Background: Plant-derived phytochemicals are crucial in fighting bacterial infections and in cancer therapy. Objective: This study investigates the phytochemical composition of the ethanolic extract obtained from Caralluma indica (C. indica) seeds and assesses its antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant activities. Results: GC-MS analysis found 30 phytochemicals in C. indica seeds, including 5 bioactive compounds that have been shown to have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxicity properties, through in silico evaluation. Phytochemical screening of C. indica identified and measured the phenolic compounds, providing insight into its bioactive potential and therapeutic properties. C. indica exhibited robust antioxidant capacity (DPPH, ABTS, nitric oxide, and H₂O₂ radical scavenging) alongside potent antimicrobial activity against oral pathogen and cytotoxicity activity on a human oral squamous carcinoma cell line (OECM-1) (EC₅₀ of 169.35 µg/mL) and yeast cell Saccharomyces cerevisiae (215.82 µg/mL), with a selective index of 1.27. The subminimum % MBC/MFC of C. indica significantly reduced biofilm formation against oral pathogens (p < 0.05). Molecular docking studies showed a strong correlation (r = 0.862) between antifungal and anticancer targets, suggesting that the antimicrobial agents in C. indica contribute to cancer prevention mechanisms. Conclusions: These findings propose C. indica seeds as promising candidates for combating oral pathogens, inhibiting biofilm formation, and reducing the risk of oral cancer progression.

Residual antibiotics in natural aquatic environments pose a critical threat to humans and other organisms. However, most sewage treatment plants fail to remove them. Photocatalytic nanomaterials can efficiently destroy these persistent organic pollutants in wastewater. In this study, we developed a series of cobalt-doped SrTiO3 (Co-STO) catalysts with different doping amounts (3, 5, 7, and 9 wt%) for the effective photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP). The nanostructures were characterized using X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller N2 adsorption isotherms. The Co-STO particles have a mesoporous diameter of ~30.8 nm, and the Co-doped nanostructures have a rhombohedral hopper-like shape. Co-doping decreased the bandgap of pure STO from 3.61 to 3.42 eV, which enabled it to absorb visible light. Among the catalysts, 7 wt% Co-STO showed the highest CIP degradation activity (90.6%) during 120 min of visible-light irradiation. Radical scavenging experiments revealed that superoxide (O2 •-) is the primary reactive species during degradation. These Co-doped nanostructures have potential applications in the remediation of hazardous pollutants in pharmaceutical wastewater. Moreover, the crystal and energy band structure, density of states, and Bader charge of these molecules were analyzed.

Nanotechnology provides alternatives to conventional pesticides that result in improved efficacy with a specific target, reduced doses, smart delivery, and protection from natural enemies. The present study aims to investigate the eco-friendly source of zoo-material from sea urchin Salmacis virgulata (L. Agassiz & Desor, 1846) test. This is the first-time study on sea urchin test aqueous extract using zoo-mediated CuO nanoparticle synthesis. The present results of the zoochemicals from the aqueous zoo-extract of the sea urchin S. virgulata test contained 60 zoo-compounds were recorded using GC-MS techniques. S. virgulata test zoochemicals are involved in the reduction of copper ions (Cu2+ into Cu0), which forms sea urchin-mediated copper oxide nanoparticles, and initially UV-visible, FTIR spectra confirmed the formation of Z-CuONPs. The computational study confirms the potential antifungal properties of S. virgulata test zoochemicals and CuO using molecular docking tools. The S. virgulata test recorded it as a novel metal ion-reducing agent and also provided valuable bioactive zoo-compounds, and further study is recommended to investigate the In vitro studies on various aspects of synthesized Z-CuONPs. Graphical abstract of zoo-mediated CuO nanoparticles synthesis using sea urchin Salmacis virgulata (L. Agassiz & Desor, 1846) test as a novel reducing agent and evaluated the In silico antifungal activity

