Synergistic effects of herbal zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) and its anti-hyperglycemic and anti-bacterial effects

Abstract

Zinc deficiency is one of the important nutritional problems, particularly in developing countries. In humans, zinc plays a significant role in the synthesis, secretion and storage of insulin in beta cells. The low level of zinc in the pancreas is associated with increased risks of hyperglycemic conditions. As a novel attempt, herbal-based zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) were synthesized from anti-diabetic medicinal plant Costus igneus. The synthesized ZnONPs were characterized by UV–vis Spectroscopy, Fourier Transformer Infra-Red spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The zebrafish embryos in the early blastula stage (∼48hpf) were exposed to different concentrations of ZnONPs and its toxic effects were evaluated. Furthermore, the hyperglycemic condition was induced in adult zebrafish using alloxan. The hyperglycemic condition induced zebrafishes were exposed to various concentrations of ZnONPs. Results revealed the promising effects of ZnONPs in lowering the blood glucose level. The ZnONPs also exhibited excellent anti-bacterial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Enterobacter aeurogens. In the present study, ZnONPs exhibited synergistic effects in terms of reducing the blood glucose level in hyperglycemic zebrafish and also showed high anti-bacterial activity.