Salinity is a major abiotic stress factor that affects crops and has an adverse effect on plant growth. In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOC) play a significant role in microorganism–plant interactions. In the present study, we evaluated the impact of microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOC) emitted by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens GB03 on the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and the antioxidant status in Mentha piperita L. grown under 0, 75 and 100 mM NaCl. Seedlings were exposed to mVOCs, avoiding physical contact with the bacteria, and an increase in NaCl levels produced a reduction in essential oil (EO) yield. Nevertheless, these undesirable effects were mitigated in seedlings treated with mVOCs, resulting in an approximately a six-fold increase with respect to plants not exposed to mVOCs, regardless of the severity of the salt stress. The main components of the EOs, menthone, menthol, and pulegone, showed the same tendency. Total phenolic compound (TPC) levels increased in salt-stressed plants but were higher in those exposed to mVOCs than in stressed plants without mVOC exposure. To evaluate the effect of mVOCs on the antioxidant status from salt-stressed plants, the membrane lipid peroxidation was analyzed. Peppermint seedlings cultivated under salt stress and treated with mVOC showed a reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, which is considered to be an indicator of lipid peroxidation and membrane damage, and had an increased antioxidant capacity in terms of DPPH (2,2-diphenyl−1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity in relation to plants cultivated under salt stress but not treated with mVOCs. These results are important as they demonstrate the potential of mVOCs to diminish the adverse effects of salt stress.

Considering that inoculation with beneficial rhizobacteria promotes biomass and secondary metabolite biosynthesis and also the fact that drought stress can increase their production, we determined the effects when both of these situations were combined in EO yield. In addition, the levels of endogenous phytohormones and the gene expression of enzymes related to monoterpenes biosynthesis were measured. The experimental results showed that inoculation with PGPR in stressed plants produced the same effects on trichome density, the EO main components and total yield as in plants only inoculated or with moderate stress alone. In addition, the VOC emissions of inoculated stressed plants did not vary the release amount in relation to uninoculated stressed ones. The results observed have suggested a way of improving aromatic plant productivity, particularly that of peppermint, by managing drought stress through the inoculation of plants with PGPR. This inoculation under moderate drought stress is appropriate when the purpose of the crops is to obtain plants with a high secondary metabolites yield.

Background/Objectives: In the race to develop new antibiotics to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria, particularly the ESKAPE pathogens which pose a significant threat to public health, silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) have emerged as a promising alternative. This article focuses on the potential of novel silver nanoclusters as an antimicrobial agent against Staphylococcus aureus, a high-priority pathogen known for its ability to cause persistent nosocomial infections and develop protective biofilms. Methods: In this study, we successfully synthesized AgNCs at pH 7 using an eco-friendly photoreduction method with poly acrylic acid (PAA) and poly methacrylic acid (PMAA) as stabilizers. This methodology produced fluorescent AgNCs, demonstrating their stability in aqueous solutions for at least three months and highlighting the effectiveness of PAA and PMAA as stabilizing agents. The AgNCs were incubated with S. aureus suspension, and the antimicrobial capability at different concentrations and times of incubation were determined. Also, the AgNCs hemocompatibility was studied by exposing the clusters to rat blood cells. Results: The in vitro assays revealed that AgNCs capping with PAA or PMAA has antimicrobial activity in low doses (the determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC): 0.2 µg/mL, and the determination of minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC): 2 µg/mL) and without cytotoxicity (hemolysis less than 10%) to rat blood cells until 1 µg/mL. In the presence of both AgNCs (5 µg/mL), bacterial growth was completely inhibited within just 3 h. Conclusions: The findings of this study highlight the potential of silver nanoclusters as effective antimicrobial agents against S. aureus. Their stability, low toxicity, and rapid bactericidal activity make them promising candidates for further development in antimicrobial applications.