Zoochemicals-mediated synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles is related to phytochemical-mediated synthesis of nanoparticles, in which act as reducing agents in nanoparticle synthesis. Zoochemicals are animal compounds that are equivalent to phytochemicals in plants. Today’s nanotechnology is a promising approach for the agricultural industry as an alternative source of pest management with specific targets and reducing environmental adverse effects. The aim of the present study is to investigate the insecticidal activity of Hyattella intestinalis extract, Zoochemicals mediated synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles and molecular docking. The primary target of AChE is inhibited by Z-CuONPs and Hyattella intestinalis extract to cause toxicity in the Tribolium castaneum insect, and AChE inhibitory activity was directly dose-dependent on Zoo-extract and Z-CuONPs (R2 = 0.982 and 0.967), respectively while the IC50 of Zoo-extract (141.10 µg/ml) and CuONPs (118.92 µg/ml), caused the toxicity of the target pest. The index of repellency (IR) was less than 1 (IR < 1) for Z-CuONPs and Zoo-extract which is a response to the significant reduction of the Tribolium castaneum population and statistically agrees with the Chi-square test (X2). The computational approach to the identification of potential protein targets by CuO with binding interactions of Tribolium castaneum odorant binding protein results in novel insect repellent compounds that contribute to reducing storage grain damage and behavioural responses of the target pest. Among the Z-CuONPs and Hyattella intestinalis extract, Z-CuONPs have potential insecticidal activity against Tribolium castaneum. This is the first scientific report recording zoochemical-mediated synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles using Hyattella intestinalis extract.

The present investigation assessed the insecticidal potential of zoo chemicals extracted from the test (skeleton) and spines of the sea urchin Salmacis virgulata against Tribolium castaneum , Aedes aegypti , and the Sf-9 cell line through assays for in vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, cytotoxicity, repellency, larvicidal activity, and in silico modeling. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis of the 50% ethanolic extract identified 40 distinct zoochemicals, including four with known pesticidal properties, from the test and spines of S. virgulata . The zoo extract exhibited promising insecticidal activity, demonstrated by in vitro AChE inhibition with an IC ₅₀ of 143.41 µg/ml. Additionally, in vitro cytotoxicity was measured with an EC ₅₀ of 194.68 µg/ml, a repellent index (IR) of less than 0.80, and an LC ₅₀ for larvicidal toxicity of 153.205 µg/ml. Further statistical and computational techniques confirmed the insecticidal activity of S. virgulata test and spine 50% zoo-extract against T. castaneum and A. aegypti . The identified zoochemicals that are similarly involved in insecticidal activity on all selected insecticide molecular targets have a very strong correlation, with a range of r = 0.977–0.995. This highlights a positive correlation between the insecticide molecular target and strong evidence on zoological insecticides of S. virgulata test and spines against harmful pests through AChE enzyme inhibition, cytotoxicity, repellence, and larvae toxicity. We recommend the utilization of zoo waste from the sea urchin S. virgulata as a promising source of zoological insecticides. These bio-based pesticides offer an eco-friendly approach to pest control through their repellency and toxicity, being readily biodegradable and presenting lower environmental risks compared to synthetic pesticides.

The aim of the study is to explore zoochemical-mediated nanoparticle synthesis using marine sponge Hyattella intestinalis as a reducing agents. In this term, zoochemical-mediated nanoparticle synthesis using the zoo-chemicals from zoo-extract, which contains zoo-chemicals, is involved as reducing agents. The first time authors introduced the term “zoochemical-mediated nanoparticle synthesized” using zoo-chemicals from marine sponge Hyattella intestinalis as a reducing agent, which were involved in reducing metal ions to form nanoparticle. Zoo-chemicals are naturally occurring animal secondary metabolites like alkaloids, terpenoids, etc., produced by Hyattella intestinalis marine sponges, which are equivalent to plant secondary metabolites. Marine sponge Hyattella intestinalis provided several zoo-chemicals involved in reducing copper ions into Cu2+ from Cu0, which is a response to zoochemical-mediated CuO nanoparticle synthesis as recording zoo-chemicals as reducing agents. The finding of the results, zoo-chemicals are evidence of reducing agents that use nanoparticle synthesis, which results in effective nanobased, eco-friendly drugs. The author scientifically first time coined the term "zoochemical-mediated nanoparticle synthesis" using zoo-chemicals from Hyattella intestinalis. Graphical abstract of zoochemical-mediated nanoparticle synthesis using marine sponge Hyattella intestinalis (Lamarck, 1814) as a reducing agents