Cobalt oxide nanoparticles (Co₃O₄ NPs) have attracted significant attention in nanotechnology due to their unique physicochemical properties and potential applications in electronics, environmental remediation, and biomedicine. In the present study, Co₃O₄ NPs were synthesized via a green and eco-friendly approach using an extract of Ephedra gerardiana, a medicinal plant rich in bioactive compounds. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV–Visible spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. UV–Visible spectroscopy revealed a characteristic absorption peak at 633 nm, confirming the formation of Co₃O₄ NPs. FT-IR analysis identified the characteristic Co–O vibrational bands, further verifying cobalt oxide formation. XRD results demonstrated the crystalline nature of the nanoparticles with an average crystallite size of 45.09 nm. The biological activities of the synthesized Co₃O₄ NPs were evaluated through antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant assays. Antibacterial studies showed effective inhibition against Escherichia coli and other tested bacterial strains, with inhibition zones ranging from 14.5 to 15 mm. Antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger exhibited inhibition zones of 10–14 mm, which were significantly greater than those produced by the plant extract alone. The antioxidant potential was assessed using the DPPH radical-scavenging assay, in which the nanoparticles exhibited a maximum scavenging efficiency of 83.57%, demonstrating a strong concentration-dependent antioxidant response. These findings indicate that green-synthesized Co₃O₄ NPs possess promising antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and highlight the potential of Ephedra gerardiana-mediated synthesis as a sustainable route for developing functional nanomaterials for biomedical and environmental applications.

Withaferin A (WA) is an effective withanolide compound derived from Withania somnifera that exhibits a multifaceted pharmacological profile, making it a promising candidate for managing several types of carcinomas. WA has been shown to regulate multiple oncosignaling pathways, proteins, and molecular determinants critical for cancer cell survival, proliferation, and resistance. Its pro-apoptotic, anti-metastasis, antiangiogenic, and anti-proliferative properties demonstrate its efficacy as a multitargeted anticancer agent to manage persistent challenges associated with the complex etiology of cancer. Although several investigations have shown the anticancer efficacy of WA, comprehensive insights into the multitargeted modulation of oncosignaling pathways and synergistic therapeutic potential remain fragmented. Therefore, this review focused on bridging these gaps by providing an integrated overview of WA’s mechanistic and translational relevance in cancer therapy. Specifically, this review explores the therapeutic potential of WA in targeting key oncogenic pathways, which are implicated in various types of malignancies. Additionally, this study illustrates the synergistic role of WA in combination with current cancer therapies including immunotherapy, radiation, and chemoradiotherapy. Alongside investigating WA’s pharmacological potential as an anticancer agent, this study also examines its pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and toxicity profile.

Electron beam induced modification of surface characteristics of conducting polymer films has been attempted with the aim of exploring potential applications in the fields of photovoltaics and radiation dosimetry. Poly [2methoxy-5 (2 '-ethyl hexyloxy)-1, 4- phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) films were cast on flexible biaxially oriented polyethylene teraphalate (BOPET) sheets and were irradiated with electron beam of 10 MeV, generated by RF linear accelerator, in steps up to 100 kGy. Spectroscopic investigations, using a host of techniques such as photoluminescence, UV-visible spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy revealed that electron beam irradiation has initially resulted in the loss of planarity and reduction in conjugation length of the polymer chain, which however seems to have recovered at higher dose of irradiation. The impact of such structural modification in polymer films, induced by electron beam treatment, is discussed in the context of their possible photovoltaic and dosimetry application.

The present study proposed the fabrication of the ternary heterojunction BiVO4-rGO-Bi25FeO40 (BVO-rGO-BFO) composite via a facile hydrothermal route. The synthesized compound was thoroughly characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to confirm the successful formation, crystalline structure, morphology, and favorable physicochemical properties of the composite as compared to individual graphene oxide (GO), BiVO4 and rGO/BiVO4, respectively. As prepared BiVO4/rGO/Bi25FeO40 heterojunctions showed excellent catalytic performance in antibiotic degradation. It shows maximum removal of ciprofloxacin (CIP) under visible light irradiation after 150 min. Results demonstrate that rGO integration with BiVO4 and Bi25FeO40 significantly enhanced charge separation and facilitated the electron transport system, resulting in increased CIP removal of 90% with BiVO4/rGO/Bi25FeO40. Overall treatment followed the first-order kinetic of CIP degradation. This work provided a cheap and green approach to increase the oxygen between the organic and inorganic layers of the bismuth-based composite and help to instantly remove persistent pollutant.

