Increasing of multidrug resistance (MDR) remains an intractable challenge for burn patients. Innovative nanomaterials are also in high demand for the development of new antimicrobial biomaterials that inevitably have opened new therapeutic horizons in medical approaches and lead to many efforts for synthesizing new metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) for better control of the MDR associated with the polymicrobial burn wounds. Recently, it seems that metal oxides can truly be considered as highly efficient inorganic agents with antimicrobial properties. In this study, zinc peroxide NPs (ZnO 2 -NPs) were synthesized using the co-precipitation method. Synthesized ZnO 2 -NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transformed infrared, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The characterization techniques revealed synthesis of the pure phase of non-agglomerated ZnO 2 -NPs having sizes in the range of 15–25 nm with a transition temperature of 211°C. Antimicrobial activity of ZnO 2 -NPs was determined against MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) and Aspergillus niger (AN) strains isolated from burn wound infections. Both strains, PA6 and AN4, were found to be more susceptible strains to ZnO 2 -NPs. In addition, a significant decrease in elastase and keratinase activities was recorded with increased concentrations of ZnO 2 -NPs until 200 µg/mL. ZnO 2 -NPs revealed a significant anti-inflammatory activity against PA6 and AN4 strains as demonstrated by membrane stabilization, albumin denaturation, and proteinase inhibition. Moreover, the results of in vivo histopathology assessment confirmed the potential role of ZnO 2 -NPs in the improvement of skin wound healing in the experimental animal models. Clearly, the synthesized ZnO 2 -NPs have demonstrated a competitive capability as antimicrobial, anti-elastase, anti-keratinase, and anti-inflammatory candidates, suggesting that the ZnO 2 -NPs are promising metal oxides that are potentially valued for biomedical applications.

A total of seven yeast strains from 18 xylanolytic and/or xylose-fermenting yeast species isolated from the wood-feeding termite Reticulitermes chinenesis could efficiently decolorize various azo dyes under high-salt conditions. Of these strains, a novel and unique azo-degrading and halotolerant yeast, Sterigmatomyces halophilus SSA1575, has been investigated in this study. This strain could significantly decolorize four combinations of a mixture of dyes. It showed a high capability for decolorizing Reactive Black 5 (RB5) even at 1,500 mg L −1 . The strain SSA1575 still showed a high capability for decolorizing a 50 mg L −1 RB5 with a salt mixing at a NaCl concentration of up to 80 g L −1 . It also exhibited significant ability to decolorize repeated additions of dye aliquots, with a reduction in time of up to 18 h. Most of the tested carbon and nitrogen sources could significantly enhance a RB5 decolorization. However, this process was inhibited by the addition of sucrose and sodium nitrate. NADH-dichlorophenol indophenol (NADH-DCIP) reductase and lignin peroxidase were determined as the key reductase and oxidase of S. halophilus SSA1575. Finally, strain SSA1575, can effectively detoxify RB5 into non-toxic products. Overall, S. halophilus SSA1575, might be a promising halotolerant yeast valued for the treatment of various textile effluents with high salinity.

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The antimicrobial activities of aqueous and organic solvents (chloroform, ethanol and methanol) extracts of four plants Ceratophyllum demersum L., Eichhornia crassipes, Potamogeton crispus and Potamogeton pectinatus were tested in vitro against seventeen different microorganisms including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. Nine of these identified organisms were obtained from different sources, Bacillus subtilis 1020, Bacillus cereus 1080, Staphylococcus aureus, Erwinia carotovora NCPPB 312, Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum and Penicillium italicum. The other eight organisms were isolated from Manzalah lake water and identified using API 20E strip system (BioMereux). One hundred pathogenic bacterial isolates representing eight genera were identified to species level. These organisms are Escherichia coli (20%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (16%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (14%), Salmonella colerasuis (13%), Shigella sp. (11%), Serratia liquefaciens (10%), Proteus vulgaris (9%) and Brenneria nigrifluens (7%). The extracts of all tested plants demonstrated antimicrobial activity against the used organisms. The efficiency of the extracts varied with, solvent used in the extraction as well as plant species and the part of plant used. The aqueous extract appeared to be the highly effective extract against all tested organisms especially Fusarium oxysporum causing inhibition zone 48 +/- 0.01 mm, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 59 +/- 0.02 mm and Salmonella cholerasuis 55 +/- 0.01 mm when using P. crispus, P. pectinatus and C. demersum, respectively. Ethanol extracts of C. demersum, P. crispus and E. crassipes root showed antimicrobial activities against all tested organisms except Aspergillus niger. At the same time the extract of P. pectinatus had no effect also on Fusarium oxysporum and the extract of E. crassipes leaves have no effect on Penicillium italicum. On using chloroform extracts Escherichia coli, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium italicum showed resistance. Comparing the effect of different plants extracts C. demersum appeared to be the most effective followed by P. pectinatus. Furthermore, the extracts of E. crassipes leaves being more effective than that, of its roots. Elemental analysis were also takes place in water and plant samples and the results revealed the presence of Mn and Pb in higher concentration in P. pectinatus (Mn 603 +/- 4.243 ppm and Pb 44 +/- 2.828 ppm), at the same time the highest values of Fe 1680 +/- 2.2 ppm, Zn 31.5 +/- 2.1 ppm and Cu 26.5 +/- 2.1 ppm were recorded for C. demersum. Comparing the two parts of E. crassipes (leaves and roots), the roots have the highest values of all studied metals.

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