Overview
- Peer‑reviewed findings published in Surfaces and Interphases detail an eco‑friendly synthesis using extracts of marigold, mango and eucalyptus to form zinc oxide nanocrystals.
- The plant extracts reduce zinc salts and leave phytocompounds on the surface, creating a stabilizing phyto‑corona that supports sustained antibacterial action.
- Marigold‑based nanoparticles were reported to be about twice as effective as chemically synthesized particles or extracts alone, including against E. coli and Bacillus subtilis in lab tests.
- The team describes zinc ions disrupting bacterial membranes, generating reactive molecules and blocking vital processes, with phytochemicals adding inherent antibacterial effects.
- The study, led by Prof. Suman Jha with scholars Kumari Subham, Sonali Jena and Monalisha Ojha, is positioned as a scalable, affordable platform pending further validation, safety assessment and development.