Cattle manure (CM), a lignocellulosic biomass, is an energy-rich feedstock which is poorly biodegradable during anaerobic digestion (AD). In this study, milled CM was primarily subjected to chemical (pH 4-12), thermal (50-90 degrees C), and thermochemical batch pretreatment tests at contact times (CTs) of 6-24 hr, to determine the optimum conditions for testing in fed-batch AD systems. Lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose were determined according to standard NREL protocols. Thermochemical pretreatment at 90 degrees C and pH 12 achieved the highest methane yield, biodegradability, and maximum biomass-specific methane production rate (MSMPR) of 180 mL CH4/gCOD; 51%; 28.3 mL CH4/gVSS-d, respectively, surpassing chemical (149; 43%; 20.9) and thermal (162; 46%; 15.3), with the greatest lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose (LCH) removals (lignin 14%, cellulose 41%, hemicellulose 51%). The correlation between solubilization and maximum specific methane production rate (MSMPR) showed an overall increasing trend; however, at high solubilization (similar to 235 mg SCOD/gVSS), no further improvement was observed, likely due to the formation of inhibitory or poorly biodegradable compounds under severe pretreatment conditions. Solubilization for all pretreatments correlated well with a modified severity index (MSI). Methane yield was calibrated/validated using a Box-Behnken design, which showed significant temperature dependence. Fed-batch reactors with chemical or thermal pretreatment were stable but showed no improvement over batches, indicating that long-term acclimatization was not advantageous.

Parthenium hysterophorus L. is a noxious and highly invasive weed known for its adverse effects on livestock and human health. Despite its negative impact, the plant possesses notable therapeutic potential. This study investigated the phytochemical composition, conducted quantitative analyses and evaluated the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of various P. hysterophorus extracts. The crude extract of methanol and ethyl acetate of different plant parts was prepared using maceration techniques and antibacterial activity of its crude extract through the agar well diffusion method. The methanol leaves extract exhibited the highest phenolic content (20.38 +/- 0.02 mg/g GAE [gallic acid equivalent]), followed by the methanol flower extract (18.99 +/- 0.02 mg/g GAE). The ethyl acetate flower extract showed the highest flavonoid content (123.98 +/- 5.7 mg/g QE [quercetin equivalent]), while the methanol stems extract contained the most alkaloids (566 +/- 6.14 mg/g AAE [ascorbic acid equivalent]). In terms of antioxidant activity, the methanol flower extract demonstrated greater DPPH radical scavenging capacity (IC50 = 482.99 & micro;g/mL) compared to the ethyl acetate leaves extract (IC50 = 637.63 & micro;g/mL). The strongest ABTS scavenging activity was observed in the ethyl acetate leaf extract (IC50 = 79.04 & micro;g/mL) and the methanol flower extract exhibited superior ferric reducing antioxidant power. Antibacterial testing revealed the highest activity against Microbacterium sp. (26.33 +/- 0.57 mm at 60 mg/mL) in the ethyl acetate leaf extract. The extract effectiveness against all tested bacterial strains ranked as follows: methanol flower > ethyl acetate leaf > methanol leaf > methanol root > ethyl acetate root > methanol stem. The Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analyses further confirmed the presence of key bioactive compounds. These findings highlight the potential of P. hysterophorus as a source of natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agents, which may serve as alternatives to synthetic compounds.

The traditional wastewater treatment processes are usually inefficient and therefore require more sustainable remediation approaches. Copper-modified nano TiO2 (Cu/TiO2) nanoparticles have been produced through an impregnation-assisted sol-gel process and tested as a promising visible-light-driven photocatalyst to degrade dye. Structural characterization confirmed anatase TiO₂ with homogeneously dispersed Cu and reduced crystallite size. XPS analysis showed that there were mixed states of Cu+/Cu2+ oxidation and the concentration of surface hydroxyl groups and oxygen vacancies was greater which are favorable in photocatalysis. The optical measures revealed that there was a strong red-shift in the light absorption and band gap reduction between 3.20 eV (TiO2) and 2.85 eV (Cu/TiO2) which allowed the exploration of the usefulness of visible light. Photoluminescence measurements showed suppressed electron–hole recombination after Cu incorporation. Cu/TiO2 photocatalyst has shown better photocatalytic performance in the treatment of methylene blue, achieving approximately 96

