Biogenic ZnO Nanoflowers: As an Alternative Antibacterial Nanomedicine

Background: Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles have been widely investigated for the development of next-generation nano-antibiotics against a broad range of microorganisms including multi-drug resistance. The morphology of nanomaterials plays an important role in antibacterial activity. Objective: The research goal is focused on the development of a low-cost antibacterial agent. Methods: The biosynthesis method was used to make ZnO nanoflowers. The antibacterial activity of these biogenic ZnO nanoflowers was analyzed by three methods: growth curve, well diffusion, and colony-forming unit count (CFU) assays. Results: The assay methods used in this study confirmed the antibacterial activity of ZnO nanoflowers. The growth curve shows that 0.5 mg/mL concentration of ZnO nanoflowers acted as an effective bactericide as no significant optical absorption and virtually bacterial growth were observed. The inhibition zone was found at 25 mm at 70 μg of ZnO nanoflowers. Conclusion: The unique, simplistic, environmental-friendly, and cost-effective biosynthesis method was established for the ZnO nanoflowers using biomass of Bacillus licheniformis. The resulted ZnO nanoflowers show excellent antibacterial activity which could be used as an alternative to antibiotics in therapeutic processes.