High efficacy fluconazole loaded ZnO-poly (vinyl alcohol) nanocomposite: Interpretive breakpoints for biological applications

Nanotechnology, a versatile field, holds promise in diverse applications, such as advanced pharmaceutical techniques and innovative chemical compound fabrication. Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified sepsis as a global health priority, attributing most sepsis-related deaths to the underlying infection. Sepsis is a complex disease that manifests in various ways, depending on factors, such as pathogen involved, mode of transmission, and the patient's immune competence. This study focuses on synthesizing zinc oxide (ZnO) through an in-situ precipitation method and employing a solution-based technique to coat the inorganic ZnO nanomaterial with the antimicrobial drug fluconazole (FLZ), resulting in a FLZ-ZnO composite. Further enhancement is achieved by modifying the composite with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) to improve mechanical strength, physicochemical characteristics, and the interfacial network between ZnO and FLZ. Characterization through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), particle size distribution (PSD), and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) confirms the synthesized compounds are stoichiometric in nature. The FLZ-ZnO-PVA nanocomposite demonstrates significant antifungal activity against C. albicans and A. niger, as well as enhanced antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus evaluated through well diffusion technique. In vitro cellular compatibility assessment using the MTT assay with NIH-3T3 cells reveals exceptional viability (above 75%) and negligible cytotoxicity at a concentration of 1.56 μg/mL, indicating high biosafety. The FLZ-ZnO-PVA nanocomposite exhibits outstanding biological performance, making it a promising candidate for clinical applications in preventing sepsis and prospective infections.

Highlights

• Developments and preparation of FLZ-ZnO-PVA nanocomposite.
• FLZ-ZnO-PVA nanocomposite shows optimum antimicrobial activity.
• FLZ-ZnO-PVA shows cytotoxicity against the mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line.
• FLZ-ZnO-PVA could be used as a suitable material for treatment of sepsis.