Organic Remobilization of zinc and phosphorus availability to plants by application of mineral solubilizing bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Incessant utilization of chemical fertilizers leads to the accumulation of minerals in the soil, rendering them unavailable to plants. Unaware of the mineral reserves present in the soil, farming communities employ chemical fertilizers once during each cultivation, a practice that causes elevated levels of insoluble minerals within the soil. The use of biofertilizers on the other hand, reduces the impact of chemical fertilizers through the action of microorganisms in the product, which dissolves minerals and makes them readily available for plant uptake, helping to create a sustainable environment for continuous agricultural production. In the current investigation, a field trial employing Arachis hypogaea L was conducted to evaluate the ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to enhance plant growth and development by solubilizing minerals present in the soil (such as zinc and phosphorus). A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) included five different treatments as T1: Un inoculated Control; T2: Seeds treated with a liquid formulation of P. aeruginosa; T3: Seeds treated with a liquid formulation of P. aeruginosa and the soil amended with organic manure (farmyard); T4: Soil amended with organic manure (farmyard) alone; T5: Seeds treated with lignite (solid) based formulation of P. aeruginosa were used for the study. Efficacy was determined based on the plant's morphological characters and mineral contents (Zn and P) of plants and soil. Survival of P. aeruginosa in the field was validated using Antibiotic Intrinsic patterns (AIP). The results indicated that the combination treatment of P. aeruginosa liquid formulation and organic fertilizer (farmyard) (T3) produced the highest biometric parameters and mineral (Zn and P) content of the groundnut plants and the soil. This outcome is likely attributed to the mineral solubilizing capability of P. aeruginosa. Furthermore, the presence of farmyard manure increased the metabolic activity of P. aeruginosa by inducing its heterotrophic activity, leading to higher mineral content in T3 soil compared to other soil treatments. The AIP data confirmed the presence of the applied liquid inoculant by exhibiting a similar intrinsic pattern between the in vitro isolate and the isolate obtained from the fields. In summary, the Zn and P solubilization ability of P. aeruginosa facilitates the conversion of soil-unavailable mineral form into a form accessible to plants. It further proposes the utilization of the liquid formulation of P. aeruginosa as a viable solution to mitigate the challenges linked to solid-based biofertilizers and the reliance on mineral-based chemical fertilizers.

Green synthesis of chitosan/silver nanocomposite using kaempferol for triple negative breast cancer therapy and antibacterial activity.

The synthesis of polymer-encapsulated metal nanoparticles is a growing field of area due to their long-term uses in the development of new technologies. The present study describes the synthesis of chitosan/silver nanocomposite using kaempferol for anticancer and bactericidal activity. The formation of Kf-CS/Ag nanocomposite was confirmed by the development of a brown color and UV-absorbance around 438 nm. The IR study was utilized to determine the existence of Kf and CS in the synthesized nanocomposite. TEM analysis demonstrated that the synthesized nanocomposite have a predominantly uniform spherical shape and size ranges 7-10 nm. EDX spectrum showed the existence of Ag, C, and N elements in the nanocomposite material. Further, Kf-CS/Ag nanocomposite exhibited potential in vitro inhibitory property against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and their IC50 values was found to be 53 µg/mL. Moreover, fluorescent assays such as DAPI and AO/EtBr confirmed the apoptosis induction ability of Kf-CS/Ag nanocomposite in MDA-MB-231 cells. The synthesized Kf-CS/Ag nanocomposite showed significant and dose-depended antibacterial property against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. Thus, the obtained findings demonstrated that the synthesized nanocomposite can be potentially used to improve human health as biocidal nanocomposite in biomedical sectors.

Facile Synthesis and Characterization of Chitosan Functionalized Silver Nanoparticles for Antibacterial and Anti-Lung Cancer Applications.

