Numerous abiotic stresses trigger the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are highly toxic and reactive. These ROS are known to cause damage to carbohydrates, DNA, lipids and proteins, and build the oxidative stress and results in the induction of various diseases. To resolve this issue, antioxidants molecules have gained significant attention to scavenge these free radicals and ROS. However, poor absorption ability, difficulty in crossing the cell membranes and degradation of these antioxidants during delivery are the few challenges associated with both natural and synthetic antioxidants that limit their bioavailability. Moreover, the use of nanoparticles as an antioxidant is overlooked, and is limited to a few nanomaterials. To address these issues, antioxidant functionalized nanoparticles derived from various biological origin have emerged as an important alternative, because of properties like biocompatibility, high stability and targeted delivery. Algae, bacteria, fungi, lichens and plants are known as the producers of diverse secondary metabolites and phenolic compounds with extraordinary antioxidant properties. Hence, these compounds could be used in amalgamation with biogenic derived nanoparticles (NPs) for better antioxidant potential. This review intends to increase our knowledge about the antioxidant functionalized nanoparticles and the mechanism by which antioxidants empower nanoparticles to combat oxidative stress.

Fruits and vegetables are the highly used food products amongst the horticultural crops. These items are consumed uncooked, nominally cooked or fully cooked, according to their nature and cooking process. With the change in diet habits and rising population, the production, as well as the processing of horticultural crops, has exponentially improved to meet its increasing demand. A large amount of peel waste is generated from fruit and vegetable-based industries and household kitchen and has led to a big nutritional and economic loss and environmental problems. Processing of fruits and vegetables alone generates a significant waste, which amounts to 25–30% of the total product. Most common wastes include pomace, peels, rind and seeds, which are highly rich in valuable bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, enzymes, polyphenols, oils, vitamins and many other compounds. These bioactive compounds show their application in various industries such as food to develop edible films, food industries for probiotics and other industries for valuable products. The utilization of these low-cost waste horticultural wastes for producing the value-added product is a novel step in its sustainable utilization. The present review intends to summarize the different types of waste originating from fruits as well as vegetables peels and highlight their potential in developing edible films, probiotics, nanoparticles, carbon dots, microbial media, biochar and biosorbents.