Recently, the application of nanotechnology in food sector and the agriculture attract the attention compared to its biomedical application. The aims of the current study was to synthesize and characterize cobalt ferrites nanoparticles [(CoFe2O4) NPs] by combustion method employing glycine as fuels and to evaluate their antimicrobial against pathogenic bacteria and fungi and anti cancer properties against MCF-7 breast cancer cells line. The results indicated that the particles size of the synthesized (CoFe2O4) NPs was 40 nm. These (CoFe2O4) NPs showed potential antibacterial properties against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus) as well as the pathogenic fungi (Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus ochraceus) in a dose dependent manner with maximum concentration of 1.8 mg/ml. (CoFe2O4) NPs also showed weak antiradical but have cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 breast cancer cells line and succeeded to decrease the cell viability at a concentration of 2 mg/ml. It could be concluded that (CoFe2O4) NPs is a promise candidate as antimicrobial and anticancer agent for food sector and medical application.

This study aimed to determine the effects of compost amendment on the soil properties, as well as the morphophysiological responses, seed yield, oil content, and fatty-acid profile. of Nigella sativa plants under drought stress conditions. In a split-plot design, the field experiment was carried out during two seasons (2020/2021 and 2021/2022), involving three irrigation regimes (named I₁₀₀, I₇₅, and I₅₀ of crop evapotranspiration) with three levels of compost application (C₀, C₁₅, and C₃₀). Soil porosity, permeability, pore geometry, water-holding capacity, organic content, and soil cation exchangeable capacity were improved in response to applied compost levels. The growth, physiology, biochemistry, and yield characteristics of Nigella sativa plants were positively affected by compost addition but negatively affected by increasing water stress severity. Deficit irrigation regimes increased osmoprotectant substances (i.e., proline, total free amino acids, carbohydrates, and total soluble sugar). Compared to the control (I₁₀₀), deficit irrigation (I₅₀) reduced fixed and essential oil by 16.64% and 39.57% over two seasons. Water stress increased the content of saturated fatty acids, while unsaturated fatty acids decreased. Compost application of (C₃₀) resulted in a significant increase in seed yield, fixed oil, and essential oil of Nigella sativa plants by 34.72%, 46.55%, and 58.11% respectively, compared to the control (C₀). Therefore, this study concluded that compost amendment improved soil properties and significantly mitigated the detrimental effects of drought on Nigella sativa plants, resulting in a considerable increase in seed yield and its oil content, particularly polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are distinguished by their beneficial effects on human health.