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is known as the bitter gourd or bitter melon and is a member of the family Cucurbitaceae. It is a medicinal plant and its fruit is consumed as a food also. This plant is grown in tropical as well as subtropical areas around the world, mainly in Asia, India, China, South America and Brazil. Due to the presence of bioactive compounds like charantin, α-momorcharin and cucurbitacins, some of which possess potent biological actions, this plant is used in folk medicine all over the world and has many pharmacological activities, like antidiabetic, anticancerous, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiviral, antimalarial, antihelmintic etc. This plant has been used as traditional medicine in various diseases treatments like syphilis, rheumatism, gout, and illness of the liver and spleen. But mainly is famous for its effectiveness in the treatment of diabetes due to the presence of polypeptide-p and is also known as p-insulin due to very similarity in function against diabetes.

Zinc-solubilizing bacteria (Zn-SB) play a crucial role in regulating soil fertility and plant health by maintaining Zn availability in the rhizosphere. It is uncertain how the Zn-SB population fluctuates across various cultivation systems since varied land-use patterns for agricultural aims may affect microbial activity and plant development effectiveness. The current study aims to examine the Zn-SB potential of various farming systems using Solanum lycopersicum, Solanum melongena, and Capsicum annuum grown in polyhouse soil (PS) and open fields (OF). Only twenty rhizobacterial isolates from PS and two isolates from OF out of 80 showed a strong ability to solubilize Zn, which was evaluated using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Bacterial strain-PS4 solubilized 253.06 ppm of ZnO and produced a high quantity of lactic acid (168.62 g/ml) and acetic acid (470.5 g/ml), whereas bacterial strain OF1 solubilized 16.02 ppm of ZnO by releasing glycolic acid (42.89 g/ml), lactic acid (22.30 g/ml), formic acid (106.03 g/ml), and acetic acid (48.5 µg/ml). Further, in vitro studies demonstrated higher production of auxin, gibberellic acid and siderophore by PS1 as compared to OF1 strain. A large diversity of Zn-SB in the soil was indicated by biochemical analysis, which revealed that isolates belonged to the families Enterobacteriaceae, Bacillaceae, Burkholderiaceae, Streptococcaceae, Paenibacillaceae, Micrococcaceae, Morganellaceae, and Dietziaceae. The isolates PS4 and OF1 were identified as Bacillus cereus and Enterobacter hormaechei, respectively, using 16S rRNA sequencing. The findings show that soil from polyhouses has a greater diversity of Zn-solubilization rhizobacteria than soil from open areas. The findings suggested a potential land-use method for enhancing crop yields by employing microorganisms and polyhouse technology, which could be useful in the future study.

The global energy crisis affects all of us. With a growing global population and finite fossil fuel supplies, we must find new energy sources. Alternative energy sources must be prioritized. Biofuels like biodiesel, biohydrogen, biomethanol, and bioethanol have come a long way in recent decades. These alternative fuels are from low-cost, renewable sources like algal, microbial, and plant biomass. Several governments, including India, are improving their renewable energy production capabilities. The main obstacles to rapid biofuel adoption are time and cost. For biofuel to truly become a viable alternative to fossil fuels, nanotechnology has recently provided the much-needed impetus. Nanomaterials' unique structural behavior, such as small size (nanoscale size), has increased their use in biofuel production. It improves efficiency and reduces the time required to convert waste into biofuels. This review addresses the latest information on various types of nanoparticles, and challenges faced and the future prospects of emerging applications of nanoparticles in biofuel production.

Soil salinity is a worldwide concern that decreases plant growth performance in agricultural fields and contributes to food scarcity. Salt stressors have adverse impacts on the plant's ionic, osmotic, and oxidative balance, as well as numerous physiological functions. Plants have a variety of coping strategies to deal with salt stress, including osmosensing, osmoregulation, ion-homeostasis, increased antioxidant synthesis, and so on. Not only does salt stress cause oxidative stress but also many types of stress do as well, thus plants have an effective antioxidant system to battle the negative effects of excessive reactive oxygen species produced as a result of stress. Rising salinity in the agricultural field affects crop productivity and plant development considerably; nevertheless, plants have a well-known copying mechanism that shields them from salt stress by facilitated production of secondary metabolites, antioxidants, ionhomeostasis, ABAbiosynthesis, and so on. To address this problem, various environment-friendly solutions such as salt-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, eco-friendly additives, and foliar applications of osmoprotectants/antioxidants are urgently needed. CRISPR/Cas9, a new genetic scissor, has recently been discovered to be an efficient approach for reducing salt stress in plants growing in saline soil. Understanding the processes underlying these physiological and biochemical responses to salt stress might lead to more effective crop yield control measures in the future. In order to address this information, the current review discusses recent advances in plant stress mechanisms against salinity stress-mediated antioxidant systems, as well as the development of appropriate long-term strategies for plant growth mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 techniques under salinity stress.

