Fabrication of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Using Endemic Plant Lippia Adoensis: Characterization, Testing and Optimization Studies

Abstract

Nanotechnology is playing a vital role in this modern era by providing many applications including in electronics, construction, health-care, catalysis, and chemical industry. Especially metal oxide nanoparticles synthesized using plant extract have got more attention in many fields of study. However, nowadays the infectious diseases are becoming one of the major challenges in health care sectors worldwide. In this work Var. Adoensis leaf and seed extract bio-treated production of copper oxide NPs for antibacterial application was achieved. It is typically simple, less energy consumption, environmentally friendly, and naturally compatible one-pot processes. In the first part, phytochemical screening was carried out, and results revealed the presence of tannins, saponins, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, and steroids used as reducing and stabilizing agents in the copper oxide nanoparticle formation. Also, central composite design is being used for the optimization of the nanoparticles synthesizing process to study the effect of the three basic parameters namely mixing ratio, pH, and temperature has been obtained 3, 9, 60.14 and 2.99, 8.99, 60.05 respectively for both nanoparticles. The particle size, morphology, surface area, crystalline type, and optical properties of the synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using the scanning electron microscopy, elemental dispersion x-ray, ultraviolet visible spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, surface area and particle size analyzer techniques. The results have been found to infer that both nanoparticles are monoclinic with high crystallinity but have different size and shapes and band gap energy of 3.09 and 2.77eV for copper oxide nanoparticles synthesized using Var. adoensis leaf and seed extract respectively. The synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles was confirmed by the absorption peak at 325 and 327nm with an average size of 74.98 and 112.44nm for copper oxide nanoparticles synthesized using Var. adoensis leaf and seed extract respectively. Further, the synthesized bio-mediated copper oxide nanoparticles is found to act as an excellent antibacterial agent against two Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogen) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli, salmonella typhi,) bacteria strains which resulted in a significant zone of inhibition (inhibition diameter between 6.5 and 26mm at different concentration) on both nanoparticles. Overall, the proposed synthesis route of copper oxide nanoparticles using Var. Adoensis leaf and seed extract can be utilized by pharmaceutical industry to develop effective drugs against bacterial infections.