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Graphical abstract Highlights • Aqueous Enterococcus (Gram +) & Proteus mirabilis (Gram −) bacteria are photodegrded. • ZnO nanoparticles partly inactivate both aqueous bacteria in the dark. • With solar simulated light ZnO catalyzes complete inactivation of bacteria in 30 min. • Bacterial mineralization is photocatalyzed by ZnO in 4 h leaving no organics. Abstract ZnO nanoparticles have been effectively used in water disinfection from two common types of gram-positive (Enterococcus faecium) and gram–negative (Proteus mirabilis) bacteria under simulated solar radiations by inactivation. Complete mineralization of organic contents that leach out of inactivated bacteria has also been achieved leaving no soluble organic matter in water. Bacterial inactivation and complete mineralization have been confirmed by plate counting, high performance liquid chromatography and total organic content measurement. Effects of different reaction parameters (pH, temperature, bacterial concentration, reaction time and ZnO catalyst loading) have all been studied. Control experiments with Cut-off filters confirm the role of the UV tail in solar simulated light in the photocatalytic process. The results highlight the feasibility of using ZnO photocatalyst in complete disinfection of water from both hazardous Enterococcus and Proteus mirabilis bacteria, leaving no organic matters after degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Estimated total phenols, tannins and flavonoids contents of Verbascum fruticulosum. • The methanol and acetone extracts has strong antibacterial effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. • V. fruticulosum aqueous extract displayed excellent antioxidant activity. • Plant acetone extract exhibited strong lipase, anti-α-amylase, and cytotoxic activities. • Plant methanol extract showed the most significant anti-α-glucosidase effect. In Palestine, Verbascum fruticulosum is one of the most frequently used traditional medicinal plants. The objective of this study was to analyze the contents of the V. fruticulosum extract and evaluate its biological properties. Plant total phenol, flavonoid, and tannin contents were estimated using Folin–Ciocalteu's, aluminum chloride, and vanillin-hydrochloride colorimetric assays, respectively. Reference biomedical assays were performed to evaluate the cytotoxic, antimicrobial, DPPH free radical scavenging, antilipase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase inhibitory effects of the extracts. The methanol and acetone extracts exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa with a Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) value of 1.56 mg/mL for both extracts. The n-hexane extract demonstrated the most potent activity against Epidermophyton floccosum fungi, with a MIC of 3.13 mg/mL. The aqueous extract exhibited excellent antioxidant activity with a Half-maximal Inhibitory Concentration (IC 50) of 0.71 ± 0.31 μg/mL. The acetone extract displayed the highest inhibitory activities against lipase and α-amylase, with IC 50 values of 129.05 ± 0.48 μg/mL and 9.01 ± 1.76 μg/mL, respectively. The plant methanolic extract presented the highest inhibitory effect against α-glucosidase (IC 50 = 75.46 ± 0.66 μg/mL) and the acetone extract exhibited the highest cytotoxic effect (IC 50 =3.79 ± 0.01 mg/mL). This study is the first to investigate the phytochemistry and inhibitory activity of V. fruticulosum against lipase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase. The results indicate that V. fruticulosum extracts exhibit potential biological activities. Further, in vivo trials are necessary to validate these bioactivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]