A Zn-doped copper oxide nanocomposite based antibacterial ointment

Archana Deokar, Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel 

Conventional antibiotic therapies are becoming less efficient to treat acute and chronic wounds. Development of novel antibacterial ointment to inhibit or kill bacteria at wound site is crucial. Herein, a zinc-doped copper oxide (Zn-CuO) nanocomposite based antibacterial ointment is prepared to inhibit bacterial growth at infected wounds. Zinc-doped copper oxide nanocomposite is synthesized by using ultrasound irradiation with optimized precursor ratio of 1:3 (Zn acetate:Cu acetate). Morphological observation based on high-resolution scanning electron microscopy depicts that Zn-CuO NPs are spherical with an average size of ~30 nm. The antibacterial studies of the Zn-CuO based ointment was evaluated using the principle of disk diffusion against gram-positive (S. aureus ATCC 25923, S. epidermidis ATCC 12228) and gram-negative (P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853) bacterial strains. Zn-CuO based ointment (5 weight percent) shows significant antibacterial activity against S. epidermidis (4 mm) compared to S. aureus (1 mm) and P. aeruginosa (1 mm). Gram-negative P. aeruginosa shows a unique phenomenon of feathered zone (1.5 cm) around Zn-CuO ointment. Zn-Cuo nanocomposite based antibacterial ointment might prove as a promising candidate for inhibition or killing of bacteria at wound site.