Background/Objectives: Baccharis dracunculifolia DC. is a medicinal plant and the primary botanical source of Brazilian green propolis. This study aimed to characterize the phytochemical profile of its ethanol extract and evaluate its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, and acute oral toxicity profiles. Methods: The extract was characterized by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS). Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated by complementary in vitro assays, cytotoxicity in NIH/3T3 fibroblasts, and acute oral toxicity according to OECD Guideline 423 in Wistar rats at 300 and 2000 mg/kg. Results: UHPLC-QTOF-MS analysis resulted in the tentative annotation of 54 metabolites, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, caffeoylquinic acid derivatives, diterpenes, glycolipids, and saponins. The extract showed antioxidant activity, with a DPPH IC50 of 0.77 ± 0.009 mg/mL and FRAP reducing capacity of 1.24 ± 0.22 µM ferrous sulfate/mg. Anti-inflammatory activity increased with concentration, reaching 58.60 ± 0.23%, 60.84 ± 0.40%, and 57.89 ± 2.96% inhibition of hemolysis, macrophage spreading, and phagocytosis, respectively, at 600 µg/mL (p < 0.05 vs. negative control). NIH/3T3 viability remained above 70% at all tested concentrations and exposure times. No mortality, treatment-related clinical signs, or significant changes in body weight, hematological and biochemical parameters, relative organ weights, or histopathological findings were observed at doses up to 2000 mg/kg. Conclusions: The B. dracunculifolia ethanol extract exhibited antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in vitro, without relevant cytotoxicity under the tested conditions, and showed no evidence of acute oral toxicity at doses up to 2000 mg/kg.

The present study was carried out to enhance the iron content of the fresh-cut French beans through vacuum impregnation (VI). For fortification, five iron salts, namely, ammonium ferrous sulphate, ferrous sulphate, ferric pyrophosphate, anhydrous ferric chloride and ferric ammonium citrate were tested as fortificant. Fresh-cut green French beans were dipped in variable concentrations (0.025%, 0.05% and 0.1%) of the iron salts for imbibitions at different time periods (5, 10 and 15 min) under atmospheric pressure. On basis of least colour change and maximum iron absorption, ammonium ferrous sulphate at 0.025% was selected for further study. For VI, different levels of vacuum pressure (50, 75 and 100 mmHg), vacuum time (5, 10 and 15 min) and ascorbic acid (0, 0.5 and 1%) were evaluated for iron impregnation through Box-Behnken design. Maximum iron infusion in fresh-cut beans was achieved at 50 mmHg vacuum pressure, 6 min vacuum time and 0% ascorbic acid. At optimized condition, iron content of the bean increased by 64.05%. The infused beans were stable for a week at 6 ± 1 °C without any discolouration and were microbiologically safe for consumption. Overall, the present study demonstrated that VI has the potential to develop iron fortified fresh-cut ready-to-use French beans.

Conventional water treatment processes exhibit inherent limitations in the removal of trace emerging micropollutants. To address this challenge, we rationally designed ultrathin Fe-doped nanosheets via a one-step etching strategy using ferrous sulfate. This approach simultaneously transformed pristine granular ZIF-8 into a layered architecture and facilitated the uniform incorporation of iron active sites. The as-prepared catalyst was subsequently employed in a visible-light-driven peracetic acid (PAA) activation system for the efficient degradation of micropollutants. The etching treatment not only substantially increased the specific surface area of the nanosheets relative to their bulk counterparts but also ensured homogeneous dispersion of Fe species, thereby establishing stable Fe[2+]/Fe[3+] redox cycling centers that significantly accelerate electron transfer kinetics. In the ZIF-8-Fe-Nanosheets/PAA/simulated sunlight system, sulfamethazine (SMT) achieved near-complete degradation within 50 min. Moreover, the catalyst exhibited excellent broad-spectrum degradation activity, robust pH adaptability across a range of 3-9, and strong resistance to coexisting matrix constituents in real water samples. Radical quenching experiments identified hydroxyl radicals ([•]OH) and singlet oxygen ([1]O2) as the dominant reactive oxygen species. Three plausible SMT degradation pathways were proposed, and toxicity assessment using quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis indicated lower biotoxicity of the transformation products compared to the parent compound. Overall, this work validates the Fe-doped nanosheet catalyst as an efficient PAA activator, and more broadly, paves the way for expanding PAA-based catalytic oxidation toward practical water treatment.

Humic acid (HA) stability determines the food waste (FW) compost quality and facilitates organic waste recycling via aerobic composting. This study investigated the synergistic effects of ferrous sulfate (FeSO4)-zeolite and low aeration to enhance the HA stability during FW composting. Composting was carried out for 50 days across four treatments: control (CK), FeSO4-zeolite (FZ), low aeration (L), and combined FZL treatments. Results showed that FZL achieved the highest HA content (33.1 mg/g) and condensed HAC3 proportion (18.3%), raising the HA polymerization degree by 84.9% relative to CK. Low aeration prolonged Fe2+ persistence, stimulating stable iron oxide formation to serve as a nucleation site for HA polymerization and complexation. FZL optimized microbial networks and enriched humification-related microbes. Variance partitioning analysis quantified iron-mediated passivation (45.5%) and its synergy with synthesis (21.8%) as the dominant drivers. This study clarifies the underlying mechanism and offers a practical strategy to produce a high-stability HA compost.

