Due to the global rise of the human population, one of the top-most challenges for poor and developing nations is to use the food produces safely and sustainably. In this regard, the storage of surplus food (and derived products) without loss of freshness, nutrient stability, shelf life, and their parallel efficient utilization will surely boost the food production sector. One of the best technologies that have emerged within the last twenty years with applications in the packaging of food and industrial materials is the use of green mode-based synthesized nanoparticles (NPs). These NPs are stable, advantageous as well as eco-friendly. Over the several years, numerous publications have confirmed that these NPs exert antibacterial, antioxidant, and antifungal activity against a plethora of pathogens. The storage in metal-based NPs (M-NPs) does not hamper the food properties and packaging efficiency. Additionally, these M-NPs help in the improvement of properties including freshness indicators, mechanical properties, antibacterial and water vapor permeability during food packaging. As a result, the nano-technological application facilitates a simple, alternate, interactive as well as reliable technology. It even provides positive feedback to food industries and packaging markets. Taken together, the current review paper is an attempt to highlight the M-NPs for prominent applications of antimicrobial properties, nanosensors, and food packaging of food items. Additionally, some comparative reports associated with M-NPs mechanism of action, risks, toxicity, and overall future perspectives have also been made.

Conventional agriculture solely depends upon highly chemical compounds that have negatively ill-affected the health of every living being and the entire ecosystem. Thus, the smart delivery of desired components in a sustainable manner to crop plants is the primary need to maintain soil health in the upcoming years. The premature loss of growth-promoting ingredients and their extended degradation in the soil increases the demand for reliable novel techniques. In this regard, nanotechnology has offered to revolutionize the agrotechnological area that has the imminent potential over conventional agriculture and helps to reform resilient cropping systems withholding prominent food security for the ever-growing world population. Further, in-depth investigation on plant-nanoparticles interactions creates new avenues toward crop improvement via enhanced crop yield, disease resistance, and efficient nutrient utilization. The incorporation of nanomaterial with smart agrochemical activities and establishing a new framework relevant to enhance efficacy ultimately help to address the social acceptance, potential hazards, and management issues in the future. Here, we highlight the role of nanomaterial or nanocomposite as a sustainable as well stable alternative in crop protection and production. Additionally, the information on the controlled released system, role in interaction with soil and microbiome, the promising role of nanocomposite as nanopesticide, nanoherbicide, nanofertilizer, and their limitations in agrochemical activities are discussed in the present review.

An experiment was performed to assess the effect of proline and ascorbic acid as seed treatment on tomato (Solanmum lycopersicum L.) under salt stress. Seeds of tomato variety Punjab Varkha Bahar-4 (PVB-4) were pre-treated for 2 h with different concentrations of proline (5mM and 10mM) and ascorbic acid (1mM and 4mM). The treated seeds were subjected to salinity stress of 25mM, 50mM and 75mM. Various estimates were done from treated seedlings after 14 days of germination. All seed treatments of proline and ascorbic acid increased the percent of germination and various biochemical parameters (total soluble sugars, total soluble proteins and activities of antioxidant enzymes) of seedlings as compared to control at all salinity levels. Overall results showed that proline 10mM or ascorbic acid 4mM were more effective than proline 5mM and ascorbic acid 1mM at all salinity levels. The present study indicated that the negative effects of salinity on emergence and early seedling growth of tomato could be alleviated with exogenous application of proline (10mM) and ascorbic acid (4mM).