Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are eco-friendly and sustainable options for agrochemicals, particularly for enhancing crop productivity under stress conditions. The present research aims to isolate and characterize native PGPR from tomato rhizospheric soil and to evaluate their effectiveness as a dose-dependent response to enhance the growth of tomato seedlings. Out of 112 isolates, 10 bacterial strains were selected based on key PGPR traits, including indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), ammonia production, hydrogen cyanide (HCN), exopolysaccharide (EPS) synthesis, hydrolytic enzyme activity, potassium solubilization, antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum, and tolerance to pH and heat stress. Molecular identification via 16S rRNA gene sequencing confirmed that these isolates belong to the genera Serratia and Enterobacter. S. marcescens So-1 and Enterobacter sp. So-12 produced the highest levels of IAA (2.6–24.1 µg/mL). In vitro tomato seed germination tests using bacterial suspensions at three concentrations (10⁶, 10⁷, and 10⁸ CFU/mL) showed dose-dependent improvements, with T1 increasing germination up to 108.3% compared to the control. In polyhouse trials using cocopeat formulations, seedling growth improved noticeably. T2 increased the root length (28.3 ± 2.98 cm) by over 1560%, and the shoot length (35.7 ± 0.57 cm) increased by 55% against the control, whose root length is 1.7 ± 0.47. The chlorophyll amount of the treated leaves further showed significant results over the control. Collectively, these findings suggest that using native PGPR in a dose-dependent way can help tomato seedlings grow better and promote more sustainable crop production.

Treated or untreated waste containing high concentrations of antimicrobial drugs, disinfectants, and other chemicals generally enter in the environment through hospitals and pharmaceutical manufacturing units. Such a polluted environmental conditions exert selective pressure on bacteria, promoting the development and spread of antibiotic resistant, multidrug resistant (MDR) and/or extreme multidrug resistant bacterial strains. Presence of pathogenic bacteria such as Pseudomonas spp. in these sources is indeed a major public health concern due to their extreme multidrug resistance. Therefore, the present study was conducted for the isolation, screening and molecular characterization of multidrug resistant bacterial strains from waste disposal sites of three hospitals and three pharmaceutical industries of Himachal Pradesh. Six soil samples were bought to microbiology laboratory, Career Point University, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh and screened for the MDR isolates. Out of 29 isolates four isolates (PH6, HH3, AB5 and SS3) were found to be multidrug resistant and identified using biochemical and molecular characterization. Four MDR isolates were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PH6), Cellulosimicrobium cellulans (HH3), Bacillus cereus (AB5) and Pseudomonas mendocina (SS3). Isolate PH6 was found to be 100% resistant for all 15 antibiotics making it highly virulent strain. Interestingly Cellulosimicrobium cellulans (HH3) isolate was also found to be resistant to 8 out of 15 antibiotics used and might be an example of horizontal transfer of resistant gene from polluted environment. Most of MDR isolates were found resistant against Amoxycillin, Ampicillin, Co- Trimoxazole, Erythromycin and Nalidixic acid. These findings, emphasize the critical role of hospital and pharmaceutical effluents that play in the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. By identifying resistant strains and understanding their antimicrobial patterns, this research paves the ways for mitigation strategies aimed at controlling the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

The emergence and rapid spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens have necessitated the search for alternative antimicrobial agents, particularly from natural sources. This study investigates the synergistic antibacterial activity of three ethnomedicinal plants, Lantana camara (LC) and Cissampelos pareira (CP), Parthenium hysterophorus (CG) against clinically relevant MDR isolates. A total of four MDR strains (BI4 (Pseudomonas aeruginosa), BT3 (Bacillus. pumilus), HMR2 (Cellulosiumicrobium. cellulan), and TD7 (Pseudomonas aeruginosa)), previously isolated from soil samples in hospital-associated environments, and were selected for in vitro antimicrobial screening. Combinatorial extracts of LC and CP (LC + CP) were prepared and evaluated for their antibacterial efficacy using the agar well diffusion method. The LC + CP combination exhibited the highest overall activity with inhibition zones ranging from 16.17 ± 0.27 mm to 24.17 ± 0.27 mm. Based on this preliminary finding, the extract was further assessed for its Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) through broth dilution and agar plating methods, respectively. MIC values ranged from 1.562 to 6.25 mg/ml, while MBC values varied between 3.125 and 12.5 mg/ml. The most notable effect was observed against TD7, which exhibited the lowest MIC and MBC values, indicating high sensitivity to the plant extract combination. MBC/MIC ratios ≤4 across all isolates confirmed the bactericidal nature of the combination. The observed efficacy may be attributed to the synergistic action of phytoconstituents such as flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids. These findings highlight the potential of LC + CP as a promising plant-based antimicrobial strategy against MDR pathogens and warrant further investigation into its phytochemical composition and in vivo efficacy.

A lignocellulosic degrading enzyme cocktail producing Bacillus sp. was isolated and assessed for its efficient saccharification efficiency. Maximal production of cellulases (100 U/mL), xylanases (108 U/mL) and laccases (56 U/mL), were produced using moistened 0.3% MD5 medium maintained at 37 °C, pH 9, 200 µM CuSO4 with 4% inoculum volume after 48h of incubation. An ecofriendly and economical mixed agriculture waste comprising of wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse and rice straw, served as good source for bioethanol production due to its carbohydrate contents. Statistical optimization using response surface methodology was done to carry out the enzyme cocktail treated saccharification of alkali-treated mixed agriculture biomass. Enzyme cocktail was used to treat 100 g of alkali-treated mixed agriculture waste maintained at pH 8.5 and 65oC for 18h and gave a net yield of 10.2 and 29 mg/mL of reducing sugars and glucose, respectively. This study highlights the potential of Bacillus to produce a cocktail of lignocellulolytic enzymes that could be used to produce bioethanol, pulp and fruit industry.

The increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, particularly in environments contaminated with antibiotics, poses a significant public health challenge. The present study aimed to isolate multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains from soil samples collected at pharmaceutical industry and hospital waste disposal sites in Himachal Pradesh, India, and to evaluate the synergistic antimicrobial potential of selected medicinal plant extracts against these isolates. Ten MDR bacterial strains, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Providencia rettgeri, Bacillus cereus, and Cellulosimicrobium cellulans, were identified using standard microbiological and molecular techniques. The antimicrobial activity of aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts of Aegle marmelos, Terminalia chebula, Terminalia bellerica, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, and Jatropha curcas was assessed using the agar well diffusion assay. Synergistic combinations of extracts (S1–S4) showed enhanced antimicrobial effects compared to individual extracts, with S1 (A. marmelos + T. chebula, aqueous) and S3 (T. bellerica + T. chebula, ethanolic) demonstrating the highest activity. MIC and MBC values determined by the broth microdilution method confirmed the increased efficacy of these combinations. The results highlight the potential of synergistic plant extract formulations as alternative therapeutic agents against MDR bacterial infections.