Carbon dots (CDs) are a new category of crystalline, quasi-spherical fluorescence, “zero-dimensional” carbon nanomaterials with a spatial size between 1 nm to 10 nm and have gained widespread attention in recent years. Green CDs are carbon dots synthesised from renewable biomass such as agro-waste, plants or medicinal plants and other organic biomaterials. Plant-mediated synthesis of CDs is a green chemistry approach that connects nanotechnology with the green synthesis of CDs. Notably, CDs made with green technology are economical and far superior to those manufactured with physicochemical methods due to their exclusive benefits, such as being affordable, having high stability, having a simple protocol, and being safer and eco-benign. Green CDs can be synthesized by using ultrasonic strategy, chemical oxidation, carbonization, solvothermal and hydrothermal processes, and microwave irradiation using various plant-based organic resources. CDs made by green technology have diverse applications in biomedical fields such as bioimaging, biosensing and nanomedicine, which are ascribed to their unique properties, including excellent luminescence effect, strong stability and good biocompatibility. This review mainly focuses on green CDs synthesis, characterization techniques, beneficial properties of plant resource-based green CDs and their biomedical applications. This review article also looks at the research gaps and future research directions for the continuous deepening of the exploration of green CDs.

Cancer is one of the primary causes of mortality globally, and the discovery of new anticancer drugs is the most important need in recent times. Natural products have been recognized as effective in fight against various diseases including cancer for over 50 years. Plants and microbes are the primary and potential sources of natural compounds to fight against cancer. Moreover, researches in the field of plant‐based natural compounds have moved towards advanced and molecular level understandings from the last few decades, leading to the development of potent anticancer agents. Also, plants have been accepted as abundant and prosperous sources for the development of novel therapeutic agents for the management and prevention of different cancer types. The high toxicity of some cancer chemotherapy drugs, as well as their unfavorable side effects and drugs resistance, drives up the demand for natural compounds as new anticancer drugs. In this detailed evidence‐based mechanistic review, facts and information about various medicinal plants, their bioactive compounds with their potent anticancer activities against different cancers have been gathered, with further approach to represent the molecular mechanism behind the anticancer activity of these plants. This review will be beneficial for investigators/scientists globally involved in the development of natural, safe, effective, and economical therapeutic agents/drugs against various cancers. This might be an important contribution in the field of drug discovery, where drugs can be used alone or in combination to increase the efficacy of newly synthesized drugs.

Biosurfactants derived from different microbes are an alternative to chemical surfactants, which have broad applications in food, oil, biodegradation, cosmetic, agriculture, pesticide and medicine/pharmaceutical industries. This is due to their environmentally friendly, biocompatible, biodegradable, effectiveness to work under various environmental conditions and non-toxic nature. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB)-derived glycolipid biosurfactants can play a major role in preventing bacterial attachment, biofilm eradication and related infections in various clinical settings and industries. Hence, it is important to explore and identify the novel molecule/method for the treatment of biofilms of pathogenic bacteria. In the present study, a probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus) strain was isolated from human breast milk. Firstly, its ability to produce biosurfactants, and its physicochemical and functional properties (critical micelle concentration (CMC), reduction in surface tension, emulsification index (% EI24), etc.) were evaluated. Secondly, inhibition of bacterial adhesion and biofilm eradication by cell-bound biosurfactants from L. rhamnosus was performed against various biofilm-forming pathogens (B. subtilis, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and E. coli). Finally, bacterial cell damage, viability of cells within the biofilm, exopolysaccharide (EPS) production and identification of the structural analogues of the crude biosurfactant via gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis were also evaluated. As a result, L. rhamnosus was found to produce 4.32 ± 0.19 g/L biosurfactant that displayed a CMC of 3.0 g/L and reduced the surface tension from 71.12 ± 0.73 mN/m to 41.76 ± 0.60 mN/m. L. rhamnosus cell-bound crude biosurfactant was found to be effective against all the tested bacterial pathogens. It displayed potent anti-adhesion and antibiofilm ability by inhibiting the bacterial attachment to surfaces, leading to the disruption of biofilm formation by altering the integrity and viability of bacterial cells within biofilms. Our results also confirm the ability of the L. rhamnosus cell-bound-derived biosurfactant to damage the architecture of the biofilm matrix, as a result of the reduced total EPS content. Our findings may be further explored as a green alternative/approach to chemically synthesized toxic antibiofilm agents for controlling bacterial adhesion and biofilm eradication.

Hybridization between divergent lineages often results in reduced hybrid viability. Here we report findings from a series of independent molecular analyses over several seasons on four life stages of F₁ hybrids between the newts Triturus cristatus and T. marmoratus. These two species form a bimodal hybrid zone of broad overlap in France, with F₁ hybrids making up about 4% of the adult population. We demonstrate strong asymmetry in the direction of the cross, with one class (cristatus-mothered) making up about 90% of F₁ hybrids. By analyzing embryos and hatchlings, we show that this asymmetry is not due to prezygotic effects, as both classes of hybrid embryos are present at similar frequencies, implicating differential selection on the two hybrid classes after hatching. Adult F₁ hybrids show a weak Haldane effect overall, with a 72% excess of females. The rarer marmoratus-mothered class, however, consists entirely of males. The absence of females from this class of adult F₁ hybrids is best explained by an incompatibility between the cristatus X chromosome and marmoratus cytoplasm. It is thus important to distinguish the two classes of reciprocal-cross hybrids before making general statements about whether Haldane's rule is observed.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a form of respiratory failure in human. The number of deaths caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection inducing this severe pneumonia (ARDS) is relatively high. In fact, COVID-19 might get worsen in ARDS and provoke respiratory failure. A better understood of ARDS key features and the pathophysiological injuries of the pulmonary parenchyma are linked to lessons learned from previous severe diseases associated previous coronaviruses outbreaks (especially SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV) and more the ongoing SARS-CoV-2. The ARDS mechanism includes a diffuse alveolar damage associated disruption of alveolar capillary membrane, pulmonary edema, damaged endothelium and increased permeability. A diffuse inflammation, with acute onset, on the lung tissue accompanied by release of biochemical signal and inflammatory mediators (TNFα, IL-1 and IL-6) leading to hypoxemia, low PaO₂/FiO₂ ratio and the chest radiological expression of bilateral infiltrates in ARDS. The ongoing outbreak could lead to a better understood of ARDS pathophysiology and prognostic. An overview is also highlighted about the seven coronaviruses proved to infect human especially those having ability to cause severe disease SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. In this review, we focused on the major pathological mechanisms leading to the ARDS development as a result of viral infection, severe COVID-19 worsening. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma