EFFECTS OF SYNTHESIS, INCUBATION PERIOD AND CONCENTRATION OF ZINC OXIDE NANOPARTICLES ON ITS ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY

ABSTRACT

Nanoparticles have been used in a variety of sectors, including agriculture, as a result, research into their synthesis and applications are a vibrant topic. This study was aimed at investigating the effects of synthesis, incubation period and concentration of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) on antifungal activity. A phytopathogen was isolated from a diseased tomato plant and characterized using morphological and molecular methods. The process of synthesizing ZnONPs involved using a 0.1 M zinc oxide precursor solution and moringa (Moringa oleifera) leaf extract. The ZnONPs were synthesized by exploring four different methods involving stirring, heating, and the addition of NaOH. Also, various incubation periods after nanoparticle synthesis were investigated. The biologically synthesized ZnONPs were characterized using a UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The antifungal activity of all the biologically synthesized ZnONPs were tested against a test pathogen. The results showed that the isolated pathogen was Aspergillus niger. The spectrophotometric analysis revealed a peak between 330–350 nm, indicating the synthesis of ZnONPs. Considering the method of synthesis, stirring with application of heat proved to be the best method of synthesis, as nanoparticles that resulted from this method had the highest antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger. The highest activity of ZnONPs was obtained when they were incubated for 5 days. The activity of the concentrated ZnONPs against the test pathogen did not affect their antifungal efficacy as antifungal agent. The findings of this study underscore the efficacy of heat-based synthesis for nanoparticles and highlight the potent antifungal properties of biologically synthesized ZnONPs against the test fungal pathogen, thereby suggesting their potential role as antifungal agent for controlling fungal infection.