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Plastic pollution is a critical environmental issue leading to extensive ecological damage and posing health risks due to the persistence of petrochemical-derived plastics. Biodegradable films particularly those derived from renewable resources like corn waste offer a promising solution to this issue. Corn waste including husks, stalks and cobs are rich in cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin making it suitable for biodegradable film production. Various methods such as chemical treatments, enzymatic hydrolysis and mechanical processes are used to extract useful components from corn waste followed by film formation techniques like casting and extrusion. Corn waste films exhibit mechanical and barrier properties comparable to conventional plastics with the added benefit of faster biodegradability. These films have potential applications in packaging and agriculture reducing plastic waste and supporting sustainable practices.

The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens and the gradual depletion of available antibiotics have exacerbated the need for novel antimicrobial agents with minimal toxicity. Herein, we report functionally substituted pyridine carbohydrazide with remarkable antimicrobial effect on multi-drug resistant strains. In the series, compound 6 had potent activity against four MDR strains of Candida spp., with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values being in the range of 16–24 µg/mL and percentage inhibition up to 92.57%, which was exceptional when compared to broad-spectrum antifungal drug fluconazole (MIC = 20 µg/mL, 81.88% inhibition). Substitution of the octyl chain in 6 with a shorter butyl chain resulted in a significant anti-bacterial effect of 4 against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), the MIC value being 2-fold superior to the standard combination of ampicillin/cloxacillin. Time-kill kinetics assays were used to discern the efficacy and pharmacodynamics of the potent compounds. Further, hemolysis tests confirmed that both compounds had better safety profiles than the standard drugs. Besides, molecular docking simulations were used to further explore their mode of interaction with target proteins. Overall results suggest that these compounds have the potential to become promising antimicrobial drugs against MDR strains.