Ferulic acid is a plant-derived metabolite known for its antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal properties. In this study, magnesium oxide nanoparticles (FA@MgNPs) were synthesized using trans-ferulic acid as a reducing and stabilizing agent to utilize these bioactive and optical features. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, X-ray diffraction (XRD), zeta potential analysis, scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The UV–Vis spectrum exhibited distinct absorption bands at 288, 301, and 324 nm, which were attributed to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of magnesium oxide nanoparticles, confirming their plasmonic behavior. FT-IR analysis revealed characteristic peaks at 3232, 2989, 1643, 1066, 892, and 539 cm−1 corresponding to –OH, C–H, C = O, and Mg–O vibrations, verifying the successful interaction of ferulic acid with MgO surfaces. XRD analysis showed diffraction peaks at 2θ values of 18.82°, 38.22°, 50.98°, 58.94°, 62.26°, 68.16°, and 72.42°, corresponding to the (001), (011), (012), (110), (111), (103), and (201) planes, respectively (ICSD code 064929). The average crystallite size calculated by the Scherrer equation was 10.68 nm, and the zeta potential value was + 4.69 mV. Antibacterial activity was evaluated against Escherichia coli, Aeromonas hydrophila, Yersinia ruckeri, and Staphylococcus aureus, showing dose-dependent inhibition, particularly against Gram-negative strains. Additionally, TAS, TOS, and OSI analyses demonstrated strong antioxidant potential, indicated by high TAS and low OSI values. In conclusion, FA@MgNPs exhibited remarkable antimicrobial and antioxidant performance along with plasmonic characteristics, suggesting their potential for future applications in biological and optical nanotechnology fields.
Balkis et al. (Sat,) studied this question.