Silver nanoparticles were synthesized using the extract of Aloe vera leaves and the presence of light enhanced the synthesis of phytogenic silver nanoparticles. The colour change from opaque white to brown is the initial indication for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles, that was further confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy exhibiting λmax at 440 nm. The highest synthesis of AgNPs was recorded at 50 °C. Atomic force microscopy confirmed the average size of silver nanoparticles as ˂100 nm and zeta potential as 77.4 nm with a surface charge of -21.4 mV. X-ray diffraction analysis showed crystalline nature of phytogenic silver nanoparticles. Green nanoparticles showed antimicrobial activity against bacteria (Escherichia coli DH5α and Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis JJBS250) and a thermophilic mould, Myceliophthora thermophila BJAMDU7 with a minimum inhibitory concentration of approximately 100 µg/ml. Phytogenic silver nanoparticles did not show hemolysis and cytotoxicity activity. Further, green nanoparticles inhibited the growth of Plasmodium falciparum showing antimalarial potential. Malachite green and gentian violet were decolorized 82

The family Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) is a highly diverse group of parasitic wasps that play a crucial role in regulating insect pest populations and are significant in biological control programs. In this study, five species under four genera of the subfamily Tetracneminae-Apoleptomastix bicoloricornis, Apoleptomastix rufipleuris, Callipteroma testacea, Leptomastix tsukumiensis and Charitopus panchgania-are redescribed based on new specimens collected from Champawat and Almora districts of Uttarakhand, India. Previous descriptions of these species often lacked comprehensive morphological details, making reliable identification difficult. The present redescriptions address these gaps by incorporating previously overlooked diagnostic features, thereby improving species-level identification and ultimately refining encyrtid taxonomy. Notably, Callipteroma testacea is reported for the first time from Uttarakhand. This study enhances taxonomic understanding of these parasitoids, contributes to regional biodiversity documentation, and provides baseline information for future ecological and applied research, particularly in integrated pest management programs. (c) 2025 National Science Museum of Korea (NSMK) and Korea National Arboretum (KNA). Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Adansonia digitata L. (Kalpvriksha, Baobab) of the family Malvaceae is an endangered flora in India. The micropropagation of woody plants, adventitious root and shoot development remain some of the major problems due to their recalcitrance to in vitro handling. In the present study, an efficient protocol for in vitro shoot regeneration and propagation of recalcitrant baobab trees was developed. Shoot induction on nodal explants was evaluated using various concentrations of 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP), Kinetin (Kn) and Thidiazuron (TDZ) with NAA. The highest number of adventitious shoots per explants (3.2±2.33) and longest shoots (3.3±2.20) were recorded on 0.5mg/L BAP and 0.2mg/L NAA treatments. Three auxins, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) were used in the induction of roots. The highest rooting was achieved with IBA-treated shoots at 1.0 mg/L concentration. Although A. digitata has previously revealed complexity in in vitro proliferation, the results proved efficient and reproducible. The 74% survival rates of plantlets was observed after three months.

This study evaluated the effects of pH and inorganic nitrogen sources (KNO3 and NH4NO3) on the regeneration of Elaeocarpus ganitrus Roxb. The pH and nitrogen concentration in the medium were crucial for the successful micropropagation of E. ganitrus. The concentration of nitrogen in the medium significantly affected the development and growth rate of cultures. As a basal medium, Murashige and Skoog's medium (MS) was employed together with various nitrogen concentrations and plant growth hormones. After 4-5 weeks of inoculation, BAP (0.5 mg/l) and NAA (0.1 mg/l) produced the maximum number of shoots (4.42 ± 2.17) among all the growth hormones tested. To obtain the maximum number of shoots and shoot length, different strengths of KNO3 (500-3500 mg/l), NH4NO3 (500-3500 mg/l), and pH (5-7.5) were adjusted in the medium. The largest number of roots was contained in MS medium with 1.0 mg/l NAA (4.47 ± 1.38) after root induction was carried out on MS with NAA, IBA, and IAA (0.2-2.0 mg/l). When the medium contained 1500 mg/l KNO3 and 2000 mg/l NH4NO3 (3.02 ± 1.60), the highest root initiation was observed. The rooting medium with a pH of 6.0 had the most influence and produced the maximum number of roots (4.8 ± 0.48). The plantlets were allowed to harden and acclimate in a greenhouse. A 76% survival rate was noted in the field.

Zaommomentedon indicus sp. nov. attacking leaf-miner on an ornamental plant Euonymus japonicus (Celastrales: Celastraceae) is newly described with illustrations from Uttarakhand, northern India.

