Plant diseases and pests are risk factors that threaten global food security. Excessive chemical pesticide applications are commonly used to reduce the effects of plant diseases caused by bacterial and fungal pathogens. A major concern, as we strive toward more sustainable agriculture, is to increase crop yields for the increasing population. Microbial biological control agents (MBCAs) have proved their efficacy to be a green strategy to manage plant diseases, stimulate plant growth and performance, and increase yield. Besides their role in growth enhancement, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria/fungi (PGPR/PGPF) could suppress plant diseases by producing inhibitory chemicals and inducing immune responses in plants against phytopathogens. As biofertilizers and biopesticides, PGPR and PGPF are considered as feasible, attractive economic approach for sustainable agriculture; thus, resulting in a “win-win” situation. Several PGPR and PGPF strains have been identified as effective BCAs under environmentally controlled conditions. In general, any MBCA must overcome certain challenges before it can be registered or widely utilized to control diseases/pests. Successful MBCAs offer a practical solution to improve greenhouse crop performance with reduced fertilizer inputs and chemical pesticide applications. This current review aims to fill the gap in the current knowledge of plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM), provide attention about the scientific basis for policy development, and recommend further research related to the applications of PGPM used for commercial purposes.

The yellow polyphenolic pigment known as curcumin, originating from the rhizome of the turmeric plant Curcuma longa L., has been utilized for ages in ancient medicine, as well as in cooking and food coloring. Recently, the biological activities of turmeric and curcumin have been thoroughly investigated. The studies mainly focused on their antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, and cardioprotective impacts. This review seeks to provide an in-depth, detailed discussion of curcumin usage within the food processing industries and its effect on health support and disease prevention. Curcumin’s bioavailability, bio-efficacy, and bio-safety characteristics, as well as its side effects and quality standards, are also discussed. Finally, curcumin’s multifaceted uses, food appeal enhancement, agro-industrial techniques counteracting its instability and low bioavailability, nanotechnology and focused drug delivery systems to increase its bioavailability, and prospective clinical use tactics are all discussed.

Fusarium species threaten wheat crops around the world and cause global losses. The global trend is toward using biological materials such as selenium (Se) in nano form to control these fungi. Bulk selenium is toxic and harmful at high doses; however, selenium nanoparticles are safe; therefore, the aim of this study to employ the biological selenium nanoparticles (BioSeNPs) synthesized by Lactobacillus acidophilus ML14 in controlling wheat crown and root rot diseases (CRDs) induced by Fusarium spp., especially Fusarium culmorum and Fusarium graminearum, and their reflection on the growth and productivity of wheat. The ability of BioSeNPs to suppress the development and propagation of F. culmorum and F. graminearum and the CRDs incidence were also investigated. The obtained BioSeNPs were spherical with a size of 46 nm and a net charge of –23.48. The BioSeNPs significantly scavenged 88 and 92% of DPPḢ and ABTṠ radicals and successfully inhibited the fungal growth in the range of 20–40 µg/mL; these biological activities were related to the small size of BioSeNPs and the phenolic content in their suspension. Under greenhouse conditions, the wheat supplemented with BioSeNPs (100 µg/mL) was significantly reduced the incidence of CRDs by 75% and considerably enhanced plant growth, grain quantity and quality by 5–40%. Also, photosynthetic pigments and gas exchange parameters were significantly increased as compared to chemical selenium nanoparticles (Che-SeNPs) and control. This study results could be recommended the use of BioSeNPs (100 µg/mL) in reducing CRDs incidence and severity in wheat plants, enhancing their tolerance with drought and heat stress, and increasing their growth and productivity as compared to control and Che-SeNPs.

Nanotechnology has received much attention because of its distinctive properties and many applications in various fields. Nanotechnology is a new approach to increase agricultural production with premium quality, environmental safety, biological support, and financial stability. Ecofriendly technology is becoming progressively important in modern agricultural applications as alternatives to traditional fertilizers and pesticides. Nanotechnology offers an alternative solution to overcome the disadvantages of conventional agriculture. Therefore, recent developments in using nanoparticles (NPs) in agriculture should be studied. This review presented a novel overview about the biosynthesis of NPs, using NPs as nano-fertilizers and nano-pesticides, the applications of NPs in agriculture, and their role in enhancing the function of biofactors. We also, show recent studies on NPs-plant interactions, the fate and safety of nanomaterials in plants, and NPs' function in alleviating the adverse effects of abiotic stress and heavy metal toxicity. Nano-fertilizers are essential to reduce the use of inorganic fertilizers and reduce their antagonistic effects on the environment. Nano-fertilizers are more reactive, can penetrate the epidermis allowing for gradual release, and targeted distribution, and thus reducing nutrients surplus, enhancing nutrient use efficiency. We also, concluded that NPs are crucial in alleviating abiotic stress and heavy metal toxicity. However, some studies reported the toxic effects of NPs on higher plants by induction of oxidative stress signals via depositing NPs on the cell surface and in organelles. The knowledge in our review article is critical in defining limitations and future perspectives of using nano-fertilizers as an alternative to conventional fertilizers.

This study investigated the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of three Spirulina extracts (methanol, acetone, and hexane) and the biological selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) fabricated by Bacillus subtilis AL43. The results showed that Spirulina extracts exhibited antimicrobial activity against tested pathogens. Besides, Spirulina extracts significantly scavenged ABTS and DPPH radicals in a dose-dependent manner. The methanolic extract had higher total phenolic content, antimicrobial activity, and antioxidant activity than other extracts. The selenium nanoparticles were synthesized by Bacillus subtilis AL43 under aerobic conditions and were characterized as spherical, crystalline with a size of 65.23 nm and a net negative charge of −22.7. We evidenced that SeNPs possess considerable antimicrobial activity against three gram-positive, three gram-negative bacteria, and three strains from both Candida sp. and Aspergillus sp. Moreover, SeNPs were able to scavenge ABTS and DPPH radicals in a dose-dependent manner. An association was found between the total phenolic content of Spirulina and SeNPs and their biological activities. Our results indicate that Spirulina and SeNPs with significant antimicrobial and antioxidant activities seem to be successful candidates for safe and reliable medical applications.