Antibacterial properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles on Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853)

The involvement of nanotechnology has brought advancements in the environmentaland medical applications. Recently, zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnO NP) is commonly used totreat a wide range of bacterial and fungal skin infections due to its antimicrobial property.This investigation was intended to study the antimicrobial effect of ZnO NP on Pseudomonasaeruginosa by testing the bacterial inhibition and the morphological damages caused by ZnONP on P. aeruginosa. The results of the study at 24 h exhibited a typical dose dependant andsignificant (p> 0.05) inhibition on the growth of P. aeruginosa treated with 5 to 150 μg/mLof ZnO NP. The polysaccharides and polypeptides from P. aeruginosa cell wall were found tobe associated to the attachment of ZnO NPs on bacterial cells as illustrated in the Fouriertransform infrared (FTIR) spectrum. Furthermore, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM)images displayed the surface attachment of ZnO NPs on bacteria and the morphologicalchanges such as disrupted cell wall integrity, cell bending and cell distortion as the result ofZnO NPs interaction on the cell wall of P. aeruginosa.