Pomegranate peels mediated synthesis of calcium oxide (CaO) nanoparticles, characterization, and antimicrobial applications

Abstract

This research work investigates the facile biosynthesis of calcium oxide nanoparticles (CaO-NPs) using pomegranate peels. The characterizations of the prepared CaO-NPs were performed with the help of UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. In this investigation, we have evaluated the antimicrobial activities of the prepared CaO-NPs against the selected bacterial viz. Escherichia coli, Bacillus sp., and Pseudomonas sp., and fungal strains viz. Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, and Arthrographis cuboidea. The result of antimicrobial activity was determined with the obtained zones of inhibition on the culture plates. The maximum antibacterial and antifungal activities (zone of inhibitions) of the biosynthesized CaO-NPs was observed to be 24.67 ± 0.5 mm and 26.67 ± 0.5 mm against the Bacillus sp., and Arthrographis cuboidea, respectively. This study has deliberated on the facile and inexpensive method to synthesize ecological CaO-NPs of appropriate structural and morphological characteristics with adequate antimicrobial characteristics.

Keywords:

• Pomegranate peels
• green synthesis
• CaO nanoparticles
• antibacterial activity
• antifungal activity

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India, for the characterization and analysis of the synthesized materials.