In the present study, we utilized Stevia rebaudiana L. (SRLe) extract to in situ biosynthesize nanoscale alpha hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) nanoparticles (NPs) with potent antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. SRLe-α-Fe₂O₃ was characterized using physiochemical analyses, including UV/Vis, FTIR, XRD, DLS, EDX, SEM, and TEM studies. Among tested solvents, CHCl₃/MeOH (2:1 v/v) SRL extract (least polar solvent) contained the highest EY, TPC, and antioxidant capacity of ~3.5%, ~75 mg GAE/g extract, and IC₅₀ = 9.87 ± 0.7 mg/mL, respectively. FTIR confirmed the engagement of coating operation to the colloidal α-Fe₂O₃ NPs. TEM, SEM, and DLS revealed that SRLe-α-Fe₂O₃ has a spherical shape, uniform size distribution with aggregation for an average size of ~18.34 nm, and ζ = −19.4 mV, forming a repulsive barrier that helped to improve stability. The synthesized nanoparticles displayed considerable antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus bacterial growth, and exhibited superior activity against the A549 lung cancer cell lines. These findings indicate that the increased availability of bioactive substances with antioxidant properties of SRLe makes it a potentially interesting material for the preparation of biologically active compounds and green synthesis of nanoparticles.

This study utilized Aspergillus flavus to produce selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) in an environmentally friendly and ecologically sustainable manner, targeting several medicinal applications. These biosynthesized Se-NPs were meticulously characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope (TEM), and UV–visible spectroscopy (UV), revealing their spherical shape and size ranging between 28 and 78 nm. We conducted further testing of Se-NPs to evaluate their potential for biological applications, including antiviral, anticancer, antibacterial, antioxidant, and antibiofilm activities. The results indicate that biosynthesized Se-NPs could be effective against various pathogens, including Salmonella typhimurium (ATCC 14028), Bacillus pumilus (ATCC 14884), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), Clostridium sporogenes (ATCC 19404), Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739), and Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633). Additionally, the biosynthesized Se-NPs exhibited anticancer activity against three cell lines: pancreatic carcinoma (PANC1), cervical cancer (Hela), and colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2), with IC50 values of 177, 208, and 216 μg/mL, respectively. The nanoparticles demonstrated antiviral activity against HSV-1 and HAV, achieving inhibition rates of 66.4% and 15.1%, respectively, at the maximum non-toxic concentration, while also displaying antibiofilm and antioxidant properties. In conclusion, the biosynthesized Se-NPs by A. flavus present a promising avenue for various biomedical applications with safe usage.

Background: The O-antigen is one of the uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) virulence factors used as a biomarker to classify E. coli strains. Objectives: In this study, the relationship between antibiotic resistance patterns and O-serogroups was investigated in UPEC strains isolated from patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs) in southern Iraq. Methods: A total of 100 UPEC isolates from the urine specimens of patients with UTIs within the age range of 4 months to 78 years in various southern Iraqi hospitals were collected (May 2017 to January 2018) and confirmed using biochemical tests (e.g., Analytical Profile Index 20E). Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using the disk diffusion method according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. The multiple polymerase chain reaction technique was applied to investigate the prevalence of O-serogroups. Results: The most frequent serogroups in the E. coli isolates were O8 (27.7%) and O25 (24.4%); however, serogroup O83 was not observed in the samples. Serogroups O75, O6, O16, and O18 had the lowest frequency (1.1%) among the examined isolates. Furthermore, 10% of the isolates did not belong to any of the examined serogroups. The phenotypic tests showed that the highest and the lowest resistance belonged to piperacillin (92%) and imipenem (5%), respectively. Serogroups O4 and O21 showed the highest drug resistance; nevertheless, serogroups O75, O18, and O1 showed the lowest drug resistance. Additionally, 94% of the isolates were resistant to three or more classes of antibiotics. Conclusions: According to the results, UPEC isolates showed high resistance to common antibiotics; however, they were sensitive to imipenem and amikacin. Serogroups O8 and O25 were the most common among UPEC isolates. Moreover, O4 and O21 showed the highest drug resistance. There was a direct relationship between antimicrobial resistance and O-serogroups in UPEC isolates.

This study targeted developing a novel Zinc oxide with alpha hematite nanoflowers (NFs)-loaded bee venom (Bv) (Bv-ZnO@αFe₂O₃ NFs) as a bio-natural product from bees to combine both the advantages of combination magnetic properties and the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties on isolated coliform bacteria from the effluent of wastewater treatment plants. About 24 isolates of treated wastewater isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR). The phylogenetic grouping of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Klebsiella pneumonia (K. pneumonia) showed that the largest group was Group A, followed by Group B2 and Group B1. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), The X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM− EDX) validated the coating operation’s contact with Bv onto ZnO@αFe₂O₃ NFs. According to high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED), pattern analyses for prepared nanoformulations exhibited a spherical shape of αFe₂O₃ (~9–15 nm), and floral needle shapes with uniform distribution of size with aggregation of ZnOαFe₂O₃ and Bv-ZnO@αFe₂O₃ NFs around (~100–200 nm). The toxicity of Bv-ZnO@αFe₂O₃ NFs was comparable up to 125 µg mL⁻¹, when it reached 64.79% (IC₅₀, 107.18 µg mL⁻¹). The antibacterial activity showed different zones of inhibition against different isolates. The biofilm inhibitory activity of NPs and NFs showed a highly significant reduction (p < 0.001) in treated biofilms with ZnO@αFe₂O₃ and Bv-ZnO@αFe₂O₃. In essence, ZnO@αFe₂O₃ and Bv-ZnO@αFe₂O₃ NFs are promising antimicrobials for inhibiting the growth and biofilm of MDR E. coli and K. pneumonia isolates, thereby, biocontrol of wastewater.

Background: Antibiotic resistance emerged in the pathogens causing urinary tract infections (UTIs) and became widespread. Moreover, increasing drug resistance has highlighted the need to evaluate the antibiotic resistance pattern to improve experimental treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bacteria causing UTIs and their susceptibility patterns based on the geographical area. Methods: The present study was conducted on outpatients referred to Qal’at Saleh Hospital in Iraq from January 2018 to January 2019. The pathogenic bacteria were detected using API 20E kit. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted using the disk diffusion method according to the guidelines of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Results: Of 216 isolates, 87.9% contained gram-negative bacteria and 12.03% contained gram-positive bacteria. In this study, Escherichia coli was identified as the main cause of UTIs. Of all the isolates, 73.61% were resistant to three or more classes of antibiotics. The antibiotic susceptibility and resistance patterns of all isolates showed that amikacin and ciprofloxacin had the highest activity against gram-negative bacteria and vancomycin, amikacin, and levofloxacin had the highest activity against gram-positive bacteria. Conclusions: Due to the widespread resistance to drugs used in the treatment of UTIs, it is difficult to select the appropriate drugs for treating UTIs. UTI affects different age groups; therefore, sufficient knowledge should be transferred to the community to prevent these infections. If urine culture is unavailable, or it is impossible to wait for antibiotic susceptibility testing, Amikacin and Vancomycin might be the best candidates for UTI treatment.