Biosynthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Garlic Peel Extract and Their Antibacterial Potential

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have gathered interest because of their unique characteristics and potential applications. In the current work, ZnO NPs underwent an eco-friendly biosynthesis process using garlic peel extract. The biosynthesized ZnO NPs were characterized using different analyses including Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The produced ZnO NPs exhibited a UV–vis spectrum absorption peak at 365 nm, thus indicating the formation of ZnO NPs. The SEM showed that the biosynthesized ZnO NPs had an irregular surface morphological shape with an average size of 17 nm, according to the DLS analysis. Based on the FTIR findings, the bioactive functional groups responsible for stabilizing and capping the ZnO-NPs were confirmed. The biosynthesized ZnO NPs exhibited 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activity and antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Klebsiella pneumonia). Therefore, the plant-mediated biosynthesized ZnNPs can be considered a promising candidate as an antioxidant and antimicrobial agent against pathogenic microbes found in different areas such as food safety and agriculture. Through the utilization of bioinformatics, we identified six potential targets for drug development in K. pneumonia and B. cereus, along with their corresponding interacting residues with zinc oxide nanoparticles. Additionally, our research revealed that the zinc oxide nanoparticles exhibited binding capabilities with the sulfiredoxin domain located at the specific targets of K. pneumonia, a crucial mechanism responsible for the repair of bacterial cells under oxidative stress.