Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Allium Sativum Extract: Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity Against Nosocomial Bacteria

Abstract

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are receiving considerable interest in different fields because of their outstanding features. This study investigated the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using Allium sativum (garlic) extract and rigorously assessed their antibacterial efficacy against a panel of clinically relevant nosocomial pathogens. The obtained ZnO was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. ZnO NPs synthesized using A. sativum extract demonstrated dose-dependent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecalis. Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibited the highest susceptibility to the green-synthesized ZnO NPs. Significantly, ZnO NPs synthesized using 3 mL of A. sativum extract displayed superior antibacterial activity compared to those with higher extract volumes. Furthermore, green-synthesized ZnO NPs exhibited significantly enhanced activity compared to conventionally produced (pure) ZnO NPs, particularly against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus. These findings underscore the potential of A. sativum-mediated ZnO NP synthesis as a sustainable and highly effective strategy to combat multi-drug resistant bacteria, offering a promising direction for developing novel antibacterial therapeutics.