Alpha-cembratriene-4,6-diol (α-CBT-diol) is a complex diterpenoid primarily found in Solanaceae (i.e., tobacco leaves), Pinaceae, and marine corals. Due to its intricate chemical structure, it serves as a precursor for several aroma compounds, including farnesal. Farnesal and its derivatives have applications across various fields, such as the fragrance and flavor industry, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and cosmetics. In this study, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia H3-1, a strain capable of efficiently biodegrading α-CBT-diol into farnesal, was isolated from soil and identified through 16S rDNA sequence analysis. S. maltophilia H3-1 biodegraded 93.3% of α-CBT-diol (300 mg/L) within 36 h when grown under optimized culture conditions, including a temperature of 40 °C, pH of 8, 2 g/L maltose, and 2 g/L ammonium sulfate. Theoretically, this strain can produce 201 mg/L of farnesal during the biotransformation of α-CBT-diol. The putative α-CBT-diol bioconversion pathway expressed in S. maltophilia H3-1 is also proposed. This is the first study to report the bioconversion of α-CBT-diol into the high-value compound farnesal using a novel S. maltophilia H3-1 strain. It highlights that other compounds found in tobacco can also be bioconverted into valuable products.

Every individual has the fundamental right to access and use proper sanitation facilities; however, significant gaps persist globally, particularly along socio-economic lines. This study emphasizes the disparities in sanitation low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and low earning communities, which contribute to disproportionate exposure to microbial and parasitic infections and a higher burden of disease and wealthier communities benefit from modern amenities such as sewage systems, flush toilets, and advanced wastewater treatment, underprivileged populations often rely on inadequate facilities that initiate and sustain illness within these communities. To better understand the transmission pathways of microbial contamination, this review draws on recent findings from environmental microbiology and epidemiology, focusing on reservoirs such as water, soil, surfaces, food, air, waste streams, and other fomites. It also explores the growing relationship between the human microbiome and sanitation practices, particularly highlighting children who are more vulnerable to growth retardation and gastrointestinal illnesses in unsanitary environments due to a weak immune system. This study also discusses the importance of climate resilience, behavior modification, and technological innovation in addressing sanitation challenges. It highlights the crucial role of climate-adaptive systems, culturally sensitive approaches, and microbiological research in enhancing sanitation outcomes, particularly in resource-constrained and climate-vulnerable settings worldwide. To mitigate the adverse health effects of sanitation inequality, the analysis concludes by emphasizing the need for equitable infrastructure investment, effective policymaking, legislative reform, and active community engagement at both national and international levels.