Green Synthesis and Characterization of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using <i>Eucalyptus globules</i> and Their Fungicidal Ability Against Pathogenic Fungi of Apple Orchards
Hilal Ahmad,
Krishnan Venugopal,
Kalyanaraman Rajagopal,
Savitha De Britto,
Boregowda Nandini,
Hosur Gnanaprakash Pushpalatha,
Narasimhamurthy Konappa,
Arakere C. Udayashankar,
Nagaraja Geetha,
Sudisha Jogaiah
Affiliations
Hilal Ahmad
School of Life Sciences, Department of Biotechnology, Vels University, Pallavarm, Chennai 600117, Tamilnadu, India
Krishnan Venugopal
Department of Biochemistry, Vivekanandha College of Arts & Sciences for Women, Elayampalayam, Tiruchengode 637205, Namakkal Dist., Tamilnadu, India
Kalyanaraman Rajagopal
Department of Botany, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College, Chennai 600004, Tamilnadu, India
Savitha De Britto
Laboratory of Plant Healthcare and Diagnostics, PG Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Karnataka University, Dharwad 580003, Karnataka, India
Boregowda Nandini
Department of Studies in Biotechnology, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysuru 570 006, Karnataka, India
Hosur Gnanaprakash Pushpalatha
Department of Botany, Maharani’s Science College for Women, JLB Road, Mysuru 570 001, Karnataka, India
Narasimhamurthy Konappa
Department of Studies in Biotechnology, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysuru 570 006, Karnataka, India
Arakere C. Udayashankar
Department of Studies in Biotechnology, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysuru 570 006, Karnataka, India
Nagaraja Geetha
Department of Studies in Biotechnology, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysuru 570 006, Karnataka, India
Sudisha Jogaiah
Laboratory of Plant Healthcare and Diagnostics, PG Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Karnataka University, Dharwad 580003, Karnataka, India
Eucalyptus globules belonging to the Myrtaceae family was explored for the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles and for biological applications. The aqueous extract of the synthesized zinc nanoparticles (ZnNPs) was characterized using UV-visible spectrophotometer, FTIR, SEM and TEM. The aqueous broth was observed to be an efficient reducing agent, leading to the rapid formation of ZnNPs of varied shapes with sizes ranging between 52−70 nm. In addition, antifungal activity of the biosynthesized ZnNPs was evaluated against major phytopathogens of apple orchards. At 100 ppm of ZnNPs, the fungal growth inhibition rate was found to be 76.7% for Alternaria mali, followed by 65.4 and 55.2% inhibition rate for Botryosphaeria dothidea and Diplodia seriata, respectively. The microscopic observations of the treated fungal plates revealed that ZnNPs damages the topography of the fungal hyphal layers leading to a reduced contraction of hyphae. This considerable fungicidal property of ZnNPs against phytopathogenic fungi can have a tremendous impact on exploitation of ZnNPs for fungal pest management and ensure protection in fruit crops.
