The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an enormous rise in biomedical waste and plastic trash production. The sudden increase in the production of waste vehicles carrying the same for disposal presented major challenges for the current waste disposal systems, particularly in developing countries. Due to the COVID-19 health emergency, the significance of appropriate waste management has become more evident. This review aims to showcase all aspects of biomedical waste, including its management, safe disposal approaches, the risks associated with improper waste management, and other hazards from hospitals, labs, and the environment. The focus has been laid on the possible role of laboratories in hospitals, research, and academic institutions directly and indirectly involved in handling biomedical items. It is pertinent to mention that policies relating to biomedical waste management must be renewed periodically for updates and to incorporate new research and system development points. In the present review, establishing collaboration among hospitals, laboratories, and research staff is vital for proper waste management in healthcare facilities. The review demonstrates the contemporary directions in biomedical waste treatment and safe disposal methods, especially incineration, autoclaving, chemical disinfection, and land disposal. Good laboratory practices and techniques for destroying needles, shredders, encapsulation, and inertization are also covered. The significance of biomedical waste management policies in promoting environmentally responsible and safe practices and amendments to these policies has been emphasized.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most prevalent form of dementia, is pathologically defined by amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, synaptic loss, and progressive neuronal degeneration. Increasing evidence highlights neuroinflammation as a central and modifiable factor in AD pathogenesis. This review critically explores the roles of microglia and astrocytes in mediating neuroinflammatory cascades, emphasizing their dual protective and detrimental functions. Microglial activation and astrocytic polarization into A1 (neurotoxic) and A2 (neuroprotective) subtypes are discussed alongside their contributions to Aβ clearance, tau pathology propagation, and synaptic dysfunction. The disruption of the blood–brain barrier, activation of inflammasome pathways such as NLRP3, and release of cytokines and chemokines exacerbate chronic inflammation and neurodegeneration. Advances in single-cell transcriptomics and lipidomics have revealed glial heterogeneity and novel molecular targets, including disease-associated microglia. Genetic risk factors like apolipoprotein E ( APOE ) and TREM2 variants further modulate inflammatory responses. Emerging therapeutic strategies, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, monoclonal antibodies, and targeted immunomodulators, hold promise for modifying disease progression. Overall, precise targeting of neuroinflammatory pathways offers a compelling avenue for future AD therapies.

Skin aging, often called as premature skin aging, is the hastened deterioration of the skin resulting from multiple factors, including UV radiation, environmental contaminants, inadequate nutrition, stress, etc. Dietary phytochemicals, present in fruits, vegetables, and other plant-derived meals, have gained interest due to their efficiency to eradicate free radicals and lowering the release of inflammatory mediators which accounts for premature skin aging. Several dietary phytochemicals, i.e., carotenoids, polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenes, alkaloids, phytosterols, etc., exhibited potential anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, suppression of UV damage, and promote collagen synthesis. In addition, dietary phytochemicals include sulfur, present in various foods safeguard the skin against oxidative stress and inflammation. Thus, this article delves into the comprehension of various dietary phytochemicals investigated to alleviate the premature skin aging. The article further highlights specific phytochemicals and their sources, bioavailability, mechanisms, etc., in the context of safeguarding the skin against oxidative stress and inflammation. The present manuscript is a systematic comprehension of the available literature on dietary phytochemicals and skin aging in various database, i.e., PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar using the keywords, i.e., "dietary phytochemicals", "nutraceuticals", "skin aging" etc., via Boolean operator, i.e., "AND". The dietary guidelines presented in the manuscript is a unique summarization for a broad reader to understand the inclusion of various functional foods, nutrients, supplements, etc., to prevent premature skin aging. Thus, the utilization of dietary phytochemicals has shown a promising avenue in preventing skin aging, however, the future perspectives and challenges of such phytochemicals should be comprehended via clinical investigations.

Vitamins are essential for a healthy life. Compared to other nutrients, the body needs them in very small amounts. B vitamins, often known as the vitamin B complex, are a class of water-soluble vitamins with key functions in cellular metabolism. Thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), biotin (vitamin B7), folate (vitamin B9), often known as folic acid, and cobalamin (vitamin B12) are the eight distinct vitamins that collectively constitute the vitamin B complex. The body's energy levels, cognitive activity, and cell metabolism are all directly impacted by B vitamins. Four main factors contribute to vitamin B deficiency: an unbalanced diet, excessive alcohol intake, different drugs, and disorders that induce gut malabsorption. If these B vitamin deficiencies are left untreated, they can eventually cause symptoms such as peripheral neuropathy, heart attacks, strokes etc. B vitamins are present in natural, whole foods. Compared to their unprocessed counterparts, white flour and other processed carbohydrates like sugar often contain fewer B vitamins. Excellent sources of vitamins Bs comprise legumes (beans or pulses), potatoes, bananas, whole grains, tempeh, chilli peppers, brewer's yeast, nutritional yeast, and molasses. This paper provides an in-depth summary of the most popular types of vitamin B, emphasizing why the body needs them, the symptoms of a deficiency, and what diet or foods are rich in them.