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Abstract
Antibiotics remain the gold standard for treating bacterial infections; however, the rise of antibiotic resistance underscores the urgent need for alternative therapies. This study evaluates the antibacterial activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) against bacterial isolates recovered from cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) lesions. Wound samples were cultured, and bacterial identification was performed using biochemical tests. ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized using the wet chemical method, and their size and morphology were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which revealed spherical particles ranging from 10 to 20 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure, while UV-Visible spectroscopy displayed absorption peaks between 350 nm and 370 nm, confirming the formation of ZnO NPs. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of ZnO NPs were 200 µg/mL for Staphylococcus aureus, 400 µg/mL for Escherichia coli, and 400 µg/mL for Klebsiella pneumoniae. Zeta potential analysis indicated a positive surface charge of 1.04 mV, supporting nanoparticle stability. These results demonstrate that ZnO NPs possess strong antibacterial properties and could serve as an effective alternative to traditional antibiotics for the treatment of secondary bacterial infections in cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions.
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