In the treatment of bacterial contamination, the problem of multi-drug resistance is becoming an increasingly pressing concern. Nanotechnology advancements enable the preparation of metal nanoparticles that can be assembled into complex systems to control bacterial and tumor cell growth. The current work investigates the green production of chitosan functionalized silver nanoparticles (CS/Ag NPs) using Sida acuta and their inhibition efficacy against bacterial pathogens and lung cancer cells (A549). Initially, a brown color formation confirmed the synthesis, and the chemical nature of the synthesized NPs were examined by UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). FTIR demonstrated the occurrence of CS and S. acuta functional groups in the synthesized CS/Ag NPs. The electron microscopy study exhibited CS/Ag NPs with a spherical morphology and size ranges of 6-45 nm, while XRD analysis demonstrated the crystallinity of Ag NPs. Further, the bacterial inhibition property of CS/Ag NPs was examined against K. pneumoniae and S. aureus, which showed clear inhibition zones at different concentrations. In addition, the antibacterial properties were further confirmed by a fluorescent AO/EtBr staining technique. Furthermore, prepared CS/Ag NPs exhibited a potential anti-cancer character against a human lung cancer cell line (A549). In conclusion, our findings revealed that the produced CS/Ag NPs could be used as an excellent inhibitory material in industrial and clinical sectors.

Preparation of gallotannin loaded chitosan/zinc oxide nanocomposite for photocatalytic degradation of organic dye and antibacterial applications.

Chitosan functionalization is a growing field of interest to enhance the unique characteristics of metal oxide nanoparticles. In this study, a facile synthesis method has been used to develop a gallotannin loaded chitosan/zinc oxide (CS/ZnO) nanocomposite. Initially, white color formation confirmed the formation, and physico-chemical natures of the prepared nanocomposite were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Crystalline of CS amorphous phase and ZnO patterns were demonstrated by XRD. FTIR revealed the presence of CS and gallotannin bio-active groups in the formed nanocomposite. Electron microscopy study exhibited that the produced nanocomposite had an agglomerated sheets like morphology with an average size of 50-130 nm. Further, the produced nanocomposite was evaluated for methylene blue (MB) degradation activity from aqueous solution. After 30 min of irradiation, the efficiency of nanocomposite degradation was found to be 96.64 %. Moreover, prepared nanocomposite showed a potential and concentration-dependent antibacterial activity against S. aureus. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that prepared nanocomposite can be used as an excellent photocatalyst as well as a bactericidal agent in industrial and clinical sectors.

Chitosan functionalized bismuth oxychloride/zinc oxide nanocomposite for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of Congo red.

The industrial discharge of dye pollutant contaminated wastewater is the major cause of water and soil pollution. Photocatalysis is a promising and green remediation technology, which has received widespread attention in the remediation of hazardous dyes from aqueous environment and convert them into harmless compounds. Herein, we report the synthesis of chitosan (CS) functionalized bismuth oxychloride/zinc oxide (BiOCl/ZnO) nanocomposite by a modified hydrothermal route. The physiochemical characterization revealed that the synthesized nanocomposite have crystalline, agglomerated spherical along with rod shaped morphology and size range from 35 to 160 nm. FTIR peaks at 825, 727, 662 and 622 cm-1 specified the presence of BiO and ZnO bonds, whereas peak at 1635 cm-1 revealed the existence of amine groups which confirms the presence of CS in the synthesized CS-BiOCl/ZnO nanocomposite. Catalytic property of synthesized nanocomposite was evaluated by the degradation of Congo red (CR) under UV-light irradiation. CR dye degradation percentage was found to be 93 % within a short period of 40 min by utilizing UV-light. Furthermore, reusability of CS-BiOCl/ZnO photocatalyst was also investigated, and it remained significant photocatalytic activity after three consecutive cycles. Hence, the results obtained in this study revealed that CS-BiOCl/ZnO nanocomposite can be used as a potential photocatalyst to remediate organic pollutants in various industries.

Microbial approaches for sustainable remediation of dye-contaminated wastewater: a review.

