Analysis of extended spectrum beta Lactamase producing escherichia coli when exposed to zinc nanoparticles

Abstract

The rising incidence of drug-resistant bacterial pathogens, especially newlineEscherichia coli (E. coli), has emerged as a significant global health concern, newlineprompting the urgent need for innovative antimicrobial solutions. newlineNanotechnology presents promising avenues, with metal-based nanoparticles, newlineparticularly zinc oxide (ZnO), demonstrating considerable potential as newlineantibacterial agents. This study explores the synthesis, characterization, and newlineantibacterial properties of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) against extendedspectrum newlinebeta-lactamase (ESand#946;L)-producing strains of E. coli, which pose a newlineconsiderable challenge due to their resistance to commonly used antibiotics, newlineincluding and#946;-lactams. newlineZnO-NPs were synthesized using chemical methods and subsequently newlineanalyzed through various techniques, such as Field Emission Scanning newlineElectron Microscopy , X-ray Diffraction , Transmission Electron Microscopy newline(TEM), and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy . XRD analysis newlineconfirmed the crystalline nature of the ZnO nanoparticles, indicating a particle newlinesize of approximately 64 nm. TEM analysis corroborated these findings, newlinerevealing spherical nanoparticles with distinct structures. The purity of the newlinesynthesized nanoparticles was affirmed by the absence of extraneous peaks in newlinethe XRD spectra, indicating successful synthesis. newlineThe antibacterial efficacy of ZnO-NPs was evaluated against ESand#946;L-producing newlineE. coli isolates obtained from clinical samples using disc diffusion and agar newlinediffusion methods. Results indicated that ZnO-NPs exhibited significant newlineantibacterial activity, which was concentration-dependent. At a higher newlineconcentration of 2.5 mg/ml, the ZnO-NPs produced an inhibition zone of 27 newlinemm, demonstrating strong bactericidal effects. Moreover, combining ZnONPs newlinewith antibiotics such as cefotaxime and ceftazidime showed a synergistic newlineenhancement of antibacterial activity, suggesting that ZnO-NPs can augment newlinethe effectiveness of these antibiotics against drug-resistant strains.