Phytases are important enzymes used for eliminating the anti-nutritional properties of phytic acid in food and feed ingredients. Phytic acid is major form of organic phosphorus stored during seed setting. Monogastric animals cannot utilize this phytate-phosphorus due to lack of necessary enzymes. Therefore, phytic acid excretion is responsible for mineral deficiency and phosphorus pollution. Phytases have been reported from diverse microorganisms, however, fungal phytases are preferred due to their unique properties. Aspergillus species are the predominant producers of phytases and have been explored widely as compared to other fungi. Solid-state fermentation has been studied as an economical process for the production of phytases to utilize various agro-industrial residues. Mixed substrate fermentation has also been reported for the production of phytases. Physical and chemical parameters including pH, temperature, and concentrations of media components have significantly affected the production of phytases in solid state fermentation. Fungi produced high levels of phytases in solid state fermentation utilizing economical substrates. Optimization of culture conditions using different approaches has significantly improved the production of phytases. Fungal phytases are histidine acid phosphatases exhibiting broad substrate specificity, are relatively thermostable and protease-resistant. These phytases have been found effective in dephytinization of food and feed samples with concomitant liberation of minerals, sugars and soluble proteins. Additionally, they have improved the growth of plants by increasing the availability of phosphorus and other minerals. Furthermore, phytases from fungi have played an important roles in bread making, semi-synthesis of peroxidase, biofuel production, production of myo-inositol phosphates and management of environmental pollution. This review article describes the production of fungal phytases in solid state fermentation and their biotechnological applications. Graphical abstract

The use of plant tissue culture (PTC) techniques has been explored in the production of secondary metabolites that have pharmacological properties, including antimalarial agents. Secondary metabolites are produced by plants in response to stress and are valuable sources of bioactive compounds used in pharmaceutical industries, cosmetics, dietary supplements, and other sectors. PTC techniques provide an alternative method to traditional cultivation, which is dependent on climatic and geographical conditions, for the sustainable and economical production of these valuable metabolites. This chapter assess the advantages of PTC techniques, the distribution of important secondary metabolites in plant families, the strategies involved for optimal metabolite production, and the industrial importance of selected secondary metabolites in the context of antimalarial agents. By exploring the potential applications of PTC in the production of antimalarial agents, this chapter highlights the benefits of using this technique in the fight against malaria, a major global health problem.

Acetoin is an important bio-product useful in the chemical, food and pharmaceutical industries. Microbial fermentation is the major process for the production of bioacetoin, as the petroleum resources used in chemical methods are depleting day by day. Bioacetoin production using wild microorganisms is an easy, eco-friendly and economical method for the production of bioacetoin. In the present study, culture conditions and nutritional requirements were optimized for bioacetoin production by a wild and non-pathogenic strain of B. subtilis subsp. subtilis JJBS250. The bacterial culture produced maximum bioacetoin (259 mg L−1) using peptone (3%) and sucrose (2%) at 30 °C, 150 rpm and pH 7.0 after 24 h. Further supplementation of combinatorial nitrogen sources, i.e., peptone (1%) and urea (0.5%), resulted in enhanced titre of bioacetoin (1017 mg L−1) by the bacterial culture. An approximately 46.22–fold improvement in bioacetoin production was achieved after the optimization process. The analysis of samples using thin layer chromatography confirmed the presence of bioacetoin in the culture filtrate. The enzymatic hydrolysate was obtained by saccharification of pretreated rice straw and sugarcane bagasse using cellulase from Myceliophthora thermophila. Fermentation of the enzymatic hydrolysate (3%) of pretreated rice straw and sugarcane bagasse by the bacterial culture resulted in 210 and 473.17 mgL−1 bioacetoin, respectively. Enzymatic hydrolysates supplemented with peptone as a nitrogen source showed a two to four-fold improvement in the production of bioacetoin. Results have demonstrated the utility of wild type B. subtilis subsp. subtilis JJBS250 as a potential source for economical bioacetoin production by making use of renewable and cost-effective lignocellulosic substrate. Therefore, this study will help in the sustainable management of agricultural waste for the industrial production of bioacetoin, and in combating environmental pollution.

In this paper, meshless element free Galerkin method has been used to obtain the numerical solution of transient and steady state heat conduction problems in two-dimensional domains. The unknown function of temperature T(x) has been approximated by moving least square approximant Th(x) . These approximants are constructed by using a weight function, a polynomial basis and a set of non-constant coefficients. Variational method is used to obtain the discrete equations. Essential boundary conditions are imposed by Lagrange multiplier technique. Two new weight functions namely hyperbolic and rational have been proposed. The results have been obtained for a two-dimensional model problem using different EFG weight functions and are compared with those obtained by finite element and analytical methods.

