In the context of increasing interest in healthy and sustainable nutrition, the food industry is challenged to develop innovative products that combine high nutritional quality with consumer acceptance. This study evaluated the potential of pumpkin seed flour (PSF) as a natural ingredient in biscuit formulations. PSF was analyzed for its proximate composition, and biscuits were formulated by replacing rice flour with various concentrations of 10%, 20%, and 30%. The products were analyzed for moisture, protein, fat, fiber, and ash content, subjected to microbiological testing, and evaluated sensorially using a 9-point hedonic scale. Results showed that PSF incorporation in biscuits significantly increased protein content from 6.20% in the control to 9.80% and fiber content from 2.10% to 5.90% in the formulation containing 30% PSF. Lipid content also increased proportionally with PSF addition. All samples complied with microbiological safety standards, and sensory evaluation indicated that biscuits with 10 and 20% PSF achieved the highest acceptability, particularly in terms of taste and texture. Overall, the use of PSF improves the nutritional density of biscuits, enhances their nutritional value, and supports sustainable food production by valorizing underutilized plant resources, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

A facile, ecofriendly, and cost-effective method was developed to prepare a microporous material based on natural chemically modified bentonite with silver ions (BN-Ag⁰). This material presents a good catalytic activity against Malachite Green (MG) dye and bacteriostatic activity against a newly isolated bacterium from sewage sludge named hereafter “ISO SS” and Escherichia coli (E. coli). BN-Ag⁰ was characterized by the following methods: energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The new bacterium ISO SS, was isolated using the technique of isolating a pure culture of anaerobically stabilized sludge. A mandatory characterization of ISO SS isolated strains from anaerobic stabilized sludge was performed in the process of identifying bacterial species. The cationic clay-based nanomaterial showed appreciable antibacterial activity against ISO SS, a Gram-negative bacterium. It also showed good activity against E. coli bacteria. As a catalyst in the catalytic ozonation of MG dye, BN-Ag⁰ significantly improves the oxidation time of the dye, due to its good adsorption and catalytic properties. The catalytic and antibacterial activities of the natural bentonite (BN) and of BN-Ag⁰ were examined using performant characterization techniques. The lifetime of the BN-Ag⁰ catalyst was also evaluated. Results obtained are expected to provide valuable findings for the preparation of a good microporous material with multiple functionalities.

In the present study, using a combination of several analytical techniques such as conductometry/total dissolved solids (TDS), pH-metry, ICP-MS and UV-Vis spectrometry, 38 parameters (Na, K, Mg, Ca, Al, Fe, B, Li, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Sr, Ag, Cd, Ba, Pb, Be, V, Co, Ga, As, Rb, Cs, Hg, Tl, U, ${\mathrm{F}}^{-}$, ${\mathrm{Cl}}^{-}$, ${\mathrm{SO}}_4{}^{2-}$, ${\mathrm{NO}}_3{}^{-}$, ${\mathrm{NO}}_2{}^{-}$, ${\mathrm{HCO}}_3{}^{-}$, ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$, electric conductivity (EC)/TDS and pH) for seven natural mineral waters (springs 1 bis, 5, 10, 14, 15, Sonda 2 and Sfantul Spiridon) from the Slanic Moldova area (Romania) were evaluated. Our data were compared with the historical chemical analyses records and also with the limits established by international and Romanian regulations for qualitative evaluation of natural mineral waters. In the case of the Evolution of the mineralization degree over time, it was observed that, in the interval 1933–2021, for all the studied sources, there were variations of mineralization that could be attributed to climatic and geological changes, mode of exploitation, as well as to analysis techniques used. Although decreases in mineralization were observed between 1981 and 2006 for water sources 1 bis, 10, 15 and S2, with a slight recovery and stability period between 2006 and 2021, they have retained their characteristics over time. Moreover, spring 14 retains its status as the most mineralized spring of the seven, although it also recorded a decrease in the mineralization degree between 2013 and 2018. Even if the concentration of major and minor ions showed some variation, highlighting the diversity of the water intakes and its changes over time for some of the springs, it is noticeable that these springs have kept their characteristics over time. It was identified that Sodium (${\mathrm{Na}}^{+}$) was present in all natural mineral waters but predominated in sodium chloride, sodium bicarbonate and sodium sulfate. The concentration of potassium ion has shown a fairly significant fluctuation, in 2006 being registered the lowest values for most sources: 1 bis (88.00 mg/L), 5 (6.00 mg/L), 10 (81.00 mg/L), 14 (115.00 mg/L), 15 (45.20 mg/L), S2 (11.00 mg/L). By means of ICP-MS, trace elements that have never before been tested or reported were identified, thus completing the chemical fingerprint of these natural mineral waters to increase their value for routine or therapeutic uses or further sustainable exploitation.

This study centred on isolating and characterizing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strains derived from wastewater sludge to assess their potential for sludge treatment. Samples were collected from the Etoa wastewater sludge treatment plant in Yaounde, Cameroon. The isolates were obtained on nutrient agar medium and were identified through morphological and biochemical characterization, followed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. The sequences showed 99–100% similarity with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strains in the NCBI database. The isolates exhibited significant in vitro enzymatic activities, including catalase, amylase, and protease production, indicating their ability to degrade hydrogen peroxide starch and proteins, respectively. The results confirmed the in vitro potential of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens as a promising microbial agent for organic matter degradation in wastewater sludge. Although the findings were limited to laboratory conditions, they provided a foundation for future pilot-scale or in situ studies aimed at validating their practical efficiency. This research contributes to the development of microbial-based and eco-efficient strategies for sustainable sludge management.

Poultry farming is important from a food point of view, as it provides products for the population. Waste resulting from poultry farming and processing is environmentally sensitive, which is why treatment technologies are crucial for sustainability. Conventional pre-treated wastewater originating from the poultry sector, combined with innovative methods of using substances with antimicrobial effects constitute another approach to eliminating health risks. This research aimed to evaluate the behavior of bacterial strains isolated from water samples treated by reverse osmosis (RO), ultrafiltration (UF), and ultraviolet disinfection (UV). To choose our antimicrobial substances, we surveyed the population using the Google Forms platform and the official questionnaire. Using a factorial design, the concentration of antibiotic or antiseptic, as well as the duration of their action on bacterial strains isolated in pure culture, was varied. The optical densities of bacterial cultures reflect the efficiency of treatments with antibacterial or antiseptic substances. Factorial design, corroborating the experimental results, led to the following: 4.84 mg·L⁻¹ antibiotic for 7.6 h and 4.23 mg·L⁻¹ chloramine for 16.23 h. The results obtained from mathematical modeling correspond to a decrease in the bacterial population. In perspective, combining purification technologies with antimicrobial substances, adapted to the volume of water through mathematical modeling, will reduce the risk of microbiological contamination, with bacterial recovery rate values ranging between 0.58 and 1.21 in the case of antiseptic using, and between 0.60 and 0.92 in the case of antibiotic using.

The pathogenic microorganisms related to the UTIs etiology frequently belong to the Enterobacteriaceae family. This present study aims the following: to determine the Enterobacteriaceae isolated from the urinary cultures, displaying the most common species, such as: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., and Proteus spp.; to test the biochemical and culture medium-related characteristics by means of some multi-test medium variants (TSI, MIU, Simmons Citrate) and of the API 20 E kit (Biomerieux) to identify the species; to correlate the microbiological data with the clinical factors. The survey on the distribution and number of UTIs from Moldavia region (Romania) during the analyzed period of time pointed out a rather good health state in the human population based on the pathogens’ frequency and the resistance patterns.