This review examines recent advances in corrosion inhibitor technologies, with a focus on sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions that address both industrial efficiency and environmental safety. Corrosion is a ubiquitous problem, contributing to massive economic losses globally, with costs estimated between 1 and 5% of GDP in different countries. Traditional inorganic corrosion inhibitors, while effective, are often based on toxic compounds, necessitating the development of more environmentally friendly and non-toxic alternatives. The present work highlights innovative eco-friendly corrosion inhibitors derived from natural sources, including plant extracts and oils, biopolymers, etc., being biodegradable substances that provide effective corrosion resistance with minimal environmental impact. In addition, this review explores organic–inorganic hybrid inhibitors and nanotechnology-enhanced coatings that demonstrate improved efficiency, durability, and adaptability across industries. Key considerations, such as application techniques, mechanisms of action, and the impact of environmental factors on inhibitor performance, are discussed. This comprehensive presentation aims to contribute to updating the data on the development of advanced corrosion inhibitors capable of meeting the requirements of modern industries while promoting sustainable and safe practices in corrosion management.

In recent years, food packaging has evolved from an inert and polluting waste that remains after using the product toward an active item that can be consumed along with the food it contains. Edible films and coatings represent a healthy alternative to classic food packaging. Therefore, a significant number of studies have focused on the development of biodegradable enveloping materials based on biopolymers. Animal and vegetal proteins, starch, and chitosan from different sources have been used to prepare adequate packaging for perishable food. Moreover, these edible layers have the ability to carry different active substances such as essential oils—plant extracts containing polyphenols—which bring them considerable antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. This review presents the latest updates on the use of edible films/coatings with different compositions with a focus on natural compounds from plants, and it also includes an assessment of their mechanical and physicochemical features. The plant compounds are essential in many cases for considerable improvement of the organoleptic qualities of embedded food, since they protect the food from different aggressive pathogens. Moreover, some of these useful compounds can be extracted from waste such as pomace, peels etc., which contributes to the sustainable development of this industry.

Large amounts of agro-industrial waste are being generated each year, leading to pollution and economic loss. At the same time, these side streams are rich source of active compounds including antioxidants. Recovered compounds can be re-utilized as food additives, functional foods, nutra-/pharmaceuticals, cosmeceuticals, beauty products, and bio-packaging. Advanced extraction techniques are promising tools to recover target compounds such as antioxidants from agro-industrial side streams. Due to the disadvantages of classical extraction techniques (such as large amounts of solvents, increased time of extraction, large amounts of remaining waste after the extraction procedure, etc.), and advanced techniques emerged, in order to obtain more efficient and sustainable processes. In this review paper aspects regarding different modern extraction techniques related to recovery of antioxidant compounds from wastes generated in different industries and their applications are briefly discussed.

Background: Momordica charantia Linn. (Cucurbitaceae), the wild variety of bitter melon and Morinda lucida Benth (Rubiaceae) were commonly used as a popular folk medicine in Benin. This research focused to measure the antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory effects of M. charantia and M. lucida leaves and their antidiabetic activity. Methods: Antioxidant activities were evaluated by micro-dilution technique using DPPH free radical scavenging activity and β-carotene-linoleate bleaching assay. The α-amylase inhibition assay was carried out utilizing the 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid procedure, while β-glucosidase inhibition assay was demonstrated using as substrate p-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (PNPG). HPLC-DAD analysis was realized using a high-performance liquid chromatography systems with diode-array detector, L-3000. Results: Chlorogenic acid, epicatechin, daidzein, rutin, naringin, quercetin, naringenin and genistein were identified as polyphenol compounds in the both plants extract. Dichloromethane and ethyl acetate extracts showed a good α-amylase inhibitory activity (56.46 ± 1.96% and 58.76 ± 2.74% respectively). M. lucida methanolic extract has shown IC₅₀ of 0.51 ± 0.01 mg/mL, which is the lowest for DPPH scavenging activity. M. lucida dichloromethane extract showed the highest inhibitory capacity of β-glucosidase activity (82.11. ± 2.15%). Conclusion: These results justify some traditional medicinal uses of both plants. The purified fractions could be used in future formulations, possibly incorporated in functional foods to combat certain diseases.

The development of methods for obtaining new materials with antimicrobial properties, based on green chemistry principles has been a target of research over the past few years. The present paper describes the phyto-mediated synthesis of metallic nano-architectures (gold and silver) via an ethanolic extract of Melissa officinalis L. (obtained by accelerated solvent extraction). Different analytic methods were applied for the evaluation of the extract composition, as well as for the characterization of the phyto-synthesized materials. The cytogenotoxicity of the synthesized materials was evaluated by Allium cepa assay, while the antimicrobial activity was examined by applying both qualitative and quantitative methods. The results demonstrate the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (average diameter 13 nm) and gold nanoparticles (diameter of ca. 10 nm); the bi-metallic nanoparticles proved to have a core-shell flower-like structure, composed of smaller particles (ca. 8 nm). The Ag nanoparticles were found not active on nuclear DNA damage. The Au nanoparticles appeared nucleoprotective, but were aggressive in generating clastogenic aberrations in A. cepa root meristematic cells. Results of the antimicrobial assays show that silver nanoparticles were active against most of the tested strains, as the lowest MIC value being obtained against B. cereus (approx. 0.0015 mM).