XRD results show that the calculated crystallite sizes of ZnO-A and ZnO-B were 36.6 and 39.4nm, respectively, whereas DLS revealed particle size distributions of 21.82nm (ZnO-A) and 52.21nm (ZnO-B). PL spectra showed ion vacancy defects related to green and red luminescence for both ZnO particles. These defects evolved during the generation of reactive oxygen species which contributed to the antibacterial activity. Antibacterial activity was investigated using microdilution technique towards S. sobrinus and S. mutans at different nanopowder concentrations. Results showed that ZnO-A exhibited higher inhibition on both bacteria compared with ZnO-B. Moreover, S. mutans was more sensitive compared with S. sobrinus because of its higher inhibition rate.

Structural morphology of zinc oxide structures with antibacterial application of calamine lotion

In this study, we report the structural morphology of a zinc oxide (ZnO) sample and antibacterial application of the ZnO structures in calamine lotion. Antibacterial activities of the calamine lotion towards Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were investigated. The structural morphology of ZnO sample was studied using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and a field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The morphologies of the ZnO structure consisted of many rod and spherical structures. The particle sizes of the sample ranged from 40 nm to 150 nm. A calamine lotion was prepared through mixing the ZnO structures with other constituents in suitable proportion. The energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) revealed the presence of large amount of ZnO structures whiles the X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed a good crystalline property of ZnO in the calamine lotion mixture. The morphological structures of ZnO were found to remain unchanged in the calamine lotion mixture through FESEM imaging. In the antibacterial test, prepared calamine lotion exhibited a remarkable bacterial inhibition on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa after 24 h of treatment. The bactericidal capability of calamine lotion was largely due to the presence of ZnO structures which induce high toxicity and killing effect on the bacteria.

Enhanced photoconductivity and antibacterial response of rubber-grade ZnO upon UVA illumination

Ultraviolet-A (UVA) radiation is present in sunlight and have been associated with various types of human skin cancers. In this study, rubber-grade zinc oxide (ZnO) powder was used as the targeted materials to study its UVA photoresponse as well as its antibacterial function. ZnO powder was synthesized using French process. The morphological structures of the samples were investigated using field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The dominant morphology of the sample was micro/nanoplate. The optical bandgap of the ZnO sample is 3.19 eV based on the UV-Visible measurement. Current-voltage measurement was conducted to study the effect of UVA (390 nm) illumination on the photoconductivity of the ZnO pellet. Photoconductivity was observed to increase significantly under UVA exposure due to light absorption on the surface of ZnO to raise the electrons across the bandgap. The current response of the UVA-induced also revealed the small persistent photoconductivity after the UVA light was turned off. Besides, higher voltage bias would lead to higher current flow under the same intensity of UVA exposure. According to the antibacterial test towards Staphylococcus aureus, the percentage inhibition of the bacterial after 24 h incubation increase when the concentration of ZnO suspension increases. The UVA illumination had improved the inhibition of the bacterial growth. This is due to the excitation of ZnO and increasing of free charge carriers in the solution, leading to potential distortion to the membrane surface of the bacteria. ZnO powder performed high absorption of UVA and they are not only can be used to block the UVA sunlight, but also have higher antibacterial capability under UVA excitation.

Physico-chemical characteristics of ZnO nanoparticles-based discs and toxic effect on human cervical cancer HeLa cells

In this study, we investigated physico-chemical properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs)-based discs and their toxicity on human cervical cancer HeLa cell lines. ZnO NPs (80 nm) were produced by the conventional ceramic processing method. FESEM analysis indicated dominant structure of nanorods with dimensions 100-500 nm in length, and 20-100 nm in diameter. The high content of ZnO nanorods in the discs probably played significant role in toxicity towards HeLa cells. Structural defects (oxygen vacancies and zinc/oxygen interstitials) were revealed by PL spectra peaks at 370-376 nm and 519-533 nm for the ZnO discs. The structural, optical and electrical properties of prepared sample have influenced the toxicological effects of ZnO discs towards HeLa cell lines via the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), internalization, membrane damage, and eventually cell death. The larger surface to volume area of the ZnO nanorods, combined with defects, stimulated enhanced toxicity via ROS generation hyd...

