Biowaste Valorization Based ZnO Nanoparticles as Vital Component for Multifaceted Applications: A Green Approach

This study describes a straightforward, effective, and eco-friendly method for producing ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) employing the fruit peel extract of bitter oranges. This strategy intends to increase the antimicrobial activity, antiproliferation, and photodegradation capabilities of ZnO NPs while reducing the consumption of hazardous chemicals in nanoparticle fabrication. In this study, the biological reduction agent for the creation of ZnO NPs from zinc acetate dihydrate was an aqueous extract of bitter orange peel. The antimicrobial properties against pathogenic organisms were studied using the agar well technique. Using photocatalytic behavior against the methylene blue dye, and the antiproliferative investigations were analyzed using MTT assays. The ZnO NPs had potent antiproliferative effects against the PC12 cell line (55.19% at 31.2 µg/mL). Admirable antimicrobial efficiencies were observed against Staphylococcus aureus (34 ± 1.18), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (30 ± 2.21), Staphylococcus epidermis (26 ± 1.12), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (24 ± 1.39). In adjunct, photodegradation efficiencies of methylene blue dye were reduced up to 88.2% after 150 min. All of them raise concerns regarding toxicity as diagnostic and therapeutic nanomedical tools. As a result, the ZnO NPs used in our investigation are safe. Accordingly, this study concluded that it is an effective green synthesis method for ZnO NPs that were synthesized using C. aurantium peel extract with a variety of multifaceted applications. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.)