Antibacterial Activity of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Poly (B-hydroxybutyrate)/ZnO Bionanocomposites Against Escherichia coli salman Zaman1, Al-deen Wejdan R.taj1,* 1Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Babylon, Iraq *Corresponding Author: Wejdan R.taj Al-deen, Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Babylon, Iraq, Email: wejdan.tajeldin@yahoo.com
Online published on 23 December, 2019. Abstract Background Zinc oxide (ZnO) is an inorganic compound widely used in everyday applications. It is currently listed as a generally recognized safe (GRAS) material by the Food and Drug Administration and is used as food additive. ZnO nanoparticles have been incorporated in polymeric matrices in order to provide antimicrobial activity to the packaging material and improve packaging properties. The aim of current study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of ZnO nanoparticles and PHB/ZnO nanobiocomposites against E. coli. Method Biosynthesis of ZnO nanoparticles by Lactobacillus casei and studying the characterization of these particles such as structure and morphological measurement including X-Ray diffraction measurements and scanning electron microscope and optical measurements including UV-Vis diffuse reflectance measurements and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) measurements done in other studies. Results Data from current study revealed that ZnO nanoparticles exerted concentration-dependent inhibition of bacterial growth against E. coli. However, ZnO/PHB nanobiocomposites exerted stronger inhibition than ZnO nanoparticles. Conclusion ZnO nanoparticles enhanced antibacterial effects of the ZnO/PHB nanobiocomposites maybe via mechanical performance, barrier and/or antibacterial properties of polymers. Top Keywords Antibacterial activity, ZnO, E. coli, UV-Vis, ZnO/PHB nanobiocomposites. Top |