Antibacterial effect of glycerol assisted ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Abstract

Abstract Synthesis of nanoparticles through biological pathway especially using fungal extracts is gaining attention in the field of nanotechnology due to its economic and ecofriendly nature with wide-ranging antimicrobial performance. In the present study, ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized from white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium, using 0.01 M ZnSO4·7H2O and 0.1 N NaOH as precursors. P. chrysosporium is an efficient wood degrading fungus that has majorly two types of extracellular peroxidases; lignin peroxidase (Lip) and manganese peroxidase (MnP). These oxidoreductase enzymes play a major role in the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles. Glycerol acted as a stabilizer that also regulated the shape and size of the ZnO nanoparticles at room temperature. Addition of glycerol transformed the shape of the ZnO nanoparticles from hexagonal (average size 83.9 nm) to spherical (average size 59.5 nm). These nanoparticles were further characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared spectrum, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. ZnO nanoparticles also demonstrated eficient antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli under the experimental conditions. Thus, the present study explores the fungal mediated biosynthesis and antibacterial application of ZnO nanoparticles.