Bulletin of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Assiut · Published 2026-05-17 · DOI 10.21608/bfsa.2026.488536.3120
Afnan Ismail Elbardisy, Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed, Walaa Mahmoud El-shrief, Gamal Mohamed Soltan Zayed
The increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) poses a serious global health threat, necessitating the development of innovative antimicrobial strategies. This study developed eco-friendly nano-enabled hydrogels incorporating zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs), hesperidin (HSP), and their nanocomposite (ZnO-HSP-NPs) to enhance their antibacterial efficacy. ZnO-NPs were synthesized and conjugated with HSP via a hydrothermal method, which yielded nanoparticles with an average size of 23±2 nm and achieved a high loading efficiency of up to 87%, then embedded into sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (Na-CMC) hydrogels for topical application. Physicochemical characterization confirmed the suitability of the properties for skin use. Antibacterial activity was evaluated against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) strains at 10⁵ and 10⁷ CFU/mL. All formulations exhibited concentration-dependent activity; however, the ZnO-HSP-NPs hydrogel demonstrated significantly superior efficacy (p < 0.0001). Notably, it maintained strong antibacterial activity at high bacterial density (10⁷ CFU/mL), where conventional antibiotics were ineffective. This enhanced performance is attributed to synergistic interactions and controlled release within the hydrogel matrix, offering a promising platform for treating resistant S. aureus infections.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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Elbardisy, ., Ahmed, A., El-shrief, W., et al. (2026). Antibacterial Activity Against MRSA and VRSA Using Zinc Oxide-Hesperidin Nanocomposite-Loaded Hydrogel. Bulletin of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Assiut. https://doi.org/10.21608/bfsa.2026.488536.3120