Gamma radiation and Polyvinyl pyrrolidone mediated synthesis of Zinc oxide /Zinc sulfide nanoparticles and evaluation of their antifungal effect on pre and post harvested orange and pomegranate fruits

Abstract

Abstract In recent past efforts have been achieved to improve agricultural yields through exhaustive research in nanotechnology. Zinc-oxide/zinc sulfide nanoparticles (ZnO/ZnS NPs) are being used in a broad range of commercial applications and are therefore expected to identify their way into the soil ecosystem. This comparative study will clarify the antifungal efficiency of (ZnO/ZnS NPs) against Aspergillus niger (A.niger) and Penicillin digitatum (P.digitatum), which causes balck mould and green mould on pomgranate and orange fruits, respectively. ZnO/ZnS NPs were sufficiently prepared by applying PVP/ZnSO4 to 30 kGy and prepared two treatments, 5% and 10%. ZnO/ZnS NPs found to have an antifungal effect. Zone Inhibition (ZOI) was 24.6 ± 1.52 and 41.6 ± 0.58 at 10% for A. niger and P. digitatum, respectively. The inhibition verified by scanning electron microscope (SEM) that cleared the structure deformation characterized by Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and HRTEM, upon treatments of 5 %ZnO/ZnS NPs, the size found to be on average 38 nm, and the particles were cylindrical in shapes and cuboid morphology. The EDS (Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) spectrum registers the percentages in weight were 67.45% , 18.70% and 13.85 for Zn , O and S respectively. Pre-inoculation treatments with (ZnO/ZnS polymer) and their best efficiency on severity of black mould disease was 92.50 at 10% of 3 ml/L and for post-inoculation, was 88.37 at 10% of 3 ml/L.Pre-treatment orange infected with green mould disease by 5% of concentration 9 ml/L willingly gave 89.15% efficacy. And at 10% treatment, the most efficiencies was 89.15% of 7 ml/L. For post-treatment, the most superior efficiency was 88.32% at 10% of 9 ml/L.