The nutrient availability to plants is major limiting factor determining the crop production. Chemical fertilizers are, no doubt, a milestone to fulfill the nutrient deficiency but presently mankind is facing a huge threat of environment damage as well as resource depletion. At the same time population explosion is also a major concern. To feed such a large population (8.5 × 109 in 2025) unexploited resources should be used to enhance the crop production and to improve quality of soil. The various plant specific nitrogen fixing, phosphate solubilizing, potassium solubilizing and zinc mobilizing microorganisms can be used to enhance the bioavailability of nutrients to plants. This biological method is not only sustainable for long run but also economical and thus can be used as biofertilizers. These microorganisms can be commercially made available to farmers in the form of carrier based, liquid or encapsulated formulations containing latent or active forms. Apart from nutrient mobilization, they can also act as bioenhancers and biopesticides. However, efficiency and acceptance of biofertilizer among farmers is still a big concern. This review article focuses on efficiency of biofertilizers to replace or supplement the synthetic fertilizers for soil fertilization.

In the era of antibiotic resistance, probiotics have emerged as potential therapeutic alternatives to antibiotics. The probiotic potential of Lactobacillus is well known, but it is also a promising source of novel pharmaceutical products and is used in various food applications such as functional foods, antibiofilm agents, and antimicrobials. Moreover, the synthesis of various chemicals, pharmaceuticals, organic acids, biosurfactants, and bacteriocins from these bacteria has been previously reported. Because of the increasing occurrence of antibiotic resistance, biofilm infections are remarkably difficult to treat. Furthermore, recent studies have acknowledged the role of biosurfactants released by Lactobacillus sp. in restricting the development of biofilms owing to their well-known activity as a biosurfactant in biomedical and food processing industries. Biosurfactants produced by Lactobacillus sp. have shown antimicrobial activity by interfering with the biofilm formation; therefore, it is important to understand the role of biosurfactants from Lactobacillus sp. as antibiofilm agents. In this review, we attempt to focus on the problems associated with the production of pathogenic biofilms in the biomedical sciences and food industry. Furthermore, the importance of biosurfactants from probiotic Lactobacillus sp. in inhibiting biofilm production has also been discussed.