Study of the Physicochemical Properties and Anti-biofilm Effects of Synthesized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Artemisia Plant

Introduction: Recently, the biosynthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) using medicinal plants has attracted the attention of researchers due to their low cost and environmental compatibility. The aim of this study was to determine the anti-biofilm effects of zinc oxide (ZnO)-NPs synthesized using the Artemisia plant extract on the clinical samples of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methods: In this experimental study, the alcoholic extract of Artemisia was prepared using the Soxhlet extraction method to synthesize ZnO-NPs. Then, the physical and chemical structures of the NPs were investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and ultraviolet/visible (UV-Vis) techniques. In addition, the gene expression of ndvB was analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction method. Finally, anti-biofilm and antimicrobial effects were evaluated using the minimum inhibitory concentration test and microtiter plate assay. Results: The antimicrobial results showed that ZnO-NPs had a spherical structure approved by the UV-Vis test. Further, ZnO-NPs had inhibitory effects on biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa strains. The results demonstrated that ZnO-NPs were effective on the isolations at the lowest and highest viscosities of 3.125 and 100 mg/mL, respectively. Conclusion: The biosynthesis of ZnO-NPs using the Artemisia plant extract is low cost and easy. Moreover, these NPs can be used as a drug with antimicrobial and anti-biofilm effects.