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Research Article | DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21776006

Sensitivity of Bacillus Cereus Isolates from Clinical Sources and Compatibility of Zno Nanoparticles with Tetracycline Antibiotics

Moammal F. Hawad *, Mohsin Hashim Risan , M. Alili

Department of applied biology, College of biotechnology, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq.

*Corresponding Author: Moammal F. Hawad, Department of applied biology, College of biotechnology, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq

Citation: Moammal F. Hawad , Mohsin Hashim Risan , M. Alili (2026) Sensitivity of Bacillus Cereus Isolates from Clinical Sources and Compatibility of Zno Nanoparticles with Tetracycline Antibiotics, J International Social Science Research and Review; 3 (1) 22, DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21776006

Copyright: Moammal F. Hawad, et al © (2026). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Received: 13 January 2026 | Accepted: 17 January 2026 | Published: 29 January 2026

Keywords: bacillus cereus; green synthesis; zinc oxide nanoparticles; moringa oleifera; synergistic efficacy

Abstract

Bacillus cereus is an important foodborne pathogen and a significant public health concern owing to its ability to produce highly resistant endospores and the increasing emergence of multidrug-resistant strains. This study evaluated the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of B. cereus isolates recovered from clinical and investigated the antibacterial activity of biogenic zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) against these isolates. The eleven B. cereus isolates represented a prevalence of 36.6% and exhibited high levels of resistance to β-lactam antibiotics and trimethoprim, with sensitivity to antibiotics from a panel of 8 antibiotics, including vancomycin (30 µg), Imipenem (10 µg), Meropenem (10 µg), Amikacin (30 µg), Ciprofloxacin (5 µg), Levofloxacin (5 µg), Tetracycline (30 µg), and Trimethoprim (5 µg). The inhibition zone measurement was interpreted by (CLSI, 2023) Biogenic ZnO-NPs were synthesized through an environmentally friendly method using Moringa oleifera leaf extract and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The characterization confirmed the successful synthesis of semi-crystalline, spherical ZnO nanoparticles with grain sizes ranging from 37.93 to 78.39 nm. Antibacterial assays demonstrated that biogenic ZnO-NPs exhibited significant antibacterial activity against B. cereus, with the greatest inhibitory effect observed at a concentration of 5 mg/mL. Furthermore, the combination of ZnO-NPs with tetracycline significantly enhanced the antibacterial activity of tetracycline compared with the antibiotic alone. Previously resistant isolates became susceptible following combination treatment, an effect that may be attributed to ZnO-NP-induced alterations in the bacterial cell envelope, increased membrane permeability, and possible interference with efflux-mediated resistance mechanisms, thereby facilitating greater intracellular accumulation of tetracycline. Overall, these findings suggest that biogenic ZnO-NPs may serve as promising antibacterial adjuvants capable of enhancing the efficacy of conventional antibiotics against resistant B. cereus isolates and may contribute to future strategies aimed at combating antimicrobial resistance.

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