Green synthesis of silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles for novel application to enhance shelf life of fruits

Green nanotechnology is fast growing in feasible precision agriculture that assures to refashion food production. This work presents the silver (Ag) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by the green synthesis method. The morphology, composition, structure, size, and purity have been confirmed by and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL). The optical energy band gap for Ag and ZnO NPs was 2.5 eV and 3.5 eV respectively as investigated by UV-visible spectroscopy. The primary goal of this study is to develop eco-friendly biosynthesized nanoparticles that enhance the shelf time of fruits at room temperature. For this purpose, the different concentrations of Ag and ZnO nanostructures (100 ppm, 500 ppm, and 1000 ppm) have been applied to apples and lemons to study the influence on their shelf life. The PWL% and PO are employed by using a 5-point scale to calculate shelf time correctly. Moreover, periodic measurements have been performed over the coated apple and lemon samples to understand the chemistry and physics behind improvements in shelf life. In contrast to Ag NPs, ZnO NPs present low weight loss at 100 ppm and 1000 ppm. The weight loss percentage of lemon showed direct relation with a concentration of ZnO NPs, whereas inverse for the case of Ag NPs due to strong pathogenic effects of ZnO NPs. These nanoparticles can be easily synthesized by using freely available neem leaves and highly useful for the agricultural industry and food sectors around the globe.

Automated summary

Green nanotechnology is being widely applied in precision agriculture, and this study presents the synthesis and characterization of silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles for enhancing the shelf life of fruits. The nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using a green synthesis method and demonstrated to have excellent morphology, composition, and structure. The application of different concentrations of these nanoparticles to apples and lemons showed varying effects on shelf life, with zinc oxide nanoparticles having a more positive impact compared to silver nanoparticles.