Green versus sol-gel synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles and antimicrobial activity evaluation against panel of pathogens

Green versus sol-gel synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were carried out and antimicrobial activity was evaluated against a wide panel of bacterial and fungal pathogens. Five plants seed extracts were used for green synthesis from Brassicaceae family, whereas the sol-gel method was adopted in the case of chemical synthesis. The ZnO NPs were characterized using Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques. The antimicrobial potential of the synthesized NPs was assessed against bacterial and fungal strains by disc diffusion method. The size of the ZnO NPs was in the range of 100–150 nm. The ZnO NPs showed promising antimicrobial activity and zones of inhibition were in the range of 10–20 mm, whereas Streptomycin (standard drug) showed the zone of inhibition of 25 mm. The synthesized ZnO NPs furnished promising antibacterial and antifungal potential. The green route of synthesis is rather safe and eco-friendly when compared to chemical route and could be used for the fabrication of ZnO NPs as an antimicrobial agent.