Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) is a widely grown citrus and its fruit is affected by a variety of biotic and abiotic stress. Keeping in view the hazardous effects of synthetic fungicides, the recent trend is shifting towards safer and eco-friendly control of fruit diseases. The present study was aimed to diagnose the fruit rot disease of grapefruit and its control by using zinc oxide green nanoparticles (ZnO NPs). Fruit rot symptoms were observed in various grapefruit growing sites of Pakistan. Diseased samples were collected, and the disease-causing pathogen was isolated. Following Koch's postulates, the isolated pathogen was identified as Rhizoctonia solani. For eco-friendly control of this disease, ZnO NPs were prepared in the seed extract of Trachyspermum ammi and characterized. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of these NPs described the presence of stabilizing and reducing compounds such as phenols, aldehyde and vinyl ether, especially thymol (phenol). X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed their crystalline nature and size (48.52 nm). Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis elaborated the presence of major elements in the samples, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the morphology of bio fabricated NPs. ZnO NPs exhibited very good anti-fungal activity and the most significant fungal growth inhibition was observed at 1.0 mg/ml concentration of green NPs, in vitro and in vivo. These findings described that the bioactive constituents of T. ammi seed extract can effectively reduce and stabilize ZnO NPs. It is a cost-effective method to successfully control the fruit rot disease of grapefruit.

Plants are sessile and mostly exposed to various environmental stresses which hamper plant growth, development, and significantly decline its production. Drought stress is considered to be one of the most significant limiting factors for crop plants, notably in arid and semi-arid parts the world. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the potential impact of different concentrations (10, 100, and 200 µg/mL) of kinetin capped zinc oxide nanoparticles (Kn-ZnONPs) on Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek under varying levels (5%, 10%, 15%) of PEG-induced drought stress. ZnONPs were synthesized by a co-precipitation method using Zinc acetate as a precursor at pH-12, incinerated to 500 °C, and kinetin was used as a surface functionalizing agent. The resulting Kn-ZnONPs were characterized by various contemporary analytical techniques, including SEM, SEM-EDS, XRD, DLS, and Zeta potential and IR spectroscopy. Crystalline Kn-ZnONPs, with a zeta potential of 27.8 mV and a size of 67.78 nm, of hexagonal wurtzite structure and vibrational stretches associated with N-H, C-O, C-N, etc., were confirmed. PEG-induced drought stress significantly reduced the growth of V. radiata by declining the chlorophyll and carotenoid contents. Moreover, a significant decrease in the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), soluble sugar contents, proline, protein contents, phenol, and tannin were observed compared to the control. However, the exogenous application of Kn-ZnONPs ameliorated all photosynthetic parameters by up-regulating the antioxidant defense system through the promotion of SOD, POD, CAT, and lipid peroxidation levels. The biochemical parameters, such as proteins, soluble sugars, and proline, were observed to be maximum in plants treated with 200 µg/mL Kn-ZnONPs under 5% drought stress. The application of Kn-ZnONPs also enhanced the total phenol contents, flavonoid, and tannin contents. In conclusion, the findings of this study demonstrate that the exogenous application of Kn-ZnONPs provides beneficial effects to V. radiata by attenuating the damaging effects of drought stress through the up-regulation of the antioxidant defense system and osmolytes. These results suggest that Kn-ZnONPs have potential as a novel approach to improve crop productivity under drought stress conditions.

Heavy metals contaminate soil and adversely affect plant growth. These soils contain different fungi and bacteria which exhibit metal tolerance and work as bioremediation agents to detoxify polluted soils. In the present study, polluted soil samples were collected to estimate the contamination of copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd). From this contaminated soil, metal tolerant fungi were isolated and characterized. Copper and cadmium were found in a range of 190.2–300.4 mg/kg and 46.8–56.1 mg/kg, respectively. For the isolation of metal tolerant fungi, soil dilutions were made in water and inoculated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) media. Fungal growth was observed on PDA and successive screening resulted in the isolation of four multi-metal tolerant fungal species, including Penicillim oxalicum, Fusarium solani, Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma harzianum. Sequencing of 18S rRNA genes of isolated fungi also efficiently identified them. To reveal minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC), these fungi were exposed to increasing concentrations of cadmium and copper chlorides (100 to 1000 ppm) and a variable MIC range of 400 ppm to 1000 ppm was estimated. Based on tolerance index analysis, F. solani was found to be resistant at 1 mM copper, while P. oxalicum was the most tolerant species under cadmium stress. F. solani and P. oxalicum demonstrated the highest biosorption capacity of Cu and Cd, respectively. Both metals negatively affected wheat seedlings in a pot experiment, while the treatment of both F. solani and P. oxalicum positively influenced the germination and growth of wheat. Based on these observations, it could be inferred that F. solani and P. oxalicum can be used for the myco-remediation of Cu and Cd, respectively.

