Protein is one of the major macronutrients essential in human nutrition. Protein sources especially animal sourced proteins are expensive, thus much work has been carried out to explore alternative protein sources. Seaweeds, or macroalgae, are emerging as one of the alternative protein sources. They are rich in protein with an excellent amino acid profile comparable to the other conventional protein sources. Seaweed protein contains bioactive components, such as free amino acids, peptides, lectins, and phycobiliproteins, including phycoerythrin and phycocyanin, among others. Seaweed proteins have been proved for their antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumoral, antiviral, antimicrobial, and many other beneficial functional properties. Therefore, seaweed proteins can be a natural alternative source for functional food development. This paper discusses the compositional and nutritional aspects of seaweed protein, protein extraction techniques, functional properties of various seaweed proteins, as well as their safety for new product development and functional food applications.

In recent years, the demand for environmental sustainability has caused a great interest in finding novel polymer materials from natural resources that are both biodegradable and eco-friendly. Natural biodegradable polymers can displace the usage of petroleum-based synthetic polymers due to their renewability, low toxicity, low costs, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. The development of novel starch-based bionanocomposites with improved properties has drawn specific attention recently in many applications, including food, agriculture, packaging, environmental remediation, textile, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and biomedical fields. This paper discusses starch-based nanocomposites, mainly with nanocellulose, chitin nanoparticles, nanoclay, and carbon-based materials, and their applications in the agriculture, packaging, biomedical, and environment fields. This paper also focused on the lifecycle analysis and degradation of various starch-based nanocomposites.

The single cell protein (SCP) technique has become a popular technology in recent days, which addresses two major issues: increasing world protein deficiency with increasing world population and the generation of substantial industrial wastes with an increased production rate. Global fruit production has increased over the decades. The non-edible parts of fruits are discarded as wastes into the environment, which may result in severe environmental issues. These fruit wastes are rich in fermentable sugars and other essential nutrients, which can be effectively utilized by microorganisms as an energy source to produce microbial protein. Taking this into consideration, this review explores the use of fruit wastes as a substrate for SCP production. Many studies reported that the wastes from various fruits such as orange, sweet orange, mango, banana, pomegranate, pineapple, grapes, watermelon, papaya, and many others are potential substrates for SCP production. These SCPs can be used as a protein supplement in human foods or animal feeds. This paper discusses various aspects in regard to the potential of fruit wastes as a substrate for SCP production.

The excess level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) disturbs the oxidative balance leading to oxidative stress, which, in turn, causes diabetes mellites, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. These effects of ROS and oxidative stress can be balanced by dietary antioxidants. In recent years, there has been an increasing trend in the use of herbal products for personal and beauty care. The Apiaceae (previously Umbelliferae) family is a good source of antioxidants, predominantly phenolic compounds, therefore, widely used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, cosmeceutical, flavor, and perfumery industries. These natural antioxidants include polyphenolic acids, flavonoids, carotenoids, tocopherols, and ascorbic acids, and exhibit a wide range of biological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-atherosclerosis, and anticancer. This review discusses the Apiaceae family plants as an important source of antioxidants their therapeutic value and the use in cosmetics.

Heavy metals, known for their toxic nature and ability to accumulate and magnify in the food chain, are a major environmental concern. The use of environmentally friendly adsorbents, such as chitosan (CS)—a biodegradable cationic polysaccharide, has gained attention for removing heavy metals from water. This review discusses the physicochemical properties of CS and its composites and nanocomposites and their potential application in wastewater treatment.

Synthetic chemicals are used to protect crops and agricultural products, thereby producing high yields. However, intensive use of these synthetic chemicals significantly affects the environment and sustainable agriculture production. Moreover, direct or indirect exposure to these synthetic chemicals may cause acute or chronic toxicity in humans and animals. Due to their biodegradability, low toxicity, and being environmentally friendly, secondary metabolites derived from plant sources are being studied as a sustainable approach. Apiaceae family crops are a good source of bioactive phytochemicals. Many studies have found that Apiaceae extracts and essential oils possess various biocidal activities: antibacterial, antifungal, herbicidal, insecticidal or repellent, and larvicidal activities, among others. These various potent bioactivities make the Apiaceae an excellent alternative source for synthetic chemicals. In this context, the present review highlights the biocidal activities of some Apiaceae species and their potential applications in agriculture to protect the plant and agricultural products against pests, weeds, phytopathogens, and foodborne and food spoilage microorganisms.