GREEN SYNTHESIS OF ZINC OXIDE NANOPARTICLES USING THE EXTRACTS OF CALOTROPIS GIGANTEA, FOENICULUM VULGARE AND MURRAYA KOENIGII AND THEIR ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES

Abstract

The concept of green chemistry is becoming increasingly popular due to the environment-friendly approach. In the present study, we report green chemistry for the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using the extracts of Calotropis gigantea, Foeniculum vulgare and Murraya koenigii and their antimicrobial properties. The technique followed is very simple, rapid, economic and eco- friendly. The plant extracts act as reducing agents, which are responsible for the bio-reduction of zinc ions. The synthesized nanoparticles (both by chemical and green synthesis) were structurally characterized by UV-Vis spectrophotometry, SEM and XRD. Further, the antibacterial activity of the prepared plant extracts and the nanoparticles was screened against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus. From the comparative antimicrobial analysis, it was inferred that the nanoparticles prepared by green synthesis were more effective than their chemical counterparts and, in some cases, the plant extracts were even better than the nanoparticles. Green synthesis can prove to be a better alternative to different physical and chemical procedures. The synthesized nanoparticles can be utilized for the preparation of various pharmaceutical products as well as applied in the field of agriculture to improve the health and well-being of both plants as well as animals.