Combined effect of zinc oxide nano particle incorporated chitosan for better antimicrobial activity towards wound healing

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to characterize the zinc oxide nano particle incorporated Chitosan (ZnO-NP-CS) and its antimicrobial activity. Zinc oxide nanoparticles were prepared by sol-gel method and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), Minimum bactericidal Concentration (MBC) and agar well diffusion method was used for the assessment of antibacterial activity of ZnO-NP and ZnO-NP-CS as well. In UV–spectroscopy, blue shift in wavelength (365 nm) corresponding to bulk ZnO particles (385 nm) indicates the nano size. In SEM image, ZnO-NP appeared as nano flake shape and ZnO -N P treated Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) bacteria illustrates leakage of intracellular content, fusion and shrinkage of bacteria, respectively. The MIC of ZnO-NP for most of food pathogens were between 0.01 to 0.1 mg. Lower MIC was observed for Vibrio cholerae and Listeria monocytogenes; higher MIC was observed for Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In antibiogram assay, the zone of inhibition of ZnO-NP-CS was equal to commercial antibiotics against Multiple Drug Resistant bacteria. The combined effect of ZnO-NP and chitosan is better than the individual component, i.e., around 5–15 mm wider zone of inhibition than chitosan. ZnO-NP-CS can be a suitable alternative for the treatment of wound infected by multiple drug resistant bacteria.