Black soldier fly (BSF) (Hermetia illucens) larvae are currently being developed as bioconversion agents for organic waste treatment. The resulting larvae or prepupae have a high protein and lipid content, primarily used as feed for fish, poultry, and other animals. The lipid content of BSF larvae/prepupae is influenced by the feed for growth and can reach up to 57.8%. BSF lipids mainly consist of medium-chain saturated fatty acids, with lauric acid (LA) being the dominant component. The LA content in BSF larvae/prepupae can be enhanced by incorporating or utilizing substrates containing highly digestible carbohydrates for larval growth. The LA content can reach 76.13% in larvae reared on fruit waste. LA has been reported to exhibit antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and anticancer properties. Moreover, it has applications in various fields such as pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, cosmetics, body care, soaps and detergents, plastics, and textiles. This review aims to investigate the LA content in BSF larvae and explore its potential applications, thereby establishing BSF larvae/prepupae as a novel source of LA for diverse fields.

Citrus aurantifolia is part of the Rutaceae family and belongs to the genus Citrus. It is widely used in food, the chemical industry, and pharmaceuticals because it has a unique flavor and odor. It is nutrient-rich and is beneficial as an antibacterial, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and insecticide. Secondary metabolites present in C. aurantifolia are what give rise to biological action. Flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolics, limonoids, alkaloids, and essential oils are among the secondary metabolites/phytochemicals discovered in C. aurantifolia. Every portion of the plant’s C. aurantifolia has a different composition of secondary metabolites. Environmental conditions such as light and temperature affect the oxidative stability of the secondary metabolites from C. aurantifolia. The oxidative stability has been increased by using microencapsulation. The advantages of microencapsulation are control of the release, solubilization, and protection of the bioactive component. Therefore, the chemical makeup and biological functions of the various plant components of C. aurantifolia must be investigated. The aim of this review is to discuss the bioactive components of C. aurantifolia such as essential oils, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolic, limonoids, and alkaloids obtained from different parts of the plants and their biological activities such as being antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer, an insecticide, and anti-inflammatory. In addition, various extraction techniques of the compounds out of different parts of the plant matrix as well as the microencapsulation of the bioactive components in food are also provided.

Browning and contamination are regarded as the main constraints in the plant tissue culture of Musa spp. that can hinder the success of plant propagation in vitro. Browning is caused by enzymatic reactions due to explant injury, while microbial contamination is caused by phyllospheric, rhizospheric, and endophytic microorganisms that reside on, in, and inside the plants. When not properly addressed, they can cause decreased regenerative ability, decreased callus growth, inhibited adventitious shoot growth, and even tissue death. To overcome the browning problem, various attempts have been made in vitro, e.g., immersing the explants in an anti-browning solution, incorporating anti-browning compounds into the medium, and manipulating cultural practices. Correspondingly, to control the problem of contamination, efforts have been made, for example, using various methods, such as thermotherapy, chemotherapy, and cryotherapy, and chemical agents, such as disinfectants, antiseptics, and nanoparticles. This review aims to investigate and provide a comprehensive understanding of the causes of browning and contamination as well as the many approaches used to control browning and contamination problems in Musa spp. tissue cultures.

Uncaria gambir Roxb. is a plant from Southeast Asia and is widely used as an alternative medicine with various applications. This plant has been widely used in traditional medicine. This paper aims to provide information on U. gambir, a summary of data on phytochemicals and on medical and nonmedical activities. Phytochemical studies reveal biologically active constituents such as flavonoids, phenolics, and alkaloids. Various studies have shown that extracts and compounds obtained from U. gambir have medical uses for their antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-helminthic, anticancer, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hyperuricemic, anti-lipid peroxidation, antihyperlipidemic and other properties. In addition, this extract has other uses, such as adsorbent for dyes and metal ions, as well as corrosion inhibition. Thus, U. gambir, which is commonly used in traditional medicine, is a potential plant for many therapeutic applications and prospects for drug development as well as other applications such as adsorbent and corrosion inhibition.

Essential oils (EOs) obtained from the Citrus genus were reported to exhibit good antimicrobial activity. Therefore, they can potentially be applied in daily necessities such as textile sectors as antibacterial functional fabric products. However, a packaging technique to retain such volatile and labile active substances is compulsory. In particular, microencapsulation was found to be a common coating technique employed to protect EOs from the effects of light, heat, humidity, stability, and controlled release of active substances. Various microencapsulation techniques have been introduced, but the most widely used method is complex coacervation, as it is simple, inexpensive, and capable of snaring high essential oils. Hence, this review focused on the microencapsulation of the most consumable citrus EOs with complex coacervation methods and their immobilization on commonly carried-out fabrics. In addition, it also discusses the isolation methods of the EOs, their chemical composition, and the mechanism of antibacterial action.

Functional cotton fabric incorporated with antibacterial microcapsules of lime (C. aurantifolia) essential oil (LO) was prepared. The coacervation method, employing two biopolymers of alginate and gelatin as the shells, was preferentially selected to produce the LO microcapsules, whereas immobilization of the LO microcapsules onto the fabric was done using the pad–dry–cure method using various concentrations of citric acid binder. The antibacterial inhibition zone of the functional fabric was subsequently analysed using the Kirby Bauer method. The LO microcapsules were produced with a yield, encapsulation efficiency (EE), and oil content (OC) of 47 ± 4%, 84 ± 11%, and 58 ± 4%, respectively. The homogenous spherical and soft microcapsules (1.554 μm) bonded effectively by 4% citric acid onto the surface of the fabric and detached back by only 3% after 15 cycles of washing. Overall, the optimized functional fabric exhibited the highest antibacterial activities among others against typical skin bacteria, such as S. aureus, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and S. epidermidis, and thus it can be potentially applied to obtain antibacterial functional textile.