Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) are two prominent pests of maize and its stored grains, respectively. Botanical pesticides have been proposed as an alternative for their management. This study evaluated the insecticidal activity of Salvia connivens (Lamiaceae) methanolic extract and rosmarinic acid against S. frugiperda and T. molitor by adding them to an artificial diet, as well as their ecotoxicological effects on Poecilia reticulata (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae) and Danio rerio (Cypriniformes: Danionidae) through acute toxicity tests. The methanolic extract showed higher mortality activity against S. frugiperda (LC₅₀ = 874.28 ppm) than against T. molitor (LC₅₀ = 1856.94 ppm) and was non-toxic to fish. Rosmarinic acid, the most abundant compound in the extract (80.45 mg g⁻¹), showed higher activity against S. frugiperda (LC₅₀ = 176.81 ppm). This compound did not cause a toxic effect on adult P. reticulata at the tested concentrations. However, in P. reticulata fingerlings and D. rerio adults, it was non-toxic, except in D. rerio embryos, where it was slightly toxic. These findings suggest that S. connivens methanolic extract has potential as a botanical product for the management of S. frugiperda and T. molitor with low ecotoxicological impact, while rosmarinic acid may be a useful compound for the management of S. frugiperda.

Tenebrio molitor is a common stored grains pest. The conventional way for its management involves the use of synthetic fumigants. Despite their effectiveness, these can cause environmental damage. The use of essential oils has emerged as an alternative for its management. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess Lantana camara essential oil (EO) and endo-borneol biological activities against T. molitor. Insecticidal activity and weight gain were evaluated through the impregnated paper method against larvae and adults, while repellency was conducted with a Y-tube olfactometer; L. camara EO showed higher mortality for T. molitor adults (LC₅₀ = 7.2 μL EO L⁻¹ air) than for larvae (LC₅₀ = 13.7 μL EO L⁻¹ air) after 30 d. Furthermore, L. camara EO was found to be repellent for T. molitor adults (RC₅₀ = 0.08 μL EO cm⁻²). Regarding the EO composition, endo-borneol was identified by GC-MS as a major compound with 14.24% abundance. Larvae exhibited higher susceptibility (LC₅₀ = 7.8 μL L⁻¹ air) to endo-borneol than adults (LC₅₀ = 46 μL L⁻¹ air) after 72 h. Notably, endo-borneol demonstrated significantly higher repellent activity (RC₅₀ = 0.03 μL cm⁻²) than L. camara EO (RC₅₀ = 0.08 μL EO cm⁻²). These findings suggest that endo-borneol has potential as a natural source alternative for T. molitor management.

The need to research cost-effective alternatives for soil remediation has become an important topic in the recent years. Pollutants like heavy metals or pharmaceuticals are constantly being accumulated in soils, becoming hazardous for the environment, espe-cially if they reach human or animal food-chain. On the other side, the accumulation of anaerobic digestate resulting from the biogas production process, could also represent a latent risk, due to its discharge as biofertilizers, whereas high quantities of nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) contained are accumulated. Digestate inoculation by means of fungi represents a cost-effective alternative to treat both, contaminated soils and anaerobic digestate. Through the present systematic review, scientific researches per-formed during the past ten years were summarized. Focus of this research was to un-derstand the impacts of fungi and anaerobic digestate as soil amendment, for contam-inant removal and plant growth. Soil stabilization and remediation showed to have a higher impact than plant growth itself. The origin of the biomass used for anaerobic digestion is very important to determine digestate quality and effect in the soil, being cattle manure more suitable for remediation purposes. Fungal strain, pH, temperature, and existing contaminants must be considered before a successfully practical applica-tion takes place.

Spodoptera frugiperda is a polyphagous pest of global significance, causing substantial yield losses in maize and other staple crops, which has intensified the search for sustainable alternatives to synthetic insecticides. The Asteraceae family has emerged as a promising source of botanical insecticides, but a comprehensive synthesis of its true potential including biological efficacy, chemical basis and acute oral toxicity in mammalian models remains lacking. This review critically examines the biological activity of Asteraceae extracts against S. frugiperda from the 2021 to 2026 period and their phytochemical profiles and acute oral toxicity in mammals. Our analysis reveals three major findings. First, essential oils exhibit the highest insecticidal potency, but they also present the most concerning mammalian acute oral toxicity profiles. Second, although 57 major constituents—including terpenoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and fatty acid derivatives— have been identified, fewer than 13% have been individually evaluated against this pest, introducing substantial uncertainty in attributing activity to specific compounds. Third, most mammalian toxicity studies report only limited LD₅₀ thresholds (e.g., >2000 mg kg⁻¹ BW), preventing accurate GHS classification and regulatory positioning. Therefore, realising the potential of Asteraceae based insecticides requires not only the discovery of bioactive extracts but also rigorous, integrated toxicity and phytochemical characterisation.

This systematic review aims to describe the current state of research on soil remediation utilizing digestates inoculated with fungi, as a cost-effective alternative. This study was performed according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, and nine papers were finally selected for review. The application of digestates augments the soil microbial community in terms of bacterial strains, mycorrhizal colonization, and enzymes. Digestates inoculated with fungi have notable impacts on soil stabilization. Some authors reported an improvement of up to 100% in plant growth when using digestates. HM removal rates of 17% for Si, 40% for Cd, and up to 80% for Pb have been achieved. Antibiotics and PFCAs showed low or no accumulation. The biomass source used for anaerobic digestion has a very important impact on the resulting digestate’s quality and effect in soils: the use of cattle manure resulted in an increase in biomass yield from 9% up to 100% when compared to manure co-digested with organic wastes. The fungal strain, environmental conditions, and existing contaminants must be considered with respect to the specific practical application. These insights can contribute to the management of environmental risks and the prevention of negative impacts on human health, ecosystems, and the economy.