Rhizoctonia solani, the causative agent of sheath blight disease in rice, poses a significant threat to agricultural productivity. Traditional management approaches involving chemical fungicides have been effective but come with detrimental consequences for the ecosystem. This study aimed to investigate sustainable alternatives in the form of antifungal peptides derived from Solanaceous plant species as potential agents against R. solani. Peptide extracts were obtained using an optimized antimicrobial peptide (AMP) extraction method and desalted using the solid-phase extraction technique. The antifungal potential of peptide-rich extracts from Solanum tuberosum and Capsicum annum was assessed through in vitro tests employing the agar well diffusion method. Furthermore, peptide-protein docking analysis was performed on HPEPDOCK and HDOCK server; and molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) of 100 ns period were performed using the Gromacs 2020.4. The results demonstrated significant inhibition zones for both extracts at concentrations of 100 mg/mL. Additionally, the extracts of Solanum tuberosum and Capsicum annum had minimum inhibitory concentrations of 50 mg/mL and 25 mg/mL, respectively with minimum fungicidal concentrations of 25 mg/mL. Insights into the potential mechanisms of key peptides inhibiting R. solani targets were gleaned from in-silico studies. Notably, certain AMPs exhibited favorable free energy of binding against pathogenicity-related targets, including histone demethylase, sortin nexin, and squalene synthase, in protein-peptide docking simulations. Extended molecular dynamics simulations lasting 100 ns and MM-PBSA calculations were performed on select protein-peptide complexes. AMP10 displayed the most favorable binding free energy against all target proteins, with AMP3, AMP12b, AMP6, and AMP15 also exhibiting promising results against specific targets of R. solani. These findings underscore the potential of peptide extracts from S. tuberosum and C. annum as effective antifungal agents against rice sheath blight caused by R. solani.

The pressing need for sustainable, plant-based alternatives is highlighted by the growing resistance of agricultural pests to synthetic pesticides. This study examined the pesticidal potential of phytocompounds from C. tora discovered by GC–MS analysis against important tomato insect (T. absoluta) and fungal pathogen (A. solani). The binding stability and interaction dynamics of specific metabolites with fungal virulence (polygalacturonase, MAP kinase HOG1, and effector AsCEP50) and insect neuromuscular (ryanodine receptor and sodium channel protein) targets were assessed using molecular docking and 100 ns molecular dynamics simulations. Among the screened compounds, squalene and 4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic acid, methyl ester (DHAME) exhibited the strongest binding affinities and conformational stability, with MM-GBSA binding free energies of −38.09 kcal·mol⁻¹ and −52.81 kcal·mol⁻¹ for squalene complexes in T. absoluta and A. solani, respectively. Persistent hydrophobic and mixed hydrophobic–polar contacts that stabilised active-site residues and limited protein flexibility were found by ProLIF analysis. These lively and dynamic profiles imply that DHAME and squalene may interfere with calcium signalling and stress-response pathways, which are essential for the survival and pathogenicity of pests. Hydrophobic interactions were further confirmed as the primary stabilising force by the preponderance of van der Waals and nonpolar solvation energies. The findings show that C. tora metabolites, especially squalene and DHAME, are promising environmentally friendly biopesticide candidates that have both insecticidal and antifungal properties. Their development as sustainable substitutes in integrated pest management systems are supported by their stability, binding efficacy and predicted biosafety.

Study’s Excerpt: • This study provides a baseline inventory of fungal species associated with onion spoilage in Kafin Hausa. • Fungal species were isolated through the direct plate method onto Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA). • Micro- and macro-morphological techniques were used for fungal identification. • Aspergillus niger (40.54%) and Alternaria alternata (16.22%) were the most dominant fungal species identified. • Adoption of improved post-harvest practices such as temperature-controlled storage is advocated in mitigating possible losses. Full Abstract: Post-harvest fungal spoilage of onions contributes to significant global economic and food security losses, with up to 30% of harvested bulbs lost annually in developing regions. A study was conducted to isolate fungal species responsible for the spoilage of onions sold at Kafin Hausa Market, Jigawa State, Nigeria. The collected onion samples were cut into pieces of about 5 mm using a sterile razor blade, cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at room temperature for 5–7 days. Fungal isolates were sub-cultured and purified onto PDA plates. Morphological identification techniques (macro- and micromorphological features) were assessed via lactophenol cotton blue staining and taxonomic keys. A total of 37 fungal isolates were obtained from 12 samples collected across 3 stations (A, B, and C). Result from the determination of frequency of occurrence show that, fungus with the highest frequency was Aspergillus niger (40.54%), followed by Alternaria alternata (16.22%), Rhizopus stolonifer (13.51%), Fusarium oxysporum (10.81%), Aspergillus flavus (8.11%), Penicillium digitatum (8.11%), and Aspergillus fumigatus (2.70%) with frequencies differing significantly across sampling stations (p < 0.05). This finding provides the first empirical documentation of onion spoilage fungi in the Kafin Hausa region of Jigawa state, Nigeria, identifying A. niger as the primary contaminant, and suggests the urgency of improved post-harvest practices (e.g., temperature-controlled storage) to mitigate losses.

Concerns regarding the safety, environmental impacts, and long-term sustainability of pesticide-dependent crop protection have intensified interest in biological control, which suppresses pest populations using natural enemies (predators, parasitoids, and pathogens) within integrated pest management (IPM) programs. This bibliometric study maps the development of biological control research from 2000 to 2025 using records retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. The publication trends, collaboration structures, leading countries and institutions, core journals, keyword co-occurrence and clustering, citation bursts, and influential cited references were examined using CiteSpace and VOSviewer. The results show a pronounced increase in publication output after 2011, indicating rapid expansion and consolidation of the field in the last decade. Keyword analyses reveal a thematic shift toward ecosystem-based framing, reflected by the growing prominence of terms such as ecosystem services, habitat management, and ecological intensification, which emphasize landscape- and management-oriented approaches to enhancing pest suppression. Cited-reference patterns highlight the persistent influence of the foundational literature on habitat manipulation, landscape complexity, and conservation biological control. Despite the field’s growth, research gaps remain in integrating biological control with emerging bioengineering tools and explicitly accounting for climate-driven variability across regions and production systems.

Study’s Excerpt/Novelty Full Abstract Athlete's foot, or Tinea pedis, is a widespread fungal infection primarily affecting the skin between the toes, caused by dermatophytes like Trichophyton rubrum and T. mentagrophytes. This study aimed to evaluate the in-vitro effects of salicylic acid and palm oil on dermatophytic fungus responsible for Athlete’s foot disease. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFC) were determined for salicylic acid and palm oil. The agar well diffusion method was used to measure the zone of inhibition at various concentrations (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) of both substances. The MIC was assessed using Sabouraud Dextrose Broth at concentrations of 3.12%, 6.25%, and 12.5%. Results indicated significant inhibitory effects of both salicylic acid and palm oil against the dermatophytes causing athlete's foot. The highest zone of inhibition was observed at 100% concentration for both substances: 5.50 mm for salicylic acid and 4.3 mm for palm oil. At 50% and 75% concentrations, the inhibition zones were 3.67 mm and 3.97 mm for salicylic acid and 2.20 mm and 3.00 mm for palm oil, respectively. The MIC for both substances was determined to be 3.12%, while the MFC was 3.12% for salicylic acid and 6.25% for palm oil, indicating stronger fungicidal properties for salicylic acid. Salicylic acid and palm oil show promise as agents against Tinea pedis. Further public health efforts are recommended to raise awareness about the prevention and transmission of the disease.