In recent years, nanotechnology has become one of the emerging fields of nanoparticle synthesis using biological processes. The use of mushroom extract is one of the most important methods for biological synthesis due to the presence of abundant biologically active compounds. In this study, Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were synthesized using Daedalea sp. mushroom extract. The nanoparticles had an average size of 14.58 nm and irregular morphology, which shows its prominent character. Various analytical techniques including FTIR, X-ray diffraction, EDX, and UV-Vis spectrum showed a broad absorption between 350 and 380 nm, which indicates the synthesis of ZnO NPs. The characterized NPs were exploited for a wide range of biomedical applications including biocompatibility, antifungal, antileishmanial, and antibacterial studies. The ZnO nanoparticles showed a strong antibacterial effect against gram-positive (Klesbsilla pneumonia and Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Eschericia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. Furthermore, the ZnO nanoparticles also showed a high antifungal effect against Aspergillus niger fungus.

A wide range of nanoparticles have been produced for photocatalysis applications. Nonetheless, degrading organic dyes requires nanoparticles that are efficient and excellent. As a photocatalyst, pure manganese oxide (MnO₂) was prepared via a sol–gel method using silver (Ag) nanoparticles of transition metal oxide. In addition to X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), the crystal structure and elemental composition were analysed. According to XRD data, the transition metal of MnO₂ oxide is highly pure and has a small crystallite size. The presence of functional groups was confirmed and clarified using Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FTIR). By irradiating the transition pure and doped MnO₂ photocatalysts with visible light, the UV-vis, μ-Raman, and surface areas were determined. As a result, of using the photocatalysts with aqueous methylene blue (MB) solutions under visible light irradiation, the MnO₂ doped with Ag nanoparticles demonstrated high degradation efficiencies and were utilised to establish heterogeneous photocatalysis dominance. In this paper, we demonstrate that the photocatalytic efficiency of transition metal oxides is exclusively determined by the particle size and surface area of nano-sized materials. Due to their high surface charge ratio and different surface orientations, have the highest photocatalytic efficiency. Generally, MnO₂ doped with Ag nanoparticles is resistant to bacteria of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative types (B. sublittus and Escherichia coli). There is still a need for more research to be performed on reducing the toxicity of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles so that they can be used as an effective alternative to antibiotics and disinfectants, particularly for biomedical applications.

Recent advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology have revolutionized the medical field, particularly in the treatment and prevention of disease. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are considered one of the best supreme and most important nanomaterials with a variety of compulsive nanomaterial having diverse array of multifunctional bioapplications. The current study focuses on the green biosynthesis of AgNPs using polysaccharides extracted from Olea europaea leaves. The synthesized AgNPs were thoroughly analyzed and characterized using various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques including, UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction, Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The absorption peak at 440 nm showed a high plasmon resonance band, confirming the formation of green AgNPs by the reduction of Ag⁺ ions to Ag⁰. FTIR analysis showed the appearance and extension of different functional groups. The results of EDX and SEM confirmed the synthesis of AgNPs with spherical shape, crystalline structure, and an average size of 64.42 nm. The biosynthesized AgNPs possessed improved antimicrobial activities, indicating the importance of biosynthesized NPs in the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, the biosynthesized AgNPs were biocompatible and exhibited anti-inflammatory activity (86.29%), almost similar to that of a standard drug (87.78%) at a concentration of 500 µL/mL. The polysaccharides obtained from O. europaea could be considered as effective reducing agent, leading to an environmentally friendly synthesis of stable and biologically important AgNPs with a wide range of applications.

Rising soil salinity is a major concern for agricultural production worldwide, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. To improve salt tolerance and the productivity of economic crop plants in the face of future climatic changes, plant-based solutions are required to feed the continuously increasing world population. In the present study, we aimed to ascertain the impact of Glutamic-acid-functionalized iron nanoparticles (Glu-FeNPs) on two varieties (NM-92 and AZRI-2006) of mung beans with different concentrations (0, 40 mM, 60 mM, and 80 mM) of osmotic stress. The result of the study showed that vegetative growth parameters such as root and shoot length, fresh and dry biomass, moisture contents, leaf area, and the number of pods per plant were significantly decreased with osmotic stress. Similarly, biochemicals such as protein, chlorophylls, and carotenes contents also significantly declined under induced osmotic stress. The application of Glu-FeNPs significantly (p ≤ 0.05) restored both the vegetative growth parameters and biochemical contents of plants under osmotic stress. The pre-sowing treatment of seeds with Glu-FeNPs significantly ameliorated the tolerance level of Vigna radiata to osmotic stress by optimizing the level of antioxidant enzymes and osmolytes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and proline contents. Our finding indicates that Glu-FeNPs significantly restore the growth of plants under osmotic stress via enhancing photosynthetic activity and triggering the antioxidation system of both varieties.

The Moroccan flora abounds and is an important reserve of medicinal plants. Nigella sativa and Lepidium sativum are plants that are widely used in traditional medicine for their multiple therapeutic properties. The current study aims to highlight the biological activities that can justify and valorize the use of these plants. Flavonoids, total phenols, condensed tannins, and sugars were determined. The biological activities tested were antioxidant by determining the IC₅₀ (defined as the concentration of an antioxidant required to decrease the initial concentration by 50%; inversely related to the antioxidant capacity), hemagglutination, and hemolytic activities. Phytochemical quantification of the seed extracts indicated that the total phenol content was largely similar for both plants and in the order of 10 mg GAE (Gallic acid equivalent)/g. On the other hand, L. sativum seeds registered a higher content of flavonoids (3.09 ± 0.04 mg QE (quercetin equivalent)/g) as compared to Nigella saliva (0.258 ± 0.058). Concerning condensed tannins, N. saliva seeds present a higher amount with a value of 7.2 ± 0.025 mg/g as compared to L. sativum (1.4 ± 0.22 mg/g). Concerning the total sugar content, L. sativum shows a higher content (67.86 ± 0.87 mg/g) as compared to N. sativa (58.17 ± 0.42 mg/g); it is also richer in mucilage with a content of 240 mg as compared to 8.2 mg for N. saliva. Examination of the antioxidant activity using a DPPH (2.2-diphenyl 1-pycrilhydrazyl) test revealed that the EButOH (n-butanol extract) and EAE (ethyl acetate extract) extracts were the most active, with IC₅₀ values of 48.7 and 50.65 μg/mL for the N. sativa extracts and 15.7 and 52.64 μg/mL for the L. sativum extracts, respectively. The results of the hemagglutination activity of the different extracts of the two plants prepared in the PBS (phosphate-buffered saline) medium showed significant agglutination for the L. sativum extract (1/50) compared to the N. sativa extract (1/20). An evaluation of the hemolytic effect of the crude extract of the studied seeds on erythrocytes isolated from rat blood incubated in PBS buffer compared to the total hemolysis induced by distilled water showed a hemolysis rate of 54% for Nigella sativa and 34% for L. sativum. In conclusion, the two plants studied in the current work exhibited high antioxidant potential, which could explain their beneficial properties.