The current study reports the synthesis of α-MoO3 core-shell nanocarbons using Virgin Coconut Oil or MoO3NPs (VCO) as the reducing agent through a sustainable green method. Based on the structural and morphological analysis, the unique core-shell architecture is formed, with an average crystallite size of 10.72 nm (XRD) for the orthorhombic α-MoO3, and an average particle size of 24.98 nm (SEM). The difference between these dimensions approves shell thickness of 7.13 nm from the organic shell derived from VCO. The successful incorporation of this carbonaceous matrix was further verified by EDX analysis, which indicated a high carbon content of 53.50

A signaling mechanism that has persisted through evolution, the Hippo pathway is involved in the development and progression of many different types of cancer. Specifically, the complex comprising YAP, TAZ and TEAD is a crucial component of the Hippo signaling, which governs cell growth and stem cell activity. The upregulation of YAP/TAZ/TEAD complex has been demonstrated to result in cellular proliferation, transformation, and ultimately, carcinogenesis. Consequently, it has been shown that Hippo signaling is a prospective target for cancer treatment and prevention. Numerous natural compounds have been identified as inhibitors of the Hippo signaling pathway that downregulate YAP and TAZ in various ways. In several cancer models, plant-derived natural compound inhibitors have been shown to function as both preventative and therapeutic agents. This study examined the modulatory effects of extensively investigated antitumor natural products on the Hippo signaling system and highlights new advancements in Hippo signaling inhibitors that enhance the efficacy of standard cancer therapies. This article offers extensive insight into plant derived anticancer compounds mainly apigenin, curcumin, EGCG, resveratrol, homoharringtonine, and ursolic acid of the Hippo pathway, specifically YAP/TAZ, in several cancer therapies. This will enhance the discovery of novel Hippo inhibitors and the optimal therapeutic application of Hippo signaling-related pharmaceuticals in synergistic cancer therapies.

This study demonstrates the synthesis of copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles using a leaf extract from Crocus sativus via the Sol-gel method, focusing on their photocatalytic and antioxidant activities. Characterization techniques, including EDX, SEM, FT-IR, XRD, and UV-visible spectroscopy, confirmed the crystalline nature and morphology of the nanoparticles, which exhibited heavy agglomeration and porous characteristics typical of green synthesis. The photocatalytic potential was assessed through the degradation of methylene blue dye (97%) under optimal conditions: an initial concentration of 20 ppm, 20 mg of CuO nanoparticles, and 120 min of sunlight exposure. Antioxidant activity was evaluated at concentrations ranging from 20 to 100 & micro;g/mL, showing a significant increase in scavenging activity from 49.60% to 86.73%. The synthesized CuO nanoparticles exhibit promising photocatalytic and antioxidant properties, indicating their potential for environmental remediation and medicinal applications.

In recent years, there has been a tremendous increase in environmental pollution, so this paper has been conveying the synthesis, mechanism and different applications of the degradation of organic pollutants with the use of inorganic metal oxide nanomaterials which show different properties and many methods have been discussed for the degradation of the wastewater treatment. These nanomaterials provide an alternative sustainable approach for the treatment of wastewater contaminated with organic pollutants, especially for pharmaceutical waste. The proposed review articles provide the latest data on the use of inorganic metal and metal oxide nanomaterial in the treatment of wastewater contaminated with pharmaceutical waste which is very useful for the researcher to develop new strategies for the formulation of new particles and their applications in this field.

In 21st century, biopolymers are getting attention in food packaging industries as they are biodegradable and non-toxic to the environment. While over the past decades, plastics have been used as a major food packaging material but due to its toxic effects, there is a need to develop eco-friendly, sustainable materials that can be used safely in food packaging. In this work, cellulose has been extracted from vegetable pomace through subsequent leaching and bleaching processes, which has been further used in the development of non-porous composite film along with green-synthesised Copper nanoparticles(Cu-NPs) and chitosan. The morphology, crystallinity, and functional group analysis of developed materials were characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). On the basis of characterisation, Cu-NPs were observed in the range of 60–80 nm (below 100 nm), which were synthesised via greener root from vegetable pomace. These bio-nanocomposite films have shown significant antibacterial properties that inhibit various microbes’ growth on the film surfaces. Contact angle measurement by liquid drop method indicated that the composite prepared by Cu-NPs, chitosan and Cellulose have shown better hydrophobicity by showing contact angle of about 64° and making it suitable for use in food packaging due to less absorbency of moisture. The tensile strength and biodegradability tests strengthen their uses. Biodegradation test was conducted for about 4 weeks and more than 50

