In the current study, prickly pear peel waste (PPPW) extract was used for the biosynthesis of selenium nanoparticles through a green and eco-friendly method for the first time. The biosynthesized SeNPs were characterized using UV-Vis, XRD, FTIR, TEM, SEM, EDX, and mapping. Characterization results revealed that biosynthesized SeNPs were spherical, polydisperse, highly crystalline, and had sizes in the range of 10–87.4 nm. Antibacterial, antifungal, and insecticidal activities of biosynthesized SeNPs were evaluated. Results revealed that SeNPs exhibited promising antibacterial against Gram negative (E.coli and P. aeruginosa) and Gram positive (B. subtilis and S. aureus) bacteria where MICs were 125, 125, 62.5, and 15.62 µg/mL, respectively. Moreover, SeNPs showed potential antifungal activity toward Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans where MICs were 3.9 and 7.81 µg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, tested crud extract and SeNPs severely induced larvicidal activity for tested mosquitoes with LC50 and LC90 of 219.841, 950.087 mg/L and 75.411, 208.289 mg/L, respectively. The fecundity and hatchability of C. pipiens mosquito were significantly decreased as applied concentrations increased either for the crude or the fabricated SeNPs extracts. In conclusion, the biosynthesized SeNPs using prickly pear peel waste have antibacterial, antifungal, and insecticidal activities, which can be used in biomedical and environmental applications.

View related articles View Crossmark data Citing articles: 7 View citing articles Latent effect of gamma irradiation on reproductive potential and ultrastructure of males' testes of Culex pipiens (Diptera; Culicidae

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In the present study, gamma radiation effects on the reproductive potential of the mosquito, Culex pipiens and its role in the transmission of the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) were investigated. The susceptibility of female, Culex pipiens mosquitoes to gamma irradiation was carried out by exposed full grown pupae to doses 0, 20, 40, 60 Gy. The lethal doses were calculated, as the doses of gamma radiation increased, a progressive increase in the nonhatched eggs percentage. The viral load at mouth parts, in mid-gut and salivary gland, was detected in the irradiated females with LD 75 (60 Gy) and non-irradiated using RT-PCR relatively at time 60 min., 5 and 13 days and tested in the mentioned position. Viral load in irradiated Culex pipiens that fed on an infected blood with a viral load 1.2 x 10 6 IU/ml %was decreased by time from 6.0782 x 10 4 IU/ML% at zero time into 2.399 x 10 3 IU/ML% after 60 min. postinfection at the mouth parts. Also, the viral load decreased by time in the mid-gut from 2.63575 x 10 5 IU/ML% at zero time into 3.969 x 10 3 IU/ML% after 5 days post-infection, while HCV was not detected in the salivary glands. The current results indicated that the mechanical transmission through mouth parts in irradiated and nonirradiated Culex pipiens mosquitoes is plausible while the biological transmission did not occur.