Antibacterial properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles on Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853)

The application of nanotechnology has brought about advancements in environmental and medical applications. Recently, zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnO NP) is commonly used to treat a wide range of bacterial and fungal skin infections due to its antimicrobial property. This investigation was intended to study the antimicrobial effect of ZnO NP on Pseudomonas aeruginosa by testing the bacterial inhibition and the morphological damages caused by ZnO NP to P. aeruginosa. The results of this study exhibited a typical dose-dependent and significant (p < 0.05) inhibition of the growth of P. aeruginosa treated with 5 to 150 mu g/mL of ZnO NP. The polysaccharides and polypeptides from P. aeruginosa cell wall were found to be associated with the attachment of ZnO NPs to bacterial cells as illustrated in the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrum. Furthermore, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images displayed the surface attachment of ZnO NPs on bacteria and the morphological changes, such as disrupted cell wall integrity, cell bending, and cell distortion, as a result of ZnO NPs interaction on the cell wall of P. aeruginosa. (C) 2021 Sharif University of Technology. All rights reserved.