This study aimed to recover copper and gold from a waste printed circuit board (WPCB) using monosodium glutamate (MSG) supplemented with a clean oxidizer(s) under 30 °C, 150 rpm, and an initial pH of 7.00. The solder mask of WPCBs needed to be removed before leaching. At the first leaching, 93% of copper was selectively leached from solder–mask–free WPCBs within 3 h using 0.75 M MSG with 0.50% (w/v) ${\mathrm{H}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_2$. Then, gold (86%) was extracted from the first residue for 3 h by 1 M MSG with 0.25% (w/v) ${\mathrm{H}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_2$. In the downstream process, 98–100% copper could be directly recovered within 5–6 h from the first leachate by electrowinning (EW). However, gold in the second leachate required separation and purification processes before EW. At 4 h, 98% gold was adsorbed onto the activated carbon. Most impurities were removed from gold-loaded activated carbon by pre-elution using 0.05 M EDTA for 0.5 h without gold release. Afterward, 99% gold was eluted by diluted aqua-regia within an hour. Finally, the gold could be harvested perfectly using EW for 2 h. This complete copper and gold recycling process delivers an innovative concept for hydrometallurgical study and has the potential to develop into a practical industry.

This study explored the impact of incorporating coir pith, a byproduct of the coconut industry, into the vermicomposting substrate of Eudrilus eugeniae earthworms. The groups were compared based on their diets: cow manure only or cow manure mixed with varying amounts of coir pith. The aim was to assess the effects of coir pith on earthworm growth, mortality and the microbial community involved in vermicomposting. Earthworms fed with higher proportions of coir pith (70 % w/w) experienced reduced growth (0.81 g/worm) and increased mortality (24.67 %) after 5 weeks of vermicomposting. These effects were attributed to the high level of total phenolic content in the system. Coir pith required specific bacteria for digestion and detoxification, and excessive intake disrupted the earthworms' digestion, thus hindering nutrient absorption. The study also examined the microbial composition of the vermicast samples and identified variations based on the diet. Bacterial taxa involved in lignocellulose degradation, such as Bacteriodota, Azospirillum, Chitinophagaceae, Marinomonas and Pantoea, exhibited decreased abundances in treatments with coir pith. Conversely, the abundances of potentially harmful bacteria, such as Aeromonas, increased with higher coir pith inclusion levels. This pioneering investigation sheds light on the feasibility of coir pith use in vermicomposting and emphasises the importance of optimising earthworm diets to enhance microbial ecological functions and improve vermicompost quality.

Baculovirus is a promising vaccine deliver vector due to its biosafety profiles, gene transfer efficiency, ability to display small foreign antigens on its surface, strong adjuvant activities, etc. A dual vector for peptide antigens and a DNA vaccine delivery was constructed. In this vector, a tetrameric glycoprotein neuraminidase (NA) from influenza A virus (H5N1) serves as a baculovirus surface protein to improve baculovirus transduction efficiency and a partner for displaying the target peptide antigen. Nucleotides encoding target peptides could be fused to a full length NA gene, at the lower part of its head structure, integrated into Autographa californica multinucleopolyhedrovirus genome and expressed under the control of a White Spot Syndrome Virus IE-1 shuttle promoter. Angiotensin II (AngII) peptides, a potent vasoconstrictor that causes high blood pressure, was our target antigen. The recombinant NA-AngII pseudotyped baculovirus had the AngII peptides fused to the NA and displayed on its surface. In vitro studies revealed that this recombinant baculovirus successfully delivered AngII peptides, as DNA vaccine, into human HEK293A cells. A single subcutaneous injection of the recombinant NA-AngII pseudotyped baculovirus into moderately high blood pressure rats at 4 × 109 pfu/rat, stimulated anti-AngII antibody production and their systolic blood pressure (SBP) levels were found to have decreased. In addition, a single intranasal immunization at 8 × 108 pfu/rat, raised anti-AngII antibodies in a rat and its SBP was also reduced. The recombinant neuraminidase pseudotyped baculovirus is a potential vector for AngII peptide antigen and DNA vaccine for subcutaneous or intranasal immunization for treatment of hypertension.

