DEVELOPMENT AND ASSESSMENT OF CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE LOADED ZINC OXIDE NANOPARTICLES FOR ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES

Abstract

Zinc Oxide (ZnO) Nanoparticles (NPs) have some indigenous properties, which make them a good candidate for versatile biomedical and clinical applications. Although there are numerous potentials, clinical applications of ZnO NPs are still under many obstacles. Due to its stable nature, bigger-sized ZnO has already been used in various clinical applications (i.e., sunscreen, toothpaste, dermatological ointment, anti-etching ointment, etc.). The main problem of using nanosized ZnO in clinical applications is its lack of cell specificity and the tendency to produce reactive oxygen species by external influence (i.e., light, sound, etc.), stability in a biological system. Surface modification of the ZnO NPs can make them more stable, delay or control the release of reactive oxygen species generations, and be cell-specific in biological systems. To make the ZnO NPs enriched with cellulosic properties for antibacterial studies, the surface modification of ZnO NPs has been carried out by Carboxymethyl-Cellulose (CMC), and relevant physical properties (Fourier Transform Infrared Analysis, X-ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-Ray and Zeta Potentials) have been assessed which confirms the formation of a conjugated matrix of ZnO NPs-CMC. The antibacterial efficacy of the CMC-enriched ZnO NPs was further experimented with over Lactobacilli (Acidophilus and Bulgaricus) bacterial species to examine the antibacterial activity against the naïve molecules and found that with a slight modification of ZnO treated by CMC causes an overall increase in antibacterial efficacy at a concentration (mass/liquid-volume) of 0.5% (w/v) (viability reduction: 51% vs 66 %) & 1.5% w/v (viability reduction: 63 % vs 77 %) and insignificant at deficient concentrations (0.1% w/v) for both.