The synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles for diverse applications is an active research area that involves physical and chemical methods, which typically are expensive, involve hazardous chemical reagents, use complex equipment and synthesis conditions, and consume large amounts of time and energy. Thus, green synthesis methods have emerged as eco-friendly and easy alternatives for inorganic nanoparticle synthesis, particularly the use of plant-based extracts from fruit juice, leaves, seeds, peel, stem, barks, and roots, which act as reducing, capping, and stabilizing agents, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals and circular economy principles. Therefore, diverse inorganic nanoparticles have been synthesized using plant-based extracts, including gold, silver, titanium dioxide, zinc, copper, platinum, zirconium, iron, selenium, magnesium, nickel, sulfur, cobalt, palladium, and indium nanoparticles, which exhibit different biological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, dye degradation, cytotoxic, analgesic, sedative, wound-healing, skin protection, sensor development, and plant-growth-promoting effects. Therefore, this review summarizes the advantages and limitations of plant-based extracts as reducing, capping, and stabilizing agents for inorganic nanoparticle green synthesis.

Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana L.) is rich in bioactive molecules as phenolics, which can act as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, among others; however, due to its high perishability, most of this fruit is wasted. Freezing and sun drying have been the most adopted techniques to avoid its postharvest deterioration. Nevertheless, both processes have presented some drawbacks as high storage costs and losses of bioactive molecules. Therefore, to preserve these molecules, this study compared the impact of convective airflow drying (CAD), freezing (FR), freeze drying (FD), and swell drying (SD). Total phenolics content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC), kuromanin concentration (KC), and antioxidant activity (antiradical activity (ARA) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay (TEAC)) of chokecherries were measured. “Swell drying” is a drying process coupling convective airflow drying to the Instant Controlled Pressure Drop (DIC) expansion. A central composite rotatable design was applied to optimize the DIC variables and responses. Results showed that both freezing and swell drying effectively preserve the TPC, TFC, KC, and ARA. Moreover, SD samples also presented the highest TEAC. Contrary, in the case of CAD, it caused the highest losses of both antioxidant content and activity. Swell drying remedies the shrinkage and collapsing of dried food structure, which results in a better antioxidants extraction.

The green synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) offers an alternative to chemical procedures, which can be harmful to human health due to exposure to hazardous substances and harsh synthesis conditions. The following work synthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) using a green synthesis method. As a precursor, food-grade TiO₂ was used with blueberry extract. This approach makes the process safer, cheaper, and simpler, requiring minimal effort to achieve effective TiO₂ NP synthesis. The TiO₂ NP characterization was performed by solid-state techniques, such as Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). According to the XRD diffractograms, TiO₂ NPs were obtained in the anatase phase with incidence peaks of 25.28 (101). TEM confirmed their pseudo-spherical shape with an average size of 170 nm. The 3.2 eV bandgap of TiO₂ NPs enables UV absorption, making them ideal for efficient photocatalytic degradation under sunlight. On the other hand, the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ NPs was examined using malachite green (MG) dye as a pollutant model under direct sunlight. After 30 min, a degradation of 94% was achieved. The kinetic analysis identified parabolic diffusion and modified-Freundlich kinetics as primary mechanisms, emphasizing diffusion and adsorption in electron transfer. The main reactive oxygen species (ROS) involved in the photodegradation of MG dye were h⁺ and OH^•.

The Leucaena leucocephala seeds (LLS) cotyledon proteins, globulins, and glutelins were independently hydrolyzed by Alcalase, Trypsin, and α-Chymotrypsin up to 180 min. The degree of hydrolysis (DH), antioxidant, ACE-inhibitory, and α-Amylase inhibition were assessed. The higher DH values were 76.75% and 82.71% for globulin α-Chymotrypsin, and glutelin Alcalase hydrolysates, respectively. The glutelin hydrolyzed with Trypsin showed the higher DPPH^• antioxidant activity while the higher ABTS antioxidant activity was for globulin Alcalase hydrolysate after 180 min digestion. The highest ACE-inhibitory activity was 95.44% for globulin-Alcalase hydrolysate at 180 min; while, for the α-Amylase inhibition assay, glutelin-Alcalase showed the highest values at 100 min of reaction. LLS cotyledon protein concentrates and hydrolysates with relatively low mimosine content were obtained after protein extraction. Such findings indicate the possibility of getting bioactive peptides from LLS cotyledon proteins using enzyme digestions and might be utilized for functional foods with physiological enhancer effects.

Glyphosate (GLYP) is an effective and low-cost broad-spectrum herbicide. However, this herbicide and its primary degradation product, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), have been linked with adverse human health effects. The global use of glyphosate has significantly increased in recent years, resulting in more direct and indirect human exposure. In this context, GLYP and AMPA are often detected in fresh and processed foods for adults and infants, as well as in drinking water worldwide. Diverse extraction and quantification methods for GLYP and AMPA from foods have been developed. Solid-phase extraction and QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) are the most frequently employed cleanup strategies, while LC-MS/MS is one of the most sensitive and selective techniques for detecting GLYP and AMPA in food products. Although most studies show that GLYP and AMPA concentrations in foods remain within established maximum residue limits, occasionally they exceed legal limits. Thus, the widespread presence of GLYP and AMPA in foodstuffs is a public concern that may lead to consumers exceeding the acceptable daily intake due to prolonged dietary exposure, even if levels remain within thresholds. Therefore, this review explores the different approaches and techniques used in the extraction, detection, and quantification of GLYP and AMPA in foods.

This work focuses on the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) to be used as a photocatalyst, preparing a blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) extract as a reducing agent, zinc chloride as a precursor, and NaOH as precipitating agent (1, 7 and 14 M). Characterization techniques included X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy. The XRD analysis confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite crystalline structure of ZnO NPs, while the SEM and TEM revealed a flower-like morphology. Moreover, the ZnO NPs exhibited a band gap energy in the range of 3.17 to 3.27 eV, depending on the concentration of NaOH. Regarding the photocatalytic activity, the synthesized ZnO NPs showed a photocatalytic efficiency greater than 90%, degrading malachite green (MG) dye in 60 min under sunlight. The proposed photocatalytic mechanism includes reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation (hydroxyl radicals (OH^•) and superoxide radicals (O²⁻)). The XRD and Raman analysis also revealed that the ZnO NPs maintained structural integrity after repeated photocatalytic cycles, emphasizing their stability and suitability for practical applications.