Microbial phytases are potentially excellent candidates for eliminating anti-nutrient i.e. phytic acid, due to hydrolysis of phospho-monoester linkages present in the phytic acid. An average 2.29-fold increase in phytase production was obtained after statistical optimization in solid-state fermentation. Aspergillus oryzae SBS50 phytase was immobilized on a Ca-alginate matrix with an effectiveness of 53%. Immobilized-phytase retained > 50% activity after recycling for five cycles and also displayed more stability in the presence of organic solvents, metal ions, and detergents as compared to free enzyme. Values of K-m and V-max of immobilized phytase were recorded as 0.66 mM and 666.6 nmol/sec, respectively. Immobilized phytase efficiently hydrolyzed the phytate contents in wheat and pearl millet flours, exhibiting > 70% catalytic activity even after three cycles. Phytase supplementation resulted in the improved nutritional quality of these flours. Furthermore, the safety assessment of the treated and untreated samples reveals the absence of any aflatoxin in the phytase produced by the mould. The results revealed the improved stability of phytase after immobilization and as a safe and significant additive for application in the food industry.

The rain gardens (RGs) have been one of the best management practices in cities to reduce the impact of urban flooding. However, very little is known about various design parameters of RGs, viz., the type of plantation, planting mixtures, and RG dimensions. This study pertains to examining the influence of planting mixtures on the variations of percolation rates of the RG with Calendula officinalis plant and without plants. Six types of planting mixtures in different experimental RGs have been tried. It has been observed that the percolation rate increases with a higher percentage of compost in the planting mixture for RGs with and without plants. The percolation rate is highest for the planting mixture having 25% compost. The runoff rate reduces with a higher percentage of compost in the planting mixture for RGs with C. officinalis and bare surfaces. No runoff is produced in RGs with plant having a compost of more than 20% in the planting mixture. The outcome of the study will be useful in deciding the composition of the planting mixture which will keep the RG plant healthy and at the same time improve the hydrological performance leading to lowering urban flooding magnitude.

Sugarcane bagasse (SCB), a by-product of sugarcane industry, is a rich source of cellulose (45%), hemicellulose (32%), and lignin (17%) with low ash content. Being produced in large quantities by sugar industries, it is a great challenge for environment because it is mostly burnt in-open or either disposed improperly causing environmental pollution. Due to rich source of fermentable sugars, it is used as a substrate for producing microbial enzymes and biofuels. Secondly, high fuel prices, limited fossil fuel reserves, and environment pollution due to burning of fossil fuels have also highlighted the need for renewable and sustainable sources of energy such as biofuels. Sugarcane bagasse is a renewable, easily available, and cost-effective alternative for synthesis of biofuels and various microbial enzymes in submerged (SmF) as well as solid-state fermentations (SSF). However, for biofuel production, the main hindrance in utilizing bagasse is the requirement of large amount of enzymes for conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars. Therefore, there is an utmost need for the production of enzymes using cost-effective and easily accessible substrates such as sugarcane bagasse followed by utilizing these enzymes for saccharification of carbohydrate polymers into fermentable sugars for biofuels. However, the presence of lignin hampers the saccharification of cellulose and hemicellulose into easily fermentable sugars. Therefore, pretreatment reduces lignin content of sugarcane bagasse and makes cellulose and hemicellulose easily accessible for enzymatic hydrolysis. Enzymatic hydrolysate can be further fermented to biofuels using aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms.

In the present study, statistically optimized production of thermotolerant Aspergillus fumigatus phytase was carried out in batch fermentation (1-L). An enhancement in phytase production was noted up to 3.3-folds as compared to unoptimized and using One Variable at a Time strategy. Phytase was purified up to 26-folds with a single band of 62 kDa. The optimum activity of purified phytase was recorded at pH 5.5 and 65 °C. The kinetic parameters, Km and Vmax, were observed to be, 0.75 mM, and 345 µmol/min/mg-protein,respectively. The activity was constrained by silver and mercuric ions and slightly increased by calcium ions. The phytase showed high dephytinization up to 78.7

IOT is the most recent innovation that permits us to control equipment gadgets through the web to control home machines, in this way we can robotize current homes through the web. This framework numerous heaps to exhibit as house lighting and a fan as our easy-to-use interface permits clients to effortless control these home machines through the web. For this framework we utilize Raspberry pi is the interfaced with a Wi-Fi modern to get client orders over the web. Likewise, we have a LCD show to show framework status. Relax are utilized to switch loads to whole framework is fueled by a l2v transformer. In this wake of accepting client orders over the web. Raspberry pi measures these guidelines to work these heaps as needs to be and show the framework status on LCD show. Hence this framework considers effective home mechanization over the web.

In the present study, a new species of eulophid parasitoid i.e. Sympiesis almorensis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Eulophinae) is described which was parasitizing to a larval host, most probably larval stage of a Lepidopteran insect.