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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 metal‑oxygen 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.

Background: Biomedical waste is any waste that is created during the diagnosis, treatment, or immunisation of human beings or animals, or in research activities pertaining thereto or in the manufacturing or testing of biologicals. India produces 500 tonnes of biomedical waste every day through numerous activities. It is projected that 10-25% of the total waste is produced by the health care sector, which leads to severe health problems. If an appropriate measure is not incorporated into the current system, the negative effects of medical waste on the public and the environment will be hilarious. With this backdrop, a research study was carried out among medical students perusing under graduating in medicine, aiming to optimise their level of knowledge of biomedical waste segregation and disposal. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was espoused to study among the 3rd year medical students. A random sampling method was chosen to select 150 students. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information from them. Descriptive analysis was employed and the finding was presented in tabular and pictorial forms.Results: Half of the students had good knowledge over BMW. Awareness of segregation wastes and colour coding among them was very poor.Conclusions: The study has unearthed the fact that half of the medical students haven’t had adequate knowledge of BMW management. Hands-on training at regular intervals with the updated information would enhance the students' knowledge and skills, and fill the lacuna in this area of research.

The synthesis of iron based magnetic nanoparticles is an expanding research area due to their potential applications in the development of novel technologies. The present study reports an eco-friendly synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles (FeONPs) using Solanum lycopersicum leaf extract by a bio-inspired method. Synthesized FeONPs were characterized by using UV–visible spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis. The formation of brownish black color and UV–visible absorbance peak at 254 nm confirmed the biosynthesis of FeONPs. The observed bands around 400-600 cm−1 in the FTIR spectrum indicated the formation of metal-oxygen (Fe–O) bond. FE-SEM images revealed the agglomeration of FeONPs having predominant flower shaped structure. EDS confirmed the presence of Fe and O elements. The mean average particles size of synthesized FeONPs was calculated to be 483.8 nm by DLS analysis. The synthesized FeONPs showed potential disc diffusion antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and it was further confirmed by using fluorescence microscopy. The FeONPs showed significant in vitro anticancer activity against human lung cancer cell line A549 and their IC50 value was found to be 69 ± 0.50 μg/mL. In addition, acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EtBr) dual fluorescent staining assay revealed the apoptosis induction property of synthesized FeONPs. Thus,the obtained results indicated that the biosynthesized FeONPs using S. lycopersicum can be used as a potential biocidal nanomaterials in biomedical sectors.