Coronaviruses (CoV) belong to Coronaviridiae family that cause deadly diseases in humans or animals. These viruses are enveloped and have single stranded positive-sense large RNA genome. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes deadly pandemic coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in humans. It is affecting every aspect of humans’ daily life. The symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, loss of smell, shortness of breath, cough, muscles pain, chest pain, and kidney failure that occurs in severe conditions. The virus has spread throughout the world. In India, the estimated number of infected people is more than 1.5 lakh with less fatality rate 2.87% on May 27, 2020 as per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare data. The studies suggest that virus has been considered descended from the previous viruses as severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome virus (MERS) human and bat corona viruses. Currently, vaccine developments are under clinical trials. The management of emerging infectious diseases is a challenging task. It requires much improved microbiological surveillance system to track and predict the virus infections. The proper study and predictions based on screening of various sources of infection may help us to manage the challenging infections in future. The present review summarizes the characteristics of virus, disease symptoms, epidemiology, transmission, treatment and microbiological surveillance of pandemic COVID-19.

The processing of sugar beet in the sugar production industry releases huge amounts of sugar beet pulp as waste which can be considered a valuable by-product as a source of cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin. Valorization of sugar beet pulp into value added products occurs through acid hydrolysis, hydrothermal techniques, and enzymatic hydrolysis. Biochemical conversion of beet pulp into simple fermentable sugars for producing value added products occurs through enzymatic hydrolysis is a cost effective and eco-friendly process. While beet pulp has predominantly been used as a fodder for livestock, recent developments in its biotechnological valorization have unlocked its value as a feedstock in the production of biofuels, biohydrogen, biodegradable plastics, and platform chemicals such as lactic acid, citric acid, alcohols, microbial enzymes, single cell proteins, and pectic oligosaccharides. This review brings forward recent biotechnological developments made in the valorization of sugar beet pulp into valuable products.

Nutraceuticals derived from a medicinal plant having therapeutic significance are a gift to mankind to acquire healthy life. Carica papaya Linn. (aricaceae) commonly known as papaya. It is a significant fruit tree and is found in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. The extract from various parts of plant especially fruit and leaves contains many phytonutrients viz; vitamin A, B1, and vitamin C, calcium hydrate charcoal, phosphorus, iron, protein as well as some endopeptidases like namely papain, glycyl endopeptidase, chymopapain, and caricain. The extract of this plant is identified to be efficacious against diversified ailments like malaria, inflammation, digestive disorder, Microbes, Fungi, and many infectious disorders. Its prophylactic and therapeutic values enhance immunity and ensure a healthier life. Each part of this plant has its nutraceutical properties.Keywords: Nutraceuticals, Carica papaya, Papain, Caricain, Chymopapain

Norovirus, a member of calciviruses family is the leading cause of community-acquired and nosocomial acute gastroenteritis or inflammation of the stomach and intestine. This pathogenic virus is highly communicable and found in the stools and vomit of infected persons. The symptoms of infection include sudden vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramp, headache, low grade fever, nausea, chills, etc. This RNA virus spreads through contaminated foods or liquids, sharing norovirus loaded objects and contact with infection individual. There is neither a specific medicine nor vaccination available for norovirus infection. Some vaccines are under pre-clinical trials. However, the virus can be controlled by following good personal hygiene practices such as hand washing, eating properly washed fruits and vegetables, properly cooked foods, and cleaning of the area occupied by patient. Norovirus infection can be regulated through public awareness and dissemination of proper knowledge about this viral infection. The present review summarizes the biology of infections caused by norovirus and their control measures.

Microbial biofilms are formed by adherence of the bacteria through their secreted polymer matrices. The major constituents of the polymer matrices are extracellular DNAs, proteins, polysaccharides. Biofilms have exhibited a promising role in the area of bioremediation. These activities can be further improved by tuning the parameters like quorum sensing, characteristics of the adhesion surface, and other environmental factors. Organic pollutants have created a global concern because of their long-term toxicity on human, marine, and animal life. These contaminants are not easily degradable and continue to prevail in the environment for an extended period. Biofilms are being used for the remediation of different pollutants, among which organic pollutants have been of significance. The bioremediation of organic contaminants using biofilms is an eco-friendly, cheap, and green process. However, the development of this technology demands knowledge on the mechanism of action of the microbes to form the biofilm, types of specific bacteria or fungi responsible for the degradation of a particular organic compound, and the mechanistic role of the biofilm in the degradation of the pollutants. This review puts forth a comprehensive summary of the role of microbial biofilms in the bioremediation of different environment-threatening organic pollutants.

