Effectiveness of ZnO Nano Particles against the Foodborne Microbial Pathogens E. coli and S. aureus

In this work, various concentrations of ZnO nano particles, prepared by the coprecipitation method with a size range of 47-68 nm, have been investigated as antimicrobial agents. Dilution antimicrobial susceptibility tests were carried out on two kinds of microbes (Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli) according to the standard method recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, CLSI-2015-M07-A10. The results showed that the antimicrobial effect is larger, the higher the concentration of ZnO nano particles in solution. It was also found that Gram-positive microbes are more sensitive to ZnO nano particles when compared with the Gram-negative ones. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for E. coli was found to be 50 mg/mL while that for S. aureus was 25 mu g/mL. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was 1600 mu g/mL for E. coli and 800 mu g/mL for S. aureus.