Zinc oxide (ZnO) has broad applications in various areas. Nanoparticle synthesis using plants is an alternative to conventional physical and chemical methods. It is known that the biological synthesis of nanoparticles is gaining importance due to its simplicity, eco-friendliness and extensive antimicrobial activity. Also, in this study we report the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles using Trifolium pratense flower extract. The prepared ZnO nanoparticles have been characterized by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Besides, this study determines the antimicrobial efficacy of the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles against clinical and standard strains of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa and standard strain of E. coli.

The synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles with the use of plant extract is a promising alternative to traditional chemical methods. The aim of this work was to fabricate MgO nanoparticles using the Artemisia abrotanum herb water extract. The biologically synthesized MgO nanoparticles were characterized by UV–Visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with EDS profile and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). XRD studies confirmed that pure monoclinic crystallite structures of MgO nanoparticles were formed. The average size of MgO nanoparticles was found to be 10 nm. EDS profile confirmed the signal characteristic of magnesium and oxygen. FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of active compounds responsible for the stabilization of MgO nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles showed good catalytic activity in the reduction of methyl orange (MO). MgO nanoparticles also exhibit very good antioxidant properties.

The main objective of this study was synthesis of CuO nanoparticles using extract of Galeopsidis herba and were characterized by UV–Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), SEM with EDS profile and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. SEM images confirmed that synthesized nanoparticles were spherical in nature. EDS profile confirmed the signal characteristic of cooper and oxygen. All the analyses revealed that synthesized CuO nanoparticles were 10 ± 5 nm in size. The antioxidant behavior of synthesized CuO nanoparticles was evaluated by scavenging free radicals of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH). The DPPH scavenging activity was monitored using UV–Vis spectrophotometer. The synthesized CuO nanoparticles presented very good catalytic activity in the reduction of malachite green.

The basic goal of this study was to synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles using the Chelidonium majus extract and asses their cytotoxic and antimicrobial properties. The synthesized ZnO NPs were characterized by UV-Vis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with EDS profile, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The aforementioned methods confirmed that the size of synthesized ZnO nanoparticles was at the range of 10 nm. The antimicrobial activity of ZnO nanoparticles synthesized using the Ch. majus extract was tested against standard strains of bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 4163, Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCTC 6749, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922), yeast (Candida albicans ATCC 10231), filamentous fungi (molds: Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404, dermatophytes: Trichophyton rubrum ATCC 28188), clinical strains of bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus) and yeast (Candida albicans). The study showed that zinc oxide nanoparticles were excellent antimicrobial agents. What is more, biologically synthesized ZnO nanoparticles demonstrate high efficiency in treatment of human non-small cell lung cancer A549.