Journal Article

Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Biosynthesized by Eriobotrya japonica Leaf Extract: Characterization, Insecticidal and Antibacterial Properties

Hamada El-Gendi, Esraa Hamdy, Wael Khamis, Franco Valentini, Said Behiry, Abdulaziz Al-Askar, Kamel Abd-Elsalam, Ahmed Abdelkhalek

2023

Overview

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) have gained significant attention in nanotechnology due to their unique properties and potential applications in various fields, including insecticidal and antibacterial activities. The ZnO-NPs were biosynthesized by Eriobotrya japonica leaf extract and characterized by various techniques such as UV–visible (UV–vis) spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential analysis. The results of SEM revealed that NPs were irregular and spherical-shaped, with a diameter between 5 and 27 nm. Meanwhile, DLS supported that the measured size distributions were 202.8 and 94.7 nm at 11.1° and 90.0°, respectively, which supported the polydisperse nature of NPs, and the corresponding zeta potential was −20.4 mV. The insecticidal activity of the produced ZnO-NPs was determined against the adult stage of coleopteran pests, Sitophilus oryzae (Linnaeus) (Curculionidae) and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Tenebrionidae). The LC50 values of ZnO-NPs against adults of S. oryzae and T. castaneum at 24 h of exposure were 7125.35 and 5642.65 μg/mL, respectively, whereas the LC90 values were 121,824.56 and 66,825.76 μg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the biosynthesized nanoparticles exhibited antibacterial activity against three potato bacterial pathogens, and the size of the inhibition zone was concentration-dependent. The data showed that the inhibition zone size increased with an increase in the concentration of nanoparticles for all bacterial isolates tested. The highest inhibition zone was observed for Ralstonia solanacearum at a concentration of 5 µg/mL, followed by Pectobacterium atrosepticum and P. carotovorum. Eventually, ZnO-NPs could be successfully used as an influential agent in pest management programs against stored-product pests and potato bacterial diseases.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: adults / Agricultural production / Antibacterial activity / Antibacterial agents / antibacterial properties / Bacteria / Bacterial diseases / Biosynthesis / Botany / Crop diseases / Diameters / electron microscopy / Environmental aspects / Enzymes / Eriobotrya / Eriobotrya japonica / Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy / Fourier transforms / FTIR / Infrared analysis / Infrared spectroscopy / insecticidal / insecticidal properties / Insecticides / leaf extracts / Leaves / Light scattering / Loquat / Materia medica, Vegetable / Metal oxides / Nanoparticles / Nanotechnology / Pathogens / Pectobacterium carotovorum / Pest control / pest management / Pests / Photon correlation spectroscopy / Physiological aspects / Plant diseases / Plant extracts / Potatoes / QK1-989 / Ralstonia solanacearum / red flour beetle / Rice / rice weevil / Scanning electron microscopy / Sitophilus oryzae / spectrophotometers / Testing / Tribolium castaneum / X-ray diffraction / Zeta potential / Zinc oxide / Zinc oxides / ZnO-NPs / ZnO-NPs; Eriobotrya; FTIR; insecticidal; rice weevil; red flour beetle; stored products; bactericidal activity