Pyrethroid pesticide detection and bioactivity evaluation of microbial cellulose derived from food waste

Abstract

In this study, microbial cellulose (MC) was produced using a consortium of microbes obtained from independent fruit and vegetable wastes as inoculum. The two different fermentation media used were the Hestrin & Schramm (HS), and the citric acid (CA) medium. Among the combinations, CA medium with vegetable waste extract as inoculum showed the maximum MC yield of 1.625±0.051 g/L. The MC produced was next validated and characterized to understand their properties using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Thermogravimetric analysis. The antimicrobial activity of the MC was tested against Bacillus species, Staphylococcus. aureus, Candida, and Escherichia coli using agar well diffusion method. Among them, E. coli exhibited a maximum clear zone of 4.08 ± 0.193 cm². The cyclic voltammetry (CV) method established the antioxidant nature of MC, and exhibited an anodic peak at 0.96 V and 1.1 V. This is the first study to detect the presence of pyrethroid pesticides in water samples using the electrochemical method CV with the produced MC coated on a glassy carbon electrode. Detecting pesticide residues is vital for health and environmental safety. MC-based biosensors offer a low-cost, eco-friendly, and sustainable solution for real-time, sensitive monitoring of water pollutants.