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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2026)

Green synthesis, radical scavenging and antimicrobial activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesised from the leaf of Rhynchotechum ellipticum (Wall. ex D. Dietr.) A. DC.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.12693
Submitted
12 November 2025
Published
02-06-2026 — Updated on 10-08-2026
Versions

Abstract

The green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) with the help of plant-mediated method is presented in this paper. The NPs were successfully synthesised using zinc nitrate hexahydrate and the hydro-methanolic extract (methanol:water 1:2) of Rhynchotechum ellipticum leaf. The yellow-coloured powder obtained was collected and packed for further analysis. In the UV visible spectrometer (UV-Vis) absorption peak was observed at 309 nm, which confirms the presence of zinc oxide nanoparticles. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) revealed the formation of ZnO NPs in its agglomerated form. Energy dispersive spectrum (EDX) results show the purity and composition of zinc and oxygen. All experimental results (antioxidant and antimicrobial activities) have been presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Statistical analysis has been performed using two-way ANOVA and p-values (p ≤ 0.05) have been included to indicate significance. Also, the green-synthesised NPs exhibited potent antimicrobial activity particularly against Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, they showed considerable antioxidant potential towards the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH). The DPPH scavenging percentage of both samples increased as their concentration increases from 30 to 100 µg mL-1. Thus, making them a promising biocompatible candidate for pharmacological and therapeutic applications.

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