Zea mays-mediated fabrication and characterization of zinc oxide nanoparticles with enhanced antibacterial and antioxidant properties

Abstract

This study presents the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) using Zea mays leaf extract as a natural reducing and stabilizing agent. The synthesized ZnO-NPs were comprehensively characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). XRD analysis confirmed the crystalline nature of the NPs, while SEM revealed their morphology and size distribution. EDX confirmed the elemental composition of the synthesized ZnO-NPs, and FTIR provided insights into the functional groups involved in NPs formation. The antibacterial activity of ZnO-NPs was evaluated against a selected bacterial strain using the agar well diffusion method. The results demonstrated a zone of inhibition around the wells containing ZnO-NPs, indicating their potential antibacterial efficacy. The antioxidant activity of ZnO-NPs was assessed by their ability to scavenge ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) free radicals. It was found that the scavenging activity got increased with the concentration of ZnO-NPs, indicating their potential as antioxidants.