The global accumulation and improper disposal of industrial ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) waste present significant environmental and resource management challenges, including soil acidification, groundwater contamination, iron loss, and unrecovered sulfate sulfur. Existing disposal and recovery routes mainly produce low-value iron oxides, require intensive reagent input or high energy consumption, and generate additional waste burdens. Here, we propose a novel carbonyl sulfide (COS)-mediated gas-solid strategy for upcycling FeSO4 into a calculated pyrrhotite (Fe7S8) phase fraction of 96.6 wt%, realizing high-value conversion of both iron and sulfur. Structural characterizations demonstrate a stepwise conversion from FeSO4 to Fe3O4, followed by controlled sulfidation to Fe7S8, during which the random stacking of newly formed Fe7S8 particles generates textural interparticle voids and reconstructs the pore structure. Density functional theory calculations show that COS exhibits the most negative adsorption Gibbs free energy (-9.58 eV) and, relative to S and H2S, the largest comparative sulfur-incorporation barrier under a common-final-state framework, indicating stronger interfacial stabilization and greater kinetic resistance to rapid sulfur transfer. Kinetic analysis indicates that COS governs the reaction (order = 1.10), whereas CO acts as a secondary promoter (order = 0.60), lowering the apparent activation energy from 188.9 to 129.6 kJ/mol. Practical evaluations with real FeSO4 waste validated the successful upcycling into Fe7S8, which exhibited efficient gaseous mercury removal performance from simulated flue gas. Life-cycle and preliminary cost analyses further indicate the potential environmental and resource-utilization advantages of this cross-industry FeSO4 valorization strategy under the adopted assumptions.

Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) affects up to 30% of all pregnant women often causing symptoms including malaise and lethargy which can significantly impact daily life and well-being. Additionally, IDA is associated with serious complications, including an increased risk of bleeding, preterm birth, small for gestational age babies and rarely, but significantly, stillbirth. The most common current management approach reactively treats IDA once it is diagnosed, usually with an oral iron preparation such as ferrous sulphate or another ferrous salt. There have been calls to investigate a policy of prevention, to discover if outcomes can be improved. We therefore designed the primary prevention of maternal anaemia to prevent preterm delivery and other adverse outcomes trial, to assess whether the prevention of IDA during pregnancy, through routine iron supplementation from early pregnancy, will reduce the risks of significant adverse clinical outcomes for women and their babies.

Arsenic (As) contamination can threaten groundwater quality and human health, particularly where redox conditions fluctuate. Although iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al) (hydr)oxides strongly adsorb arsenate under oxic conditions, flooding can promote As(V) reduction to more toxic and mobile As(III) and destabilize the Fe(III)-As(V) complexes. This study evaluated ferrous sulfate and aluminum sulfate as in-situ soil amendments to immobilize As and assess their stability under submergence. A batch, column leaching, and anaerobic incubation study was conducted to monitor redox potential (Eh), As speciation, and Fe/Al behavior. Results showed that both amendments reduced water-soluble and leachable As at pH 7-9. In batch tests, Fe and Al amendments lowered water-soluble As by 78.3% and 83.3%, respectively. Column tests showed that most As eluted within the first 10 pore volumes, with Fe and Al amendments reducing cumulative leachable As by 60.3% and 89.7%, respectively. During incubation, soil Eh declined to strongly reducing conditions (-259 mV). Around days 20-30 of incubation, the As(III)/total As ratio was >50%. Fe amendment showed substantial Fe(II) accumulation consistent with reductive dissolution and As remobilization. Although the Al amendment remained redox-stable and maintained lower dissolved As, strongly reducing conditions could still increase risk by shifting As(V) toward As(III). Overall, aluminum sulfate is preferred for flood-prone or redox-fluctuating soils because it remains effective under reducing conditions, whereas ferrous sulfate can be applied for persistently oxic sites to minimize redox-driven Fe(III)-As(V) destabilization.

Iron is the most common nutrient deficiency globally, affecting nearly 2 billion people. It may cause long-term neurocognitive impairments and behavioral deficits in premature and low-birthweight neonates. Reticulocyte hemoglobin (Ret-He) is a reliable, valid, low-cost, and minimally invasive phlebotomy laboratory test for assessing iron status and guiding iron dosing.

In plants and humans, adequate levels of iron (Fe) are essential for proper growth and development. Dietary deficiencies in Fe are particularly prevalent and can cause numerous physical and cognitive impairments in humans. Intervention strategies like agronomic biofortification can address these issues by utilizing fertilization to enhance the Fe content in a quick and straightforward manner in plant-based foods. Microgreens are nutritional powerhouses with low antinutrient levels, making them a promising candidate crop for agronomic Fe biofortification. Although Fe fertilization can increase Fe's abundance in the environment, Fe's availability is limited to plants in alkaline and oxidizing conditions. Therefore, selecting an efficient Fe fertilizer source is crucial for successful Fe enrichment. In this study, we investigated the effects of five alternative Fe fertilizers, including chelated Fe sources (Fe-EDDHA, Fe-EDTA), inorganic Fe salts (ferric sulfate, ferrous sulfate), and Fe-oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4), provided via fertigation at different concentrations (0, 15, 30, 45 mg/L), on the Fe enrichment, yield, and quality of radish and pea microgreens. Fe-EDTA was the most effective treatment for Fe enrichment, increasing Fe content by 3-5-fold in radish and 2-3-fold in pea microgreens, compared to the untreated control, with minimal trade-offs in yield and mineral composition. Fe-EDTA also ensured greater contributions to Fe's recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for adult males and females, compared to the other sources. These findings highlight the potential of Fe-EDTA in enriching microgreens that can serve as functional foods to combat Fe deficiencies at household and community scales.