Lemon Peel-Derived ZnO Nanoparticles: Green Nanotechnology for Antioxidant and Preservative Applications in Food | ||
| Egyptian Journal of Chemistry | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 01 December 2025 | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejchem.2025.391152.11853 | ||
| Authors | ||
| amany mohamed hamed* 1; Menna allah Tawfik2; Manar mohamed K. abdlfattah1; Hamsa M. Osama1; Hazem E. Mohammed1; Shimaa G. Osman1 | ||
| 1Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Sohag University, Egypt | ||
| 2Level student at the Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Sohag University, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Nanobiotechnology is a successful technique for creating environmentally acceptable coating or food packaging that keeps food from spoiling. Plant extracts offer a possible substitute for the traditional chemical technique in manufacturing metal oxide nanoparticles. This work aims to use an aqueous extract of lemon peel to produce green zinc oxide nanoparticles with a zinc nitrate hexahydrate precursor. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to characterize the produced nanoparticles. It has been demonstrated that ZnO NPs have antioxidant properties and may enhance the shelf life of food by preventing the growth of bacteria. The highest DPPH radical scavenging action was demonstrated by lemon peel-mediated ZnO NPs at 100 µg/ml, with an IC50 of 13.49 ± 0.13 µg/mL, which is close to the IC50 of ascorbic acid (12.74 ± 0.02 µg/mL). This study demonstrates that by preventing the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms that might cause foodborne illness, ZnO NPs can contribute to maintaining food safety and security. Microorganisms' biological functions can be disrupted by ZnO NPs particles that can pass through their cell walls. Furthermore, it has been discovered that ZnO NPs possess antioxidant properties that can aid in halting the oxidation of dietary lipids and oils. This can help prolong the shelf life of products like nuts, seeds, and oils that are susceptible to lipid oxidation-induced spoiling. In addition, tomatoes treated with ZnO NPs spray showed a significant extension of shelf life, remaining free from visible spoilage up to day 20, whereas untreated control samples exhibited clear signs of degradation. These findings confirm the practical potential of lemon peel-mediated ZnO NPs as a natural food preservative. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| green synthesis; lemon peel; zinc oxide nanoparticles; Free radical scavenging | ||
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