Abstract Pinus roxburghii (Chir Pine) residues are a serious ecological problem in the highlands of the Indian Himalayan Region that are causing regular forest fires and causing top soils to become less fertile. This detailed review provides a systematic techno‐chemical and thermodynamic framework for converting these abundant conifer wastes from a resource into a high utility, multi‐vector bioenergy matrix. The results of solid‐phase evaluations show that mechanical densification can successfully overcome the extreme bulk density problem of raw pine needles (≈60 to 80 kg/m 3 ) to produce bio‐briquettes with a high carbon density macromolecular lignin fraction (≈26%) and a strong Higher Heating Value of ≈19 MJ/kg. Due to low ash content of the fuel (≈5%), there is no need for the serious alkali‐silicate sand agglomeration and bed slagging problems associated with lowland agricultural wastes, achieving a fairly constant cold gas efficiency ≈65% with a producer gas production rate of ≈1.6 Nm 3 /kg of dry fuel. α‐pinene and limonene from pine have a Lower Heating Value close to that of petroleum diesel (≈43 MJ/kg). The ultra‐low kinematic viscosity (1.3 cSt) improves the homogeneity of fuel spray atomization, resulting in a quantitative 40% to 60% reduction in exhaust smoke opacity. Finally, this work provides a vision of future research paths with regard to selective catalytic ring‐cracking of bicyclic terpenes and suggests policy instruments to economically promote “local” bio economies in mountain regions.

ABSTRACT This study has focused on synthesis of nanoscalic fibrous biopolymer ( PAM‐g‐WSF) and its application for remediation for Cu(II) and Cr(VI) ions from wastewater. New Polymer prepared via graft co‐polymerization of nano‐cellulosic wheat straw fibers as cellulose rich source with a polyacrylamide/bisacrylamide framework in presence of redox initiator system. The synthesized biopolymer hydrogel was characterized using FTIR, FESEM, TEM, EDX, and XRD and evaluated for heavy‐metal remediation using AAS. The maximum removal efficiencies achieved were 97.16% Cu 2+ at pH 5.7 and 93.38% for Cr 6+ at pH 3.7. The maximum adsorption capacities ( Q max ) were determined using the Langmuir model, yielding values of 48.48 for Cu 2+ and 88.565 for Cr 6+ at optimal adsorbent doses of approximately 150 and 200 mg/L, respectively, with equilibrium contact times of 90 min for Cu(II) and 60 min for Cr(VI). On further study of adsorption kinetics best described by pseudo‐second‐order model, indicating chemisorption mechanism. Equilibrium data showed superior fit with the Freundlich isotherm with K F values of 4.62 for Cu 2+ and 2.18 for Cr 6+ and R 2 values (0.9985 for Cu 2+ and 0.9994 for Cr 6+ ). Overall, the PAM‐g‐WSF nano‐hydrogel exhibited excellent adsorption capability for the efficient sequestration of Cu(II) and Cr(VI) ions.

Metastasis of lung carcinoma is a significant contributor to elevated mortality rates. Globally, it is one of the most fatal carcinomas in terms of mortality and incidence. Despite extensive studies, treatment of lung cancer remains ineffective because of severe side effects and multidrug resistance. Herbal drugs have been documented to augment the effectiveness of conventional therapies, enhance patients' quality of life, and alleviate chemotherapy-related adverse effects. This review describes the therapeutic potential of Dendrobium plants for the management of lung carcinoma. Dendrobium is comprised of polysaccharides, alkaloids, bibenzyl, sesquiterpenes, phenanthrene, polyphenols, and other chemical compounds. Dendrobium exhibits antitumor properties by suppressing tumor cell proliferation and metastasis, facilitating apoptosis and ferroptosis, and enhancing cellular sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents. Some of the bibenzyls, including erianin and gigantol, displayed inhibitory potential in NSCLC models via targeting the PI3K/AKT and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways and inducing apoptosis and ferroptosis. Therefore, a comprehensive examination of dendrobium mechanisms and bibenzyl compounds in relation to lung cancer needs to be explored. This review sought to assess the anti-lung cancer potential of bibenzyl compounds from Dendrobium, which has been less reported. Keywords employed in this literature search were "dendrobium," "bibenzyl," and "lung cancer," using SciFinder, Google Scholar, NCBI, PubMed, and Embase, which encompass articles from 2010 to 2025.

