Biogenic synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) is emerging as a feasible, economical, sustainable, biocompatible, and alternative approach to utilize biomolecules derived from the organisms. The use of microbes or their metabolites for biogenic NPs synthesis also imparts the biological active antimicrobial potential of the organism which has widened the application of NPs in an effective and economically friendly way. The biological reduction of metals provides NPs of desirable size and morphology with higher physiochemical characteristics, lower toxicity, and high stability. Fungi are the most preferred for the biogenic synthesis of NPs due to high biomass production, secretion of a high quantity of extracellular nano-particles stabilizing proteins, ease in handling, and high metal tolerance. The present review provides an overview of the biogenic synthesis of metal NPs using micro and macrofungi, mechanism, their optimization process and their applications in the field of agriculture.

Green tea (GT) is derived from the leaves of Camellia sinensis implicated in a wide range of health attributes. In the present comprehensive study, methanolic, acetone and aqueous extract of leaves of C. sinensis var. sinensis [Kashmir (KW), Uttarakhand (IP & PN)] and C. sinensis var. assamica (Assam, AT) were explored for their phytoconstituents. Solvent extracts of GT cultivars showed rich presence of phytoconstituents in comparison with aqueous extracts. The methanolic extract of AT and acetone extract of KW showed highest total phenol content (18.32 ± 0.357 mg of GAE equivalent/g of sample) and total flavonoid content (29.25 ± 0.015 mg of catechin equivalent/g of sample), respectively. All the cultivars revealed higher free radical scavenging activity in the range of 73.80 ± 0.152 to 82.40 ± 0.004 % confirming antioxidant potentials. The HPLC analysis of purified residue procured from solvent partitioning depicted AT with highest concentration of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) i.e., 154.7 ± 4.949 mg/g followed by Kashmir and Uttarakhand GT cultivars. The present study revealed that Assam GT could be a potent herbal candidate with multiple nutraceutical applications. However, significant investigation of the cultivars is to be done to further explore the EGCg-dependent activity of GT for herbal drug development.

Paris polyphylla Smith (family: Melanthiaceae), a high-value medicinal herb endemic to the Himalayan region, has drawn much attention recently due to its immense use in the traditional healthcare system since ancient times. In the present review, an extensive database on P. polyphylla was systematically searched from databases such as Medline/PubMed, Scopus, the Web of Science, and the online service E-library.ru and SCImago (https://www.scimagojr.com/). Information on species, ecology, distribution, trade, ethnopharmacology, pharmacology, biotechnology, and molecular biology was gathered from 1979 to 2023 using 116 research publications. Major steroidal saponins such as Paris saponin I, V, VI, VII, and H have been found substantially effective in anticancer activity, abnormal uterine bleeding, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, and menorrhagia. Traditional breeding and propagation techniques cannot keep up with the worlds growing demand for herbal drugs. Therefore, it is critically necessary to take conservation measures and develop novel techniques for growing and cultivating this economically significant and highly valuable therapeutic herb. The advanced biotechnological approaches like micropropagation and genetic analysis introduced long back are either rare or lacking in the case of P. polyphylla. It contains a wealth of information that will serve as a baseline data source for various stakeholders, researchers working on various research aspects, and policymakers to define appropriate utilization and conservation plans for a high-value commercial medicinal plant called P. polyphylla. The review provides an updated overview and critical assessment of secondary data regarding the past and recent applications and interventions of P. polyphylla.

Candida albicans and Candida glabrata are two important human pathogens associated with high mortality. The anti-Candida potential of an antihypertensive drug, amlodipine besilate (AB), was studied against 10 strains of Candida, including 8 clinical isolates. AB is an inhibitor of voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channel (VGCC) of mammals. CCH1 expresses in a part of Ca²⁺ channel of Candida, which is a homologue of α subunit of mammalian VGCC. In plate assays, all strains of Candida showed sensitivity to AB on agar media at 256 μg/mL concentration, AB caused lethality at concentrations of 16 and 64 μg/mL in clinical isolates of C. glabrata and all strains of C. albicans, respectively. Minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values of AB varied for different strains. The clinical isolates of C. glabrata turned out to be more susceptible to AB than those of C. albicans. At 16 μg/mL, AB showed reduction of biofilm in the range of 41.51%–79.66% for C. glabrata strains and 32.00%–54.06% for C. albicans strains. AB has shown potential antifungal properties against the laboratory strains and clinical isolates of C. glabrata and C. albicans. In conclusion, AB exhibited potential antifungal properties against planktonic form and biofilm of C. glabrata and C. albicans. It was more effective against C. glabrata than against C. albicans in vitro.

The term ‘Antiviral agents’ has been defined in very broad terms as substances other than a virus or virus containing vaccine or specific antibody which can produce either a protective or therapeutic effect to the clear detectable advantage of the virus infected host. The herbal medicine has a long traditional use and the major advantage over other medicines is their wide therapeutic window with rare side effects. There are some disadvantages of synthetic drugs like narrow therapeutic window and more importantly the various adverse side effects which occur quite frequently. Due to these disadvantages and other limitations, there is an increasing trend in the field of research for discovering new and noble drugs based on various herbal formulations. This review attempts to address the importance of developing therapeutic herbal formulations from various medicinal plants using the knowledge based on traditional system of medicines, the Ayurveda. Although natural products have been used by civilization since ancient times, only in recent decades has there been growing research into alternative therapies and the therapeutics use of natural products, especially those derived from plants. Plants synthesize and preserve a variety of biochemical products, many of which are extractable and used for various scientific investigations. Therefore, medicinal plants proved to be a major resort for the treatment of diseases and sicknesses by traditional healers in many societies