Soil is the ultimate reservoir of culturable and nonculturable microorganisms and provides different environments and nutrients for their survival. There are different nutritional categories and microbial associations that interact with each other in friendly and nonfriendly manners, and even help each other by their direct and indirect actions. However, all biotic and abiotic components constitute soil physical, chemical, and biological structures in cyclic and noncyclic manner especially contributing biogeochemical cycles for maintaining carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorous cycles in organic and inorganic forms. They also play a role in mineralization process through which plant growth promotion and microbial activities like decomposition of organic matter through microbial enzymes, hormones, organic acids, and other metabolites are released for maintaining soil health. Soil health is mainly based on the microbial transformation of nutrients. The role of specific microorganisms and their metabolic pathways with degradative enzymes play an important role in the degradation of pesticides and toxic metabolites of the soil. Such microorganisms of soil help in the safe growth of plants and microbes simultaneously. They use β-ketoadepic, mendalate, and caprolate pathways and also produce monooxygenases, peroxidases, laccases, and phenooxidases which degraade aromatic hydrocarbons. Microbial systems also produce various metabolites, plant growth especially hormones, specific alkaloids, and antimicrobial compounds to check several phytopathogens in soil for improving crop yield. The friendly microbial associates of soil are also one of the recent research aspects where a variety of consortia of friendly associates actively play a role in plant growth promotion either supporting free living or symbiotic effects to endophytes or nonendophytes. Such friendly associates may be combined and applied to the field for better results. Another area of such effects may be discussed under the facts of biofilm forming microbial system and their associates in the rhizospheric and nonrhizospheric association which are important aspects of microbial system where a variety of microorganisms and their metabolites exist and help directly or indirectly in plant growth promotion.

Recent past has witnessed to increase in environmental pollution because of rapid urbanization and industrialization. Various organic and inorganic toxicants are present in tannery effluents such as metals and other xenobiotic compounds which cause imbalance to the ecosystem having carcinogenic effects threaten plants, human, and animals’ health. Chromium is one of the major pollutants discharged from tanneries, is highly toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic in nature. There are several remedial measures for the removal of such toxicants. Physicochemical approaches remove the pollutants but they are not cost-effective and eco-friendly. Microorganisms based treatment of toxic chemicals either in liquid or solid system is one of the most economic, effective, environment friendly, robust, and sustainable remediation strategy. Several microbes of different physicochemical orientation and plants may selectively be employed for such remedial measure of any type of toxic chemicals of industrial effluent. This chapter discusses the recent advances and challenges in bioremediation methods of tannery wastewater.

Tanneries are one of the most important industries of the world, but discharge toxic hexavalent chromium through their waste water into the environment beyond the permissible limit. Such waste water may cause significant damage to the agricultural lands and receiving water bodies due to its higher toxicity and high COD and BOD values and thus is a matter of global concern. To reduce the impact of discharged waste water on all living beings and the environment, several conventional physico-chemical treatment methods are developed to remediate metal polluted sites. However, these methods are costly due to use of non-regenerable materials, high operating cost and generate toxic sludge. Microbial bioremediation is a relatively cheaper and eco-friendly technique for the removal of heavy metals and chloroorganics from tannery waste water and thus has wider implications. Also, there is a chance to recover the economically valuable metal for reuse. Among various microbes, bacteria have proven to be very effective in removing Cr (VI) and pentachlorophenol from tannery waste water. The treated waste water can also be used for various non-potable purposes including agriculture and also during leather tanning. It will ultimately minimize water scarcity problem and will increase the productivity.

Sugar is the most important food supplement of our daily diet. During the production of sugar, large volume of water is used by sugar mills for processing, and produces large amount of wastewater. The sugar mill wastewater have color, organic compounds, low pH, high temperature, BOD, COD, total dissolve solid (TDS), sludge, press mud and bagasse etc. If this wastewater is released in the environment before the treatment, it will cause harmful effect on aquatic life, animals, plants, human being and also change the soil properties. Therefore, it is necessary to treat the wastewater before their disposal. Three important treatment methods i.e. physical, chemical and biological are employed to treat the wastewater. Biological treatment of sugar mill wastewater has several significant advantages over other available methods. Treatment of sugar mill wastewater mainly affected by pH and temperature of effluents, biomass during the reaction, reaction time, type and speed of reactions, aerobic or anaerobic conditions, presence of catalyst, inhibitor, nutrients and concentration of the sulfide and its other compound in the wastewater. The treated wastewater can be reused in the industry for processing and may also be used for ferti-irrigation for agriculture or other purposes like compost and biofertilizers within the limit prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board. Reuse of treated effluent can reduce the fresh water demand in various sectors. Treated effluent contains well balanced chemicals with low toxic metal ion. The diluted treated effluent have shown significant increase in chlorophyll, carotenoids, total sugar, amino acids, protein contents and suitable for seed germination and seedling growth over the bore well water and undiluted treated effluent.