Nanotechnology is a vibrant and fast-developing field in science with diverse applications. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are becoming gradually valuable because of their exceptional antimicrobial properties and remarkable physical characteristics. This study reports the phytochemical screening of Allium jacquemontii plant extract for the preparation of AgNPs. The prepared nanoparticles (NPs) were characterized via UV- spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and were evaluated for antimicrobial and pharmacological activities. HPLC analysis showed that A. jacquemontii had the lowest quantity of ferulic acid (10.3 ppm) and the highest concentration of chlorogenic acid (317.9 ppm). The prepared AgNPs exhibited excellent antifungal potential against Aspergillus niger, with maximum growth inhibition of 64.4% while strong antibacterial activity of 14.3 mm against Escherichia coli at a dose of 10 mg/ml was found. Similarly, the highest antiparasitic activity was 75.41 ± 1.16 against Promastigote and 71.13 ± 0.12 against Amastigote at 200 µg/mg. Inhibition of glucosidase, and amylase was observed, suggesting potential antidiabetic properties. The AgNPs were found to be biofriendly with red blood cells (RBCs) of a healthy human. This study indicates the potential of A. jacquemontii inflorescence derived AgNPs.

Nanotechnology provides innovative tools for medicine, agriculture, and environmental applications. Iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe₂O₃ NPs) are of particular biomedical interest due to their biocompatibility, magnetic properties, and therapeutic potential. Harnessing the phytoconstituents of F. indica for nanoparticle fabrication offers a sustainable approach to generate biofunctional nanomaterials with enhanced therapeutic efficacyIn this study, Fe₂O₃ NPs were biosynthesized using F. indica extract through a green and cost-effective method. The nanoparticles were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), confirming their rectangular (average size of 65 nm) morphology, functional group interactions, and elemental composition of iron and oxygen. The bio-fabricated Fe₂O₃ NPs displayed broad pharmacological activities: strong antileishmanial (71%), anti-inflammatory (79%), antioxidant (total antioxidant capacity 78.4%, total reducing power 75.2%, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl 64.6%), and antidiabetic effects (α-amylase inhibition 55.2%, α-glucosidase inhibition 56.6%), along with protein kinase inhibition (14.4 ± 1.22), indicating anticancer potential. Biocompatibility was confirmed by low hemolysis (1.46 ± 0.10). The nanoparticles also showed significant antimicrobial activity, including inhibition zones of 24.0 mm against Escherichia coli and 70 ± 2.1% antifungal activity against Ascochyta rabiei. The integration of F. indica phytochemicals into Fe₂O₃ NP synthesis not only offers an eco-friendly production method but also yields multifunctional nanoparticles. These findings highlight their promise as candidates for future biomedical applications, particularly in infectious disease management, oxidative stress-related disorders, and metabolic regulation.

Nanotechnology is a fast-growing field with diverse applications in various disciplines. Based on the applications in diverse fields and the medicinal significance, R. roseum was phytochemically investigated and was used for the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs). Biosynthesized NPs were characterized using UV spectrophotometry (UV), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM), and used in antioxidant, antibacterial, and seed nano priming activities. Antibacterial activity was observed against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus, with the maximum zone of inhibition recorded against S. aureus (23 mm ± 0.57) at 1000 µg/ml. ZnO-NPs exhibited the highest antioxidant activity (75.2%) at 100 µg/mL in comparison with the standard (ascorbic acid), which showed 79% activity at the same concentration. The IC50 value of R. roseum -mediated ZnO-NPs obtained was 35.79 at a 20 µg/mL ZnO-NP concentration. Seed priming with R. roseum -mediated ZnO NPs markedly enhanced maize growth, with the highest performance recorded at 200 ppm, yielding 3.33 ± 0.40 g fresh weight, 3.20 ± 0.1 g dry weight, and 6 ± 1 leaves. At this concentration, seedlings also exhibited increased root (13.5 ± 0.57 mm) and shoot length (12.6 ± 0.57 cm) along with elevated chlorophyll content (34.9 ± 4.57), indicating significant improvement in physiological attributes. Compared to the control, nanoparticle treatment at 50 µg/mL increased peroxidase activity from 18.4 to 31.3 U mg⁻ ¹ protein, superoxide dismutase from 22.6 to 36.9 U mg⁻ ¹ protein, and catalase from 15.2 to 27.8 U mg⁻ ¹ protein. In conclusion, green-synthesized ZnO-NPs are effective and can be utilized in agriculture, biomedical, and other fields.