Phytogenic Fabrication of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Eclipta Alba and Evaluation of Their in Vitro Antibacterial Activity

Abstract

Eclipta alba is a well-known medicinal plant which is used to treat gastrointestinal issues, skin conditions, fever, respiratory tract disorders, cuts and wounds. The plant contains a number of phytoconstituents, including luteolin, apigenin, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, and saponins and have demonstrated antibacterial, anticancer, hepatoprotective, and neutralizing effects on snake venom. Zinc oxide nanoparticles is among one of the most researched studies conducted due to its ability to apply in varied downstream applications. These nanoparticles have been extensively used in various biological applications due to their nontoxic nature and the ability to change its physical and chemical properties. The current study aims to synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles mediated by Eclipta alba and evaluate their in vitro antimicrobial activity against dental pathogens. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by agar well diffusion assay, followed by characterization of synthesized nanoparticles by SEM, FTIR and EDX. This study concludes that ZnO NPs mediated Eclipta alba showed significant antimicrobial activity against S. mutans (Zone of inhibition-13 mm at 100 µg/ml) and C. albicans (Zone of inhibition -14mm at 100 µg/ml)..