Antibacterial activity of ZnO quantum dots and its protective effects of chicks infected with Salmonella pullorum

• Published in: Nanotechnology Vol. 32; no. 50
• Main Authors: Li, Yunchun, Xie, Songtao, Xu, Dan, Shu, Gang, Wang, Xianxiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 10-12-2021
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemistry; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Antioxidants - chemistry; Antioxidants - metabolism; Chickens; Escherichia coli - drug effects; Male; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Quantum Dots - chemistry; Quantum Dots - therapeutic use; Quantum Dots - toxicity; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Salmonella - drug effects; Salmonella - physiology; Salmonella Infections, Animal - microbiology; Salmonella Infections, Animal - prevention & control; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Zinc Oxide - chemistry; antibacterial activity; quantum dots; anti-oxidant; ZnO; pullorosis
• ISSN: 1361-6528
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac2846

In light of emerging antibiotic resistance, synthesis of active, environmental friendly antimicrobial alternatives becomes increasingly necessary. In this study, ZnO quantum dots (ZnO QDs) were developed by the sol-gel method and characterized. The antibacterial activities of ZnO QDs against
(
),
(
) and
(
) were systematically investigated. Moreover, the protective effects of ZnO QDs on Salmonella-caused pullorosis in chicks were also explored. The results indicated that the size range of ZnO QDs was 3-6 nm. Antibacterial results showed that ZnO QDs treatment inhibited the growth of
,
, and
in the rate of 87.06 ± 0.98%, 94.75 ± 2.28%, and 85.55 ± 1.15%, respectively. Its excellent antibacterial property was manifested with the minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.7812, 0.0976, and 0.1953 mg ml
, which may be attributed to the production of reactive oxygen species, the dissolution of Zn
ions, and the loss of cell integrity. Furthermore, in the
test, the ZnO QDs effectively reduced the mortality of chicks infected with
via regulating the balance of the intestinal flora, protecting liver and intestine, and modulating the balance of antioxidation systems. This study reveals that ZnO QDs exerts remarkably antibacterial activity
and anti-pullorosis effect in chicks.