Hexavalent chromium, a priority pollutant, is well known for its carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and teratogenicity in humans, animals, and plants. Biosorption is an attractive technique for the treatment of chromium pollution. This study was aimed to optimize the effect of various process parameters on biosorption of Cr6+ by Pseudomonas putida SKG-1 employing conventional one-factor-at-a-time and response surface methodology (RSM) approaches in a batch process. In conventional method, the maximum Cr6+ biosorption (97%) was achieved at 6.0 g dead cell biomass l−1, pH 3.0, and 35°C during 195 min contact time with an initial Cr6+ concentration of 50 mg l−1 under shaking (150 rpm). Whereas in RSM approach, a slightly enhanced Cr6+ biosorption (98%) was obtained only in 180 min by P. putida cells (8.0 g l−1). The correlation coefficient (R2) of biosorption data to Cr6+ simulated by the Langmuir, Freundlich, and D–R isotherm models was 0.9953, 0.8482, and 0.8916, respectively. The best fit was obtained...

Industrial wastewater containing heavy metals constitutes a major source of contamination in the environment. Remediation of toxic metals from wastewater has been a challenge since long. Several physicochemical techniques are used to detoxify metal polluted sites. However, these traditional techniques are cost prohibitive due to use of chemical compounds, expensive and release of secondary toxic solid waste. Biosorption is a metabolism-independent and cost-effective method for removal of toxic metals from discharged liquid waste. Application of fungal biomass as biosorbent for toxic metal remediation has gained interest because of high surface to volume ratio, enough availability, rapid biosorption/desorption efficiency, and cost competitiveness. This chapter presents an overview of heavy metal biosorption studies performed on few potential fungal sorbents.

This is the first report on optimization of process variables for simultaneous bioremediation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) and Cr6+ employing traditional and response surface methodology (RSM). In a one-factor-at-a-time approach, the effect of PCP level exhibited maximum bacterial growth and Cr6+ (82%) and PCP (91.5%) removal at initial 100 mg PCP L−1 with simultaneous presence of 200 mg Cr6+ L−1 within a 36-h incubation. However, at varied Cr6+ concentrations, maximum growth and Cr6+ (97%) and higher PCP (59%) removal were achieved at 50 mg Cr6+ L−1 with simultaneous presence of 500 mg PCP L−1 within a 36-h incubation. The Box-Behnken design suggested 100% Cr6+ and 95% PCP remediation at 36 h under optimum conditions of 75 mg PCP and 160 mg Cr6+ L−1, pH 7.0, and 35°C; Cr6+ removal was further enhanced to 97% in bioreactor trial. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis revealed the likely involvement of hydroxyl, amide, and phosphate groups in Cr3+ binding. Scanning electron microscopy and energ...

In this study, Pseudomonas putida SKG-1 isolate employed earlier for pulp-/paper-mill effluent discoloration, was used for bioremediation of reactive orange 4 azo dye under varied cultural and nutritional conditions. The optimization through one-factor-at-a-time approach revealed maximum growth (A620 1.31) and dye discoloration (95.2%) at optimum temperature 35°C, pH 8.0, inoculum dose 5.0%, sucrose 0.7%, peptone 0.25%, and 50 mg reactive orange 4 dye L−1 within 72 h of incubation. Under response surface methodology (RSM; using Box–Behnken design) approach, the dye discoloration enhanced to 97.8% at reactive orange 4 concentration of 50 mg L−1, sucrose 0.7%, and peptone 0.28% during 72 h of incubation. In bioreactor trial, the maximum dye discoloration (98% within 60 h) was achieved in 12 h advance compared to RSMs trial.

The antibiotic resistance and heavy metal tolerance pattern of 201 water borne thermotolerant coliforms isolated from rural areas were studied. Most of the isolates exhibited resistance to one or more antibiotics under study, and expressed tolerance to multiple metals. Twenty four strains representing different resistance combinations were tested for plasmid transfer to Escherichia coli K-12 recipient strain. Plasmid transfer was detected in all 24 strains studied for conjugation. Among antimicrobials bacitracin, ampicillin, and among metals nickel, copper, cadmium, cobalt, chromium and arsenic resistances were transferred most frequently. Linked transfer of antibiotics and metals was demonstrated in 12 strains. Thirty two cultures of thermotolerant coliforms were studied for R-plasmid curing using acridine orange. Among antibiotics, curing of resistance was observed for streptomycin, cephaloridine and kanamycin. Curing of resistance to nickel, copper, mercury, chromium, copper and arsenic were also observed. The potential health risk of plasmid mediated resistances to antibiotics and metal ions in coliforms isolated from rural drinking water sources is discussed. Key words: Thermo-tolerant coliforms, R-plasmids, conjugation transfer, resistance transfer