Ginger and garlic plants were used for the preparation of water and ethanolic extracts. The silver, copper, iron and zinc nanoparticles were eco-friendly synthesized using ginger and garlic extracts and their antioxidant and antibacterial activities were evaluated. The growth of nanoparticles was complemented with characterization using TEM and UV–Vis spectroscopic analysis. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of mono-dispersed metals nanoparticles and silver nanoparticles of ginger have the smallest particle size around 10.10–18.33 nm. The investigated samples were evaluated as antibacterial agents against Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Candida albicans, Bacillus subtilis, Erwinia carotovora and Proteus vulgaris and as antifungal agents against C. albicans. The results of antimicrobial tests indicate that these nanoparticles possess significant activities compared to the results obtained by antibiotic standard. In addition, the total polyphenols, fractionation of phenols, flavonoids by high-performance liquid chromatography systems and antioxidant activity were evaluated.

Chromium is one of the heavy metal pollutants that causing risky health issues when discharged into the aquatic ecosystems. The current investigation focused on the bioremoval of Cr⁶⁺ depending on the bacterial sorption process by using Pseudomonas sp. NEWG-2 which was identified on the basis of morphological, cultural characteristics, 16S rRNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis as Pseudomonas alcaliphila strain NEWG-2. It is clear from the FCCD experiments that the bacterium can grow normally and remove 96.60% of 200 mg/l of Cr⁶⁺ using yeast extract (5.6 g/l), glucose (4.9 g/l), pH (7) for 48 h incubation period. SEM and EDS analyses proved that the Cr⁶⁺ was biosorbed by P. alcaliphila NEWG-2. FTIR spectra indicated that the phenolic, carbonyl ester, acetyl, carboxylate, alkanes and carbonyl were the main groups involved in the chromium biosorption. Of the equilibrium isotherms models, the Langmuir model was more obedient, with a maximum uptake (q_max) of 10 mg/g (bacterial-alginate beads), than the Freundlich one. The findings reveal the efficiency of P. alcaliphila NEWG-2 in Cr⁶⁺ biosorption, with feasibility in the treatment of chromium-contaminated water as a green-technology tool. Interestingly, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on Cr⁶⁺ biosorption process by P. alcaliphila.

The current work aimed to synthesize selenium and zinc nanoparticles using the aqueous extract of Ephedra aphylla as a valuable medicinal plant. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by TEM, zeta potential, and changes in the phytochemical constituents. Hence, the phenolic, flavonoid, and tannin contents were reduced in the case of the prepared samples of nanoparticles than the original values in the aqueous extract. The prepared extract of Ephedra aphylla and its selenium and zinc nanoparticles showed high potency as antioxidant agents as a result of the DPPH^• assay. The samples were assessed as anticancer agents against six tumor cells and a normal lung fibroblast (WI-38) cell line. The selenium nanoparticles of Ephedra aphylla extract revealed very strong cytotoxicity against HePG-2 cells (inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) = 7.56 ± 0.6 µg/mL), HCT-116 cells (IC₅₀ = 10.02 ± 0.9 µg/mL), and HeLa cells (IC₅₀ = 9.23 ± 0.8 µg/mL). The samples were evaluated as antimicrobial agents against bacterial and fungal strains. Thus, selenium nanoparticles showed potent activities against Gram-negative strains (Salmonella typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli), Gram-positive strains (Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis), and the fungal strain Candida albicans. In conclusion, the preparation of nanoparticles of either selenium or zinc is crucial for improved biological characteristics.

The present review highlighted the recent developments of the multicomponent synthesis of heterocyclic compounds with pyrano[2,3- d ]pyrimidine skeleton applying the diverse strategies.

Biosynthesis of Ag@SeO₂ NC using turmeric extract with promising antibacterial and antioxidant properties, optimized using AI, and confirmed by various techniques.