Microbial engineering has made a significant breakthrough in pharmaceutical biotechnology, greatly expanding the production of biologically active compounds, therapeutic proteins, and novel drug candidates. Recent advancements in genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and adaptive evolution have contributed to the optimization of microbial strains for pharmaceutical applications, playing a crucial role in enhancing their productivity and stability. The CRISPR-Cas system is widely utilized as a precise genome modification tool, enabling the enhancement of metabolite biosynthesis and the activation of synthetic biological pathways. Additionally, synthetic biology approaches allow for the targeted design of microorganisms with improved metabolic efficiency and therapeutic potential, thereby accelerating the development of new pharmaceutical products. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) plays a vital role in further advancing microbial engineering by predicting metabolic network interactions, optimizing bioprocesses, and accelerating the drug discovery process. However, challenges such as the efficient optimization of metabolic pathways, ensuring sustainable industrial-scale production, and meeting international regulatory requirements remain critical barriers in the field. Furthermore, to mitigate potential risks, it is essential to develop stringent biocontainment strategies and implement appropriate regulatory oversight. This review comprehensively examines recent innovations in microbial engineering, analyzing key technological advancements, regulatory challenges, and future development perspectives.

Recent advances in computational biology have provided powerful tools for analyzing, modeling, and optimizing probiotic microorganisms, thereby supporting their development as promising agents for improving human health. The essential role of the microbiota in regulating physiological processes and preventing disease has driven interest in the rational design of next-generation probiotics. This review highlights progress in in silico approaches for enhancing the functionality of probiotic strains. Particular attention is given to genome-scale metabolic models, advanced simulation algorithms, and AI-driven tools that provide deeper insight into microbial metabolism and enable precise probiotic optimization. The integration of these methods with multi-omics data has greatly improved our ability to predict strain behavior and design probiotics with specific health benefits. Special focus is placed on modeling probiotic–prebiotic interactions and host–microbiome dynamics, which are essential for the development of functional food products. Despite these achievements, key challenges remain, including limited model accuracy, difficulties in simulating complex host–microbe systems, and the absence of unified standards for validating in silico-optimized strains. Addressing these gaps requires the development of integrative modeling platforms and clear regulatory frameworks. This review provides a critical overview of current advances, identifies existing barriers, and outlines future directions for the application of computational strategies in probiotic research.

Plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) and microbial biocontrol agents have emerged as key tools for improving crop productivity while maintaining environmental sustainability. However, central questions remain regarding which factors determine their consistent field performance and how these factors interact under real agronomic conditions. Previous research has demonstrated that PGPMs enhance nutrient acquisition, regulate phytohormone balance, improve stress tolerance, and suppress plant pathogens through diverse biochemical and ecological mechanisms. Advances in omics technologies, genome mining, and synthetic microbial communities have further expanded understanding of their functional potential. Nevertheless, many studies rely on laboratory-scale experiments or short-term trials, with limited multi-season and cross-regional validation. This gap contributes to inconsistent field outcomes and restricts large-scale agricultural adoption. Long-term multi-season validation and reproducibility assessment remain essential priorities for improving reliability of microbial agricultural products. This review synthesizes recent advances in PGPM-based biofertilizers and microbial biocontrol technologies, critically examining their mechanisms of action, scalability constraints, formulation challenges, and regulatory limitations. It identifies major translational barriers, including context dependency, mechanistic uncertainties, reproducibility gaps, and insufficient systems-level integration.

The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the research conducted on the chemical constituents and biological characteristics of Althaea officinalis. Methods: A comprehensive search of scientific databases, including Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Researchgate, was conducted. The search included keywords such as " Althaea officinalis", " Althaea officinalis compounds", " Althaea officinalis phytochemicals", " Althaea officinalis pharmacological", and " Althaea officinalis traditional uses". Results: Althaea officinalis, commonly known as marshmallow root, is a perennial herbaceous plant native to Europe and western Asia. It belongs to the Althaea genus of the Malvaceae family. Throughout history, people have recognized the plant ability to relieve symptoms such as a sore throat, dry cough, stomach ulcers, and wounds. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that the extract from this plant has various positive effects, including antitussive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and wound-healing properties. Recent analyses of its chemical composition have revealed that Althaea officinalis contains numerous bioactive compounds, including mucopolysaccharides, flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, coumarins, steroids, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, triterpenoids etc. The roots and leaves of Althaea officinalis are used in teas, salads, emollients, and sedatives due to their edible and medicinal qualities. Furthermore, this particular plant is frequently grown for its beautiful flowers, making it a popular choice for ornamental purposes. Currently, Althaea officinalis can be found worldwide due to its widespread cultivation in the agricultural industry. It offers various benefits in the fields of food, healthcare, and dietary supplements. Conclusion: Althaea officinalis, a well-known traditional herbal plant, is readily available and widely used. Recent research efforts have successfully identified numerous chemical components of Althaea officinalis, including flavonoids, polysaccharides, phenolic acids, coumarins, and steroids. These diverse chemical compounds contribute to the plant's various pharmacological properties, such as its ability to alleviate coughs, reduce inflammation, provide antioxidant effects, fight against bacterial infections, and promote wound healing.

Mentha asiatica Boriss., a species native to Central Asia, has garnered significant attention for its diverse phytochemical profile and antimicrobial potential. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the antimicrobial activities of M. asiatica, focusing on its essential oils and other bioactive constituents. The study contextualizes the importance of natural antimicrobials in the era of rising antibiotic resistance and highlights the plant’s traditional use in ethnomedicine. The main methodologies explored include gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) for phytochemical characterization and various in vitro assays to assess antimicrobial efficacy against bacterial and fungal pathogens. The essential oils of M. asiatica demonstrate a broad spectrum of activity, attributed to compounds such as menthol, menthone, and carvone. Other phytochemicals, including sesquiterpenes and terpenoids, also contribute to its bioactivity. The review underscores the potential of M. asiatica as a source of novel antimicrobial agents and calls for further research into its mechanisms of action, bioavailability, and safety profiles. The findings position M. asiatica as a promising candidate for developing plant-based antimicrobial formulations, addressing critical needs in healthcare and food preservation.

The study aimed to create associations of probiotic bacteria with a wide range of biological activity, resistance to antibiotics, and selection of the nutrient medium composition to increase the effectiveness of probiotics against intestinal infections in humans. The authors found that the tested associations of probiotic bacteria exhibited sufficient antagonistic activity to all test cultures taken in the experiment. Associations No. 2 on media 1 and 4, No. 5 on media 1 and 8, and association No. 9 on media 1 and 8 showed the greatest activity for most test cultures. These associations have a bacterial titer of nx1010colony-forming units/ml, contain proteolytic, amylolytic, and pectolytic enzymes, as well as B vitamins, such as B3, B5, B6, B8, and B12. The authors studied the resistance of selected associations of lactic acid and propionic acid bacteria to the antibiotics used, which allows these associations to be used in complex therapy if necessary. Selected nutrient media and active associations of probiotic bacteria with a wide range of biological activity and antibiotic resistance can be used to create effective targeted medicinal probiotic agents.