Bryophytes are poikilohydric in nature and the oldest known land plant. Their striking resistance to microbial attack suggests their inherent production of antibacterial compounds. The antibacterial activity of acetone, ethanol, methanol and hexane extracts of Calymperes erosum C. Mull and Bryum coronatum Schwaegr were investigated against twenty clinically important bacteria pathogens. Agar dilution method was used to assess the effectiveness of the extracts on the test organisms. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the extracts of C. erosum were between ˂0.625 and ˃5.0 mg/ml. Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 10031, Enterococcus feacalis ATCC 29212, Bacillus pumilis ATCC 14884 and Enterobacter cloaca ATCC 13047 in decreasing order are most sensitive to the extracts while Proteus vulgaris KZN, Staphylococcus aureus OK2 and Shigella sonnei ATCC 29930 were resistant to the extracts. Ethanolic extract was the most effective among the extracts followed by acetone extract. B. coronatum had relatively lower activity. While the mosses screened proved to be promising sources of antimicrobial and biologically active compounds, their toxicity and action mechanism still needed to be investigated.

Utilizing renewable biological resources (biomass) to produce energy and biochemicals is increasingly ratified and recognized as a sustainable strategy in agrowaste valorization. This study focuses on the conversion of tropical almond fruit seedcake into furfural, a valuable bio-based chemical. Furfural production was achieved through acid-catalyzed hydrolysis and dehydration processes, with optimization conducted using response surface methodology. An optimal conditions for furfural yield were determined to be 160 °C reaction temperature, 53.82 minutes reaction time, and 7.50% acid concentration, resulting in a maximum yield of 75.50%. Characterization of the obtained furfural was performed using Fourier-transform infrared and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) spectroscopic techniques, revealing the presence of the conjugated carbonyl (C = O) group at 1,669 cm-1 and aldehyde functionality at 3,134 cm-1 and 2,812 cm-1. GC-MS confirmed the molecular weight (96.10 g/mol) and empirical formula (C5H4O2) of the furfural product. This research highlights the potential of tropical almond fruit seedcake as a sustainable feedstock for furfural production, contributing to the advancement of biomass conversion technologies.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) persist in the environment due to their chemical stability, toxicity, and resistance to conventional remediation processes. This study investigates the electronic reactivity and adsorption potential of selected PAHs such as anthracene, benzo[a]pyrene, fluorene, naphthalene, and pyrene using density functional theory (DFT) and molecular docking approaches. Frontier molecular orbital calculations revealed that PAHs with smaller HOMO–LUMO gaps exhibited greater reactivity and more negative Gibbs free energy values, indicating enhanced thermodynamic favorability for adsorption. Benzo[a]pyrene showed the highest reactivity (HOMO–LUMO gap = 7.26 eV) and the most negative Gibbs free energy (–31.80 kcal/mol), suggesting its strong electron-accepting tendency. Binding energy analysis of PAH adsorption onto amine-functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNT–NH₂) further confirmed benzo[a]pyrene as the most strongly adsorbed molecule (E _bind = − 26.75 kcal/mol). Molecular docking of PAHs with a CNT–enzyme ( Bacillus spp . laccase, PDB: 9BD5) complex demonstrated high docking scores and extensive hydrophobic and π–π stacking interactions, indicating a synergistic remediation mechanism driven by nanoparticle adsorption and enzymatic affinity. The combined DFT and Molecular docking results demonstrate that functionalized CNTs coupled with bacterial enzymes offer a highly effective platform for PAH remediation through dual adsorption and catalytic pathways.

The dumpsite represents a notable sources of air pollutants because waste materials are openly burned there, resulting in the emission of harmful gases and particulate matter into the atmosphere. This study investigate the Air Quality Index (AQI) and spatial distribution of air pollution around the Saje dumpsite in Abeokuta, Nigeria. The concentrations of air pollutants of particulate matters (PM2.5 and PM10) and carbon monoxide (CO) were measured using portable handheld gas detectors at the dumpsite and adjoining residential area. The pollutants concentration obtained were used to calculate the AQI. Spatial distribution analysis was performed using inverse distance weighted interpolation method in an ArcGIS environment to map the distribution of the air quality around Saje dumpsite and its environment. The AQI at the dumpsite was categorized as unhealthy highlighting a significant public health concern and in contrast, the surrounding residential areas showed comparatively lower pollution levels with AQI ranging from “good” to “moderate”. The spatial distribution of the pollutants shows a high concentration of the pollutants at the vicinity of the dumpsite and the concentrations fizzled out towards the residential areas. This study identified health risks, pollution hotspots and spatial air quality patterns near the dumpsite.