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

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 E. coli using agar well diffusion method. Among them, E. coli exhibited a maximum clear zone of 4.08 ± 0.193 cm 2 . 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.