Present study proposed the synthesis of CuWO4 and CuWO4–SnO2 heterojunction using precipitation-assisted hydrothermal method. The structural, morphological and surface features of as-prepared materials were methodically characterized by using the scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The CuWO4–SnO2 heterojunction exhibited excellent catalytic performance towards the degradation of organic dyes Malachite Green (MG) and Congo Red (CR), attaining 97% CR and 95% MG removal, respectively, within 120 min under the optimum experimental condition of 100 mg catalyst dose, pH at 3; temperature: 40°C; dye conc.: 10 mg L−1. Scavenger studies confirmed that superoxide radicals (O2•-) and photogenerated holes (h+) were dominant reactive oxidation species (ROS) responsible for dyes degradation. Different analytical techniques were used to identify the intermediation generation, and based on the identification results, a removal mechanism was proposed. Reusability and stability experiments showed the moderate performance of heterojunction in continual photocatalytic cycles. Moreover, in-silico toxicity evaluations confirmed that several intermediates exhibited higher aquatic toxicity than the parent dyes, highlighting the necessity of complete degradation to minimize possible environmental risk.

The purpose of this review is to provide a concise overview of phytochemicals and their possible effects on gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies via modification of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade. Abnormal activation of the MAPK pathway significantly contributes to GI cancer progression and is associated with various facets of cancer, including cellular proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Although standard medications are essential for managing GI cancers, their side effects frequently present considerable obstacles to the patient’s quality of life. Thus, there is increasing emphasis on phytochemicals that are safe, non-toxic, and multitargeted properties. In recent years, phytochemicals have garnered significant interest in antitumor therapy, leveraging their multifaceted signaling regulatory actions to activate several biological mechanisms, thereby offering substantial benefits in tumor inhibition. These phytochemicals have the ability to reduce tumor development and induce cancer cell death by selectively inhibiting several components of the MAPK pathway in in vitro and in vivo GI cancer models. Thus, this review highlights the current knowledge on phytochemicals that modulate MAPK pathway in GI cancers, their mode of action along with their limitations. In conclusion, phytochemicals offer a promising strategy for addressing dysregulation of the MAPK pathway in gastrointestinal cancer, necessitating further investigation.

This research describes a portable power source that harvests energy from waste heat using a thermoelectric generator (TEG). The output voltage and power of TEG depend on the temperature gradient across it. This article describes an experimental investigation to keep the TEG's cold end temperature low by using phase-changing material (PCM) in the heatsink. Using this setup for a 102 degrees C heat source results in a temperature gradient of 35 degrees C, allowing the energy harvesting device to generate 502 mW of power with a voltage of 410 mV. The output voltage of the energy harvesting device is made suitable for any electronics load or for battery charging by dc-dc boost converter. The proposed oscillator-driven self-start-up maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controlled dc-dc converter operates over a wide input voltage and power range of 210 mV (47 mW)-1.5 V (1.48 W). The circuit uses a unique technique for resampling of open circuit voltage which is determined by the change of duty cycle value from steady state. It eliminates the need for periodic sampling. The maximum efficiency of 76.5% at an input voltage of 300 mV and an input power of 242 mW demonstrates that the present work has the potential to become a future portable power bank.

A significant area of interest for researchers has been the creation of trustworthy experimental techniques for producing metallic nanoparticles with specified structures and dimensions. Due to the unique features that make them usable in various scientific and technological disciplines, metallic nanoparticles made by green synthesis have attracted enormous interest over the past ten years. In this study, the plant extract of Iris kashmiriana was used to create iron oxide nanoparticles utilizing a relatively affordable and straightforward conventional heating process. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, and Xray diffraction were used to analyze the iron nanoparticles. Particles with diameters of 20-40 nm were created. The synthesized Iron oxide nanoparticles exhibit significant antibacterial effects against four pathogens by exhibiting a zone of inhibition for Vancomycin. The antioxidant activity DPPH of the iron oxide nanoparticles showed 83.29 %, 84.96 %, 86.71 %, 88.62 %, and 88.65 % at a different concentration, demonstrating that the scavenging percentage increases with increasing the iron oxide nanoparticles concentrations. After an investigation, Iron oxide nanoparticles were capable of photo-catalytically degrading Congo red. It was observed that at the maximum exposure length of 60 min, approximately 95 % of the dye was destroyed. This study's findings open up new possibilities for creating, modifying, and using Iris kashmiriana plant extract in nanoparticle design, development, and application.