Green fabrication, characterization and antibacterial potential of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Aloe socotrina leaf extract: A novel drug delivery approach

Currently, nanotechnology is a prolific area of scientific research. As they can be synthesized in an eco-friendly manner, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) provide an attractive solution to combat bacterial infection. In this study, synthesis of ZnO NPs using Aloe socotrina (As) leaf extract and characterized by UV, FTIR, XRD, SEM, and TEM. UV spectroscopy analysis showed that the maximum absorption was at about 315 nm. TEM images of the ZnO NPs definite the structure of ZnO NPs ranging from 15 to 50 nm in size while XRD spectra revealed their crystallinity. To understand the antibacterial activity of NPs, extensive experiments were performed using several assays such as agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration, growth kinetics, intracellular uptake, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and antibiofilm activity. The A. socotrina capped ZnO NPs (As-ZnO NPs) revealed significant activity against biofilms formed by four bacterial pathogens, which can interfere with the management of drug resistant bacterial diseases caused by these biofilms. In summary, this novel biosynthesis technique of As-ZnO NPs with potent bactericidal activity offers an effective solution for the management of UTI pathogens.