Zinc oxide nanoparticles inhibit bacterial biofilm formation via altering cell membrane permeability

In the current scenario nanoparticles (NPs) have gained a breathtaking impetus due to their multidimensional applications in varied fields. In the present effort, biogenic synthesis of Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) was carried out using aqueous extract of dried powder ofEmblica officinalis(Amla). Physicochemical characterization of nanoparticles was carried out via UV-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) wherein the particles were found to be quasi spherical and with a size ranging between 3 and 11 nm. The ZnO nanoparticles exhibited significant antibacterial activity against bacteria asStreptococcus pyogenesMTCC 442,Bacillus cereusMTCC 1272,Escherichia coliMTCC 1687 andPseudomonas aeruginosaMTCC 4673. The nanoparticles displayed high anti-biofilm activity toward all the bacterial strains, when tested against three different base materialsviz.glass, plastic and metal (Aluminum). Further, the nanoparticle treatment of bacterial cells caused changes in their cell membrane permeability, leading to leakage of nucleic acid from the bacterial cells, thereby defining it as the most probable mechanism for their anti-biofilm potential.

Automated summary

The biogenic synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles showed significant antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity against various bacterial strains. The nanoparticles caused changes in bacterial cell membrane permeability, leading to leakage of nucleic acid, which likely contributed to their anti-biofilm potential.