Performance of antimicrobial ZnO nanoparticle synthesized by biological method: Literature review

Abstract

Zinc oxide nanoparticle is a type of metal oxide nanoparticle known to be an antimicrobial compound which is generally considered as safe, non-reactive, and suitable to be applied in the medical and food sector. Synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles can be carried out through various methods, such as physical, chemical, and biological synthesis method. Amongst them, biological synthesis methods are preferred because it is environmentally friendly and safe for medical application. Biological methods take advantage of biological substances such as plant extracts in its synthesis process. This review aims to compare the performances of plant extract-based types of ZnO synthesis methods to other methods inhibiting microbial growth. The review has compiled numerous pieces of literature and these data will be used to compare the performances of each synthesis method by comparing its MIC and particle size. Moreover, this review also classified biosynthesized ZnO nanoparticles based on the plant family used to recommend the possibilities of specific plant type that can potentially be used in nanoparticle biosynthesis.