Cytotoxicity evaluation of ZnO-eugenol (ZOE) using different ZnO structure on human gingival fibroblast

Application of ZnO is widely used in many industries, such as in optoelectronic devices, automotive, textile, cosmetics, medical and dentistry. In this study, emphasis was given on ZnO-eugenol (ZOE) that has been used in dental restoration. ZOE contained 80% ZnO and 20% eugenol. ZOE exhibited selective toxicity that could kill bacteria but safe on human cells. The safety of ZOE on humans is critically important. Two types of ZnO with different morphology, namely ZnO-A and ZnO-K were used to make ZOE (ZOE-A and ZOE-K) and the cytotoxicity level on human gingival fibroblast (HGF) cell line were evaluated. Both ZnO were characterized for its morphology and structural using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD), respectively. The cytotoxicity level was evaluated using CCK-8 assay where the percentage of viable cells after 72 h were observed. The result showed ZnO-A, containing mostly rod-like shape with a crystallite size of 37.5 nm, had a higher percentage of viable ...

A Comparative Study between the Effects of Oxidizing and Reducing Atmospheres on the Properties of ZnO-Bi2O3-Mn2O3 Varistor Fabricated from Micro and Nanoparticles Size of ZnO

Zinc oxide-based varistors are semiconductor ceramics. Their excellent nonlinear electrical behaviors are induced from their grain boundaries and depend on their microstructural characteristics. From a theoretical aspect, finer primary particles with narrow size distributions provide better electrical and optical properties. Thus, these properties are related to the morphology and size of ZnO grains. In this study, ZnO-Bi2O3-Mn2O3 varistors fabricated from ZnO micro-and nanoparticle powders are prepared via conventional ceramic processing. The effects of ZnO particle size and different annealing ambients on the properties of ZnO varistors are also investigated. The strong solid-state reaction during sintering may be attributed to the high surface area of the 20 nm ZnO nanoparticles that promote strong surface reaction. The annealing process also improves grain crystallinity, as shown in the decrease in intrinsic compressive stress based on the X-ray diffraction lattice constant and full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) data. The reduced particle size significantly influences the electrical properties, showing a sharp drop in the breakdown voltage. Thus, the ZnO nanoparticles can be used to manufacture of varistors with superior properties and lower breakdown voltage compared with commercial ones.

In-vitro antibacterial study of zinc oxide nanostructures on Streptococcus sobrinus

Zinc oxide nanostructures were prepared using a pilot plant of zinc oxide boiling furnace. Generally, it produced two types of nanostructures different in morphology; one is rod-like shaped (ZnO-1) and a plate-like shape (ZnO-2). The properties of ZnO were studied by structural, optical and morphological using XRD, PL and FESEM respectively. The XRD patterns confirmed the wurtzite structures of ZnO with the calculated crystallite size of 41 nm (ZnO-1) and 42 nm (ZnO-2) using Scherrer formula. The NBE peaks were determined by photoluminescence spectra which reveal peak at 3.25 eV and 3.23 eV for ZnO-1 and ZnO-2 respectively. Prior to that, the morphologies for both ZnO-1 and ZnO-2 were demonstrated from FESEM micrographs. Subsequently the antibacterial study was conducted using in-vitro broth dilution technique towards a gram positive bacterium Streptococcus sobrinus (ATCC 33478) to investigate the level of antibacterial effect of zinc oxide nanostructures as antibacterial agent. Gradual increment of ZnO c...

Structural, Optical and Antibacterial Properties of ZnO Commercial Powder Grades

We investigated the structural, optoelectronic and antibacterial properties of two commercial ZnO powder namely White (rubber grade) and Pharma (pharmaceutical grade) in order to study the correlation between the structural-optical property and the antibacterial efficacy. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs showed rod-like morphology for the Pharma specimen and grainular shape for the White sample. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) results confirmed the superior crystallinity of the Pharma powder and photoluminescence (PL) data also showed higher UV photocatalysis of the Pharma powder if compared to that of White powder. Using the broth macrodilution method to determine the antibacterial activity of ZnO specimens, we discovered the Pharma grade exhibited stronger inhibition (80-98%) on the growth of Escherichia Coli (E. coli) especially for the ZnO suspension concentration of 10-20 mM. We believe that the superior crystallinity and stronger photocatalysis of the rod-like Pharma powder could have generated much more reactive oxygen species (OH-, H2O2 and O22-) than that of White sample resulting in the higher growth inhibition of E.coli. This work also highlights the impact of rod-like primary particles of Pharma powder in exhibiting good antibacterial efficacy if compared to the grainular particles of White powder and this observation justifies the usage of ZnO Pharma powder in pharmaceutical and healthcare products.