This work reports an eco-friendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using endophytic bacteria, Cytobacillus firmus isolated from the stem bark of Terminalia arjuna. The synthesis of AgNPs was confirmed by visual observation as a change in color of the bacterial solution impregnated with silver. Further, the morphology of the AgNPs, average size, and presence of elemental silver were characterized by UV–Visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering spectroscopy. The roles of endophytic secondary metabolites in the metal reduction, stabilization, and capping of silver nanoparticles were studied by qualitative FTIR spectral peaks. The antimicrobial ability of AgNPs was evaluated against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria and pearl millet blast disease-causing fungi (Magnoporthe grisea). The biosynthesized AgNPs showed good antibacterial and antifungal activities. AgNPs effectively inhibited the bacterial growth in a dose-dependent manner and presented as good antifungal agents towards the growth of Magnoporthe grisea.

This hypothesis demonstrates that the efficiency of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for nucleic acid detection can be positively influenced by the preconcentration of microbial cells onto hydrophobic paper surfaces. The mechanism of this model is based on the high affinity of microbes towards hydrophobic surfaces. Extensive studies have demonstrated that hydrophobic surfaces exhibit enhanced bacterial and fungal adhesion. By exploiting this inherent affinity of hydrophobic paper substrates, the preconcentration approach enables the adherence of a greater number of target cells, resulting in a higher concentration of target templates for amplification directly from urine samples. In contrast to conventional methods, which often involve complex procedures, this approach offers a simpler, cost-effective, and user-friendly alternative. Moreover, the integration of cell adhesion, LAMP amplification, and signal readout within paper origami-based devices can provide a portable, robust, and highly efficient platform for rapid nucleic acid detection. This innovative hypothesis holds significant potential for point-of-care (POC) diagnostics and field surveillance applications. Further research and development in this field will advance the implementation of this technology, contributing to improved healthcare systems and public health outcomes.

This study presents, the conversion of almond peel waste into activated carbon (APAC) and its use for removing tetracycline (TC) antibiotic from water. The prepared APAC possesses a rough, highly porous, and mesoporous carbon structure with a high surface area, as revealed by FESEM and BET analysis. FTIR, XRD, and XPS results showed the presence of oxygenated and phosphorus-containing surface functionalities and a predominantly amorphous carbon framework, which favored effective TC adsorption. Adsorption experiments indicated that TC removal was best described by the Elovich kinetic model (R² = 0.9999), while equilibrium data fit the Freundlich isotherm model (R² = 0.9961), suggesting adsorption on a heterogeneous surface. The maximum adsorption capacity obtained from the Langmuir model was 87.91 mg/g. Thermodynamic results confirmed that the process was spontaneous and exothermic, with a ΔH° value of -14.76 kJ/mol. After 3 reuse cycles, APAC retained approximately 76.65% of its initial removal efficiency and showed reliable TC removal in real water samples. Phytotoxicity tests using Brassica juncea demonstrated that APAC treatment significantly reduced the toxic effects of TC on plant growth. Machine learning models developed from 180 experimental data points showed excellent prediction accuracy, with CatBoost giving the best performance (Test R² = 0.9853). SHAP assessment of the optimized CatBoost model identified TC concentration and time as the dominant predictors. Greenness and applicability assessment gave AGREE, ComplexMoGAPI, and BAGI scores of 0.53, 73, and 67.5, respectively, indicating moderate overall sustainability and practical applicability with scope for improvement. Overall, APAC shows promise as an effective biomass derived adsorbent for TC removal from wastewater.

This study reports a low-temperature green route for producing sunlight-active zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles using almond peel extract as the sole complexing and stabilizing medium and evaluates their performance toward Congo red (CR) removal from water. UV-visible analysis of the synthesized material shows a near UV absorption edge at 373 nm with an optical band gap energy of 3.32 eV. The photocatalyst possesses a mesoporous texture with a specific surface area of 31.89 m ² /g and a mean pore diameter of 9.8 nm. FESEM reveals hierarchical flower-like assemblies composed of radially oriented ZnO rods, supported by EDS, confirming Zn and O as the dominant elements. XRD verifies phase-pure hexagonal wurtzite ZnO structures with a mean crystallite size of 39.24 nm. FTIR and XPS confirm ZnO formation and a phytochemical-derived surface overlayer containing hydroxyl, carbonyl, and aromatic functionalities, together with surface hydroxyls and chemisorbed oxygen. Photoluminescence indicates near-band-edge emission and defect-related visible bands consistent with oxygen vacancy and zinc-related trap states. Under natural sunlight (CR: 25 mg/L; catalyst dosage: 5–15 mg/100 mL; irradiation time 270 min), the material achieved 51.61 to 82.21% degradation and followed pseudo-first-order behaviour. Scavenger studies revealed that O ₂ • ⁻ radicals are the dominant reactive species in dye degradation, with photogenerated h ⁺ playing a secondary role and •OH contributing minimally. Also, the ZnO nanoparticles exhibited good reusability, retaining over 83.64% of their initial photocatalytic activity after four cycles under sunlight irradiation. Thus, almond peel-derived ZnO offers a simple strategy to valorize an agricultural residue into a sunlight-responsive photocatalyst for treating dye-contaminated wastewater.

Antibiotic residues in natural waters are a persistent concern because their continuous discharge promotes antimicrobial resistance and creates chronic risks for aquatic ecosystems and human health...