Antimicrobial activity and hemocompatibility of zinc-doped iron oxide nanoparticles

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance has been estimated to cause 10 million deaths worldwide by the year 2050. Given the severity of drug resistance, researchers are developing more efficient antibacterial methods. Over the last few years, iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) have drawn attention in treatment of microbial infections. However, the antimicrobial activity of IONPs can be enhanced by doping metals like zinc due to its own antimicrobial activity. In this study, we reported the antimicrobial activity and hemocompatibility of zinc-doped iron oxide nanoparticles (ZDI) synthesized via co-precipitation method. FTIR analysis confirmed that ZDI showed all the characteristics peak. Furthermore, ZDI exhibited antimicrobial activity against both grampositive and gram-negative bacteria, with a maximal zone of inhibition (ZOI) of 18 mm against Bacillus subtilis at 15 mg/mL. Furthermore, MIC and IC50 results confirmed that ZDI were more potent in inhibiting the growth of gram-positive bacteria. Moreover, ZDI exhibited excellent hemocompatibility towards human red blood cells (≤ 5% hemolysis) at lower concentrations (upto 10 mg/mL).