An Overview of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Produced by Plant Extracts for Anti-tuberculosis Treatments.

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB), induced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), is a fatal infectious disease that kills millions of lives worldwide. The emergence of drug-resistant and multidrug-resistant cases is regarded as one of the most challenging threats to TB control due to the low cure rate. Therefore, TB and drug-resistant TB epidemic urge us to explore more effective therapies. The increasing knowledge of nanotechnology has extended the use of some nanomedicines for disease treatment in clinics, which also provide novel possibilities for nano-based medicines for TB treatment. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have gained increasing attention for anti-bacterial uses based on their strong ability to induce reactive oxidative species (ROS) and release bactericidal Zinc ions (Zn2+), which are expected to act as novel strategies for TB and drug-resistant TB treatment. Some plant extracts, always from active herbal medicines, have been widely reported to show attractive anti-bacterial activity for infectious treatment, including TB. Here, we summarize the synthesis of ZnO NPs using plant extracts (green synthesized ZnO NPs), and further discuss their potentials for anti-TB treatments. This is the first review article discussing the anti-TB activity of ZnO NPs produced using plant extracts, which might contribute to the further applications of green synthesized ZnO NPs for anti-TB and drugresistant TB treatment.