The coloured effluents produced from different industries, such as textile, plastics, printing, cosmetics, leather and paper, are extremely toxic and a tremendous threat to the aquatic organisms and human beings. The removal of coloured dye pollutants from the aqueous environment is a great challenge and a pressing task. The growing demand for low-cost and efficient treatment approaches has given rise to alternative and eco-friendly methods, such as biodegradation and microbial remediation. This work summarizes the overview and current research on the remediation of dye pollutants from the aqueous environment by microbial bio-sorbents, such as bacteria, fungi, algae, and yeast. In addition, dye degradation capabilities of microbial enzymes have been highlighted and discussed. Further, the influence of various experimental parameters, such as temperature, pH, and concentrations of nutrients, and dye, has been summarized. The proposed mechanism for dye removal by microorganisms is also discussed. The object of this review is to provide a state-of-the-art of microbial remediation technologies in eliminating dye pollutants from water resources.

Facile synthesis and characterization of chitosan/zinc oxide nanocomposite for enhanced antibacterial and photocatalytic activity.

In this report, chitosan/zinc oxide (CS/ZnO) nanocomposite was synthesized using Sida acuta and assessed their antibacterial and photocatalytic properties. The formation of CS/ZnO nanocomposite was preliminary confirmed by colour change and UV-visible spectroscopy. The crystalline peaks related to CS and ZnO in CS/ZnO nanocomposite were demonstrated by XRD. Morphological analysis through FE-SEM and TEM showed a rod like appearance for ZnO NPs and agglomerated grains with rod shaped morphology was observed for the CS/ZnO nanocomposite. The peaks around 400-800 cm-1 in the IR spectrum of nanocomposite indicated the vibrations of metal-oxygen (ZnO), whereas bands at 1659 cm-1 and 1546 cm-1 indicated the presence of amine groups, which confirms the CS in the synthesized CS/ZnO nanocomposite. The CS/ZnO nanocomposite exhibited remarkable growth inhibition activity against B. subtilis and E. coli with 22 ± 0.3 and 16.5 ± 0.5 mm zone of inhibitions. In addition, CS/ZnO nanocomposite treated cotton fabrics also exhibited antibacterial activity against B. subtilis and E. coli. Furthermore, the ZnO NPs and nanocomposite showed time depended photodegradation activity and revealed 76% and 91% decomposition of CR under sunlight irradiation. In conclusion, our study revealed that the functionalization of biopolymer CS to the inorganic ZnO enhances the bio and catalytic properties.

Synthesis and characterization of chitosan/zinc oxide nanocomposite for antibacterial activity onto cotton fabrics and dye degradation applications.

The present study reports an eco-friendly synthesis of chitosan/zinc oxide (CS/ZnO) nanocomposite using S. lycopersicum leaf extract by a bio-inspired method. The synthesized CS/ZnO nanocomposite was characterized by using UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. The XRD analysis revealed wurtzite crystalline structure of CS/ZnO nanocomposite. Electron microscopy images showed agglomeration of CS/ZnO nanocomposite having spherical shaped structure with an average size of 21-47 nm. The observed bands around 400-500 cm-1 in the IR spectrum indicated the presence of metal­oxygen bond, whereas bands at 1512 and 1745 cm-1 indicated the presence of amine groups (-NH2) which confirms the presence of CS in the CS/ZnO nanocomposite. The synthesized nanocomposite showed potential antibacterial activity against skin infection causing S. aureus and the mechanism of bactericidal activity was confirmed by using FE-SEM. The CS/ZnO nanocomposite incorporated cotton fabrics also exhibited antibacterial activity against S. aureus, B. subtilis and E. coli. Furthermore, CS/ZnO nanocomposite acted as photocatalyst for the degradation of Congo red under sunlight irradiation. In conclusion, as-synthesized CS/ZnO nanocomposite can be used as bactericidal agent in textile industries and also as photocatalyst for dye degradation.