Xylanolytic enzymes of the Fusarium species are closely associated with pathogenesis, where they soften plant cell walls to facilitate infection and nutrient uptake. This study investigated the xylanolytic system of Fusarium proliferatum PSA-3, a strain isolated from mango leaves showing dark spot symptoms. When cultivated on rice straw under solid-state fermentation, PSA-3 produced high xylanase activity against rye arabinoxylan (50.2 U) and beechwood xylan (56.8 U). Partial purification by ion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography yielded a large xylanase aggregate (158 kDa), which appeared as a smear at the top of the gel under native conditions. Mild denaturation resolved the aggregate into at least four active proteins of ~25, 35, 48, and 63 kDa, indicating that multiple xylanases assemble into a functional aggregate. The aggregate retained activity across pH 4.0–8.0, with an optimum at pH 5.0 and 50 °C, and was resistant to Ni²⁺, Fe²⁺, Co²⁺, and β-mercaptoethanol, but inhibited by SDS. Hydrolysis of xylo-oligosaccharides (DP 2–6), purified xylans, and plant-derived xylans confirmed predominantly endo-type action with debranching activity toward A²XX and A^2,3XX. These findings reveal a natural xylanase aggregate in F. proliferatum, providing a potential mechanism for efficient degradation of arabinoxylan-rich cell walls and offering targets for antifungal strategies and biotechnological applications.

Coconut shell is a lignin-rich agro-waste. In this study, lignin was extracted from coconut shell by ethanol organosolv catalyzed by hydrochloric acid (HCl). The effects of ethanol concentration (50 to 90%, v/v), time (15 to 90 min), temperature (100 to 190 °C) and HCl loading (0.4 to 4%, w/w) on yield were modeled with a Box–Behnken design. Temperature, time and HCl loading were sig-nificant (R² = 0.95, predicted R² = 0.70). The highest yield (18.6%) was obtained with 70% ethanol and 2.2% HCl at 190 °C for 90 min. This lignin (HCl-Ethanosolv-CSL) was compared with com-mercial alkaline lignin (AlkL). HCl-Ethanosolv-CSL contained 91.7% total lignin and 0.35% ash. FT-IR and NMR showed a G-rich GS-type lignin (S/G = 0.23) with p-hydroxybenzoate esters and ethoxyl groups introduced by HCl-catalyzed reaction with ethanol. Its total phenolic content was 785.9 mg gallic acid equivalent g⁻¹, compared with 580.6 mg g⁻¹ for AlkL. HCl-Ethanosolv-CSL scavenged radicals more effectively than AlkL (in-well IC₅₀ 11.6 vs 16.7 µg mL⁻¹ for ABTS). This activity is attributed to free phenolic hydroxyl groups and to ortho-methoxyl groups that stabilize the phenoxyl radical. HCl-Ethanosolv-CSL showed weak, strain-dependent antibacterial activity, mainly against Bacillus species. GPC showed a large apparent molecular size, which indicates strong association of the lignin chains in solution.

Efficient microbial conversion of chicken-feather keratin into value-added products offers a sustainable approach to waste valorization. Bacillus sp. strain 46-2, isolated from a hot spring in Thailand, produced extracellular caseinolytic and keratinolytic enzymes capable of degrading keratinous and non-keratinous protein substrates. The crude enzyme preparation remained active over a broad pH range of 6.0–11.0 and exhibited maximal caseinolytic and keratinolytic activities at 50 °C. Certain metal ions, including Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Zn²⁺, reduced one or both activities, while SDS, Tween 20, and Triton X-100 also caused varying degrees of inhibition. The addition of reducing agents enhanced feather degradation, with β-mercaptoethanol and Na₂SO₃ increasing chicken-feather mass loss to 73% and 47%, respectively, after 24 h. SDS–PAGE and zymographic analyses revealed multiple proteolytic and keratinolytic activity bands, while inhibition by PMSF and EDTA suggested contributions from serine proteases and metal-dependent proteases. Peptide-rich fractions obtained from the culture supernatant exhibited ABTS radical-scavenging activity, with IC₅₀ values of 506.25, 449.70, and 190.10 µg mL⁻¹ for the >10 kDa, 3–10 kDa, and <3 kDa fractions, respectively. Thin-layer chromatography detected spots corresponding to leucine, valine, glutamic acid, serine, and glycine in the hydrolysate. Overall, Bacillus sp. strain 46-2 is a promising source of alkaline-active and moderately thermostable proteolytic and keratinolytic enzymes for the bioconversion of keratin-rich waste into amino acids and antioxidant peptide-rich fractions with potential value for cosmetic and healthcare-related applications.