Biogenically forged ZnO nanoparticles using <i>Salvia hispanica</i> L. microgreens for their potential antimicrobial activity towards food-borne pathogens

Microgreens have been extensively researched because of their dense nutritional content and high concentration of health-promoting and therapeutic bioactive compounds. Simultaneously, green synthesis of nanoparticles has emerged as a biogenic and sustainable approach for nanomaterial preparation using plant extracts as reducing and stabilizing agents. In the current study, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were synthesized using phytochemically enriched extracts of chia (<i>Salvia hispanica</i>) microgreens. The synthesis of ZnO NPs was systematically optimized, and the resulting nanomaterials were characterized using UV-Visible spectroscopy, XRD, FTIR, SEM, DLS, and TEM to confirm their structural, morphological, and physicochemical properties. The characterization results confirmed the successful formation of ZnO NPs with a crystalline size of 79.4 nm and a zeta potential of -42.2 ± 0.29 mV, indicating good stability and uniformity. To further explore the bioactivity, <i>in silico</i> molecular docking was performed to investigate the interactions between chia-derived phytochemicals and key receptors of food-borne pathogens <i>Aeromonas caviae</i> and <i>Staphylococcus pasteuri</i> isolated from chicken meat. Based on these insights, the antimicrobial activity of MG-ZnO NPs (Microgreen-derived zinc oxide nanoparticles) was evaluated. The nanoparticles exhibited notable antibacterial activity, with greater effectiveness against <i>S. pasteuri</i>. MIC values for <i>S. pasteuri</i> and <i>A. caviae</i> were found to be 62.5 μg mL^-1 and 250 μg mL^-1, respectively, while the corresponding MBC values were 125 μg mL^-1 and 500 μg mL^-1. The MBC/MIC ratios confirmed the bactericidal nature of MG-ZnO NPs against both strains. These findings highlight the potential of chia microgreen-derived ZnO nanoparticles as promising antimicrobial agents for combating foodborne pathogens.