Compositions and antimicrobial properties of binary ZnO–CuO nanocomposites encapsulated calcium and carbon from Calotropis gigantea targeted for skin pathogens

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 99 - 14
• Main Authors: Govindasamy, G Ambarasan, Mydin, Rabiatul Basria S. M. N., Sreekantan, Srimala, Harun, Nor Hazliana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 08.01.2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/326; 639/301; 692/308; 692/699; Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemistry; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antimicrobial activity; Antimicrobial agents; Calcium; Calcium Compounds - chemistry; Calcium Compounds - pharmacology; Calcium oxide; Calotropis - chemistry; Calotropis gigantea; Carbon; Carbonyl compounds; Disc-diffusion test; Drug Compounding; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Drug resistance; E coli; Escherichia coli - drug effects; Escherichia coli - growth & development; Green Chemistry Technology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Methicillin; Microscopy; Minimum inhibitory concentration; multidisciplinary; Nanocomposites; Nanocomposites - chemistry; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Oxides - chemistry; Oxides - pharmacology; Pathogens; Phenols; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Scanning electron microscopy; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Skin; Skin Diseases - drug therapy; Skin Diseases - microbiology; Spectroscopy; Spectrum analysis; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Staphylococcus aureus - growth & development; Transmission electron microscopy; Zinc oxide; Zinc Oxide - chemistry; Zinc Oxide - pharmacology; Zinc oxides
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79547-w

Calotropis gigantea (C. gigantea) extract with an ecofriendly nanotechnology approach could provide promising antimicrobial activity against skin pathogens. This study investigates the antimicrobial capability of green synthesized binary ZnO–CuO nanocomposites from C. gigantea against non-MDR ( Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli ) and MDR ( Klebsiella pneumoniae , Pseudomonas aeruginosa and methicillin-resistant S. aureus) skin pathogens. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed the size and shape of B3Z1C sample. Results of X-ray powder diffraction, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, FTIR and UV–Vis spectroscopy analyses confirmed the presence of mixed nanoparticles (i.e., zinc oxide, copper oxide, carbon and calcium) and the stabilising phytochemical agents of plant (i.e., phenol and carbonyl). Antimicrobial results showed that carbon and calcium decorated binary ZnO–CuO nanocomposites with compositions of 75 wt% of ZnO and 25 wt% CuO (B3Z1C) was a strong bactericidal agent with the MBC/MIC ratio of ≤ 4 and ≤ 2 for non-MDR and MDR pathogens, respectively. A significant non-MDR zone of inhibitions were observed for BZC by Kirby–Bauer disc-diffusion test. Further time-kill observation revealed significant fourfold reduction in non-MDR pathogen viable count after 12 h study period. Further molecular studies are needed to explain the biocidal mechanism underlying B3Z1C potential.