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Wastewater released by olive mills is rich in lipids and oils which may have serious repercussions on the environment if left untreated, including soil deterioration, water contamination, and negative effects on aquatic life and its corresponding ecosystems. Thus, effective olive mill wastewater treatment is critical to remove oils and remediate such effluents for a sustainable environment. A lipolytic strain of Rhizopus oligosporus (Strain-3) was improved by developing L-Cysteine HCL resistance and harbored to gain maximum titers of lipases using submerged fermentation. Subsequently, the purified enzyme (Strain-3 and EM-4) was immobilized with chitosan beads after optimization studies. Finally, the effect of immobilized and free EM-4 Lipases was evaluated on olive mill wastewater treatment. During this study, the HCL-resistant EM-4 strain demonstrated maximum lipase production of 163 ± 3.26 U/g under optimized conditions, outperforming the wild type. Furthermore, the optimized immobilization conditions for EM-4 lipases were determined to be 1 g of chitosan, 1 ml of enzyme concentration, and a 40-min procurement period at 40 °C. Nevertheless, 60% higher olive mill wastewater was degraded by immobilized lipases when 1 ml of wastewater was incubated for 10 min with the 5 U/ml diluted enzyme carried by chitosan beads. Immobilization of lipases using chitosan beads is a cost-effective and eco-friendly substitute for treating wastewater rich in lipids content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The principal objective of the present study is to evaluate both the chemical composition and antibacterial effectiveness of essential oil of Clinopodium nepeta subs ascendens (CNEO) against three Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, and Bacillus subtilis) and three Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae). Additionally, this research aims to explore potential synergies between CNEO and established antibiotics. The phytochemical composition of CNEO was thoroughly examined via gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), revealing neoisomenthol (37.89%), pulegone (20.11%), and dihydrocarvone (19.01%) as the primary bioactive molecules. CNEO exhibited substantial antibacterial activity, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 0.10 against E. coli to 1 mg/mL against K. pneumoniae. This promising antimicrobial activity, especially noteworthy against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, prompted an evaluation of CNEO's synergistic potential with antibiotics using the Fractional Inhibitory Concentration Index (FICI). The FICI analysis, especially with ampicillin against P. aeruginosa, uncovered an optimal synergistic interaction at a FICI of 0.31. Notably, observed reductions in MIC values for CNEO and antibiotics, ranging from 2-7 folds, highlight the heightened efficacy of these combinations. These findings hold significance for developing new approaches to address the increasing challenges of bacterial infections resistant to conventional treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-pollinator interactions are crucial for ecosystem diversity and functionality. Although, these interactions are still less studied and known, a growing body of evidence is showing that pollinators populations across the world are declining and that affects severely these necessary interactions. This study investigates flowering plants and pollinators diversity, abundance and interactions in a Mediterranean cedar forest in Morocco using two common methods; pan traps and observation plots. From March to August 2023, 1627 insects were captured. Hymenoptera accounted for 35.34%, Diptera 40.14%, Coleoptera 22.62%, and Lepidoptera 1.90%. Bees comprised 85.57% of Hymenoptera, with Andrena, Lasioglossum, and Panyrgus as predominant genera. Beetles, mainly represented by Tropinota, Anthaxia, and Melanthaxia, showed fluctuating abundances within months. 1274 insect visits to 46 flowering plants were recorded, with solitary bees (24.73%), beetles (18.29%), Muscoid flies (10.20%), and honey bees (8.95%) being the most frequent visitors. The most visited plants were the Asteraceae's Mantisalca salamantica, Cardus nutans, and Bellis selvestris, the Brassicaceae's Brassica napus, Erysimum grandiforum and Isatis tinctoria, the cistaceae's Helianthemum hirtum, and the Fabaceae's Linaria sp. This study highlights the diverse plant and pollinators communities in a Mediterranean preserved area in Morocco and gives insights in the distribution of pollinators among flowering plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]