Evaluation the antibacterial action of polymer blends filled with ZnONPs for industrial applications

Abstract

Composite materials with potential applications were formed by reinforcing polymeric blends containing 70% unsaturated polyester (UP) and 30% natural rubber (NR) with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) at weight fractions of (0, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3%)The morphology and crystalline structure of ZnONPs were examined by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. In addition, the ZnONPs sample exhibits a remarkably crystalline and wurtzite crystal structure, as indicated by the X-ray diffraction results. The antibacterial activity of the synthesized nanocomposites were evaluated against two types of bacterial growth , namely S. aureus ATCC 25923 and E. coli ATCC 25922, with the aim of assessing their Potential applications. The experimental findings demonstrated that ZnONPs nanocomposites showed antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus bacteria. The cytotoxic assessment of ZnONPs on healthy white blood cells (WBCs) was tested.The results indicated that ZnONPs do not show any toxic effects on normal white blood cells. Finally, cytological criteria, such as the blastogenic index (BI), mitotic index (MI), and total chromosomal abnormalities (TCA) were used to evaluate the genotoxic potential of ZnONPs against peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). In addition, the toxicity of metal nanoparticles on various mammalian cells has been assessed.