Agro-industrial wastes and their utilization using solid state fermentation: a review

Abstract Agricultural residues are rich in bioactive compounds. These residues can be used as an alternate source for the production of different products like biogas, biofuel, mushroom, and tempeh as the raw material in various researches and industries. The use of agro-industrial wastes as raw materials can help to reduce the production cost and also reduce the pollution load from the environment. Agro-industrial wastes are used for manufacturing of biofuels, enzymes, vitamins, antioxidants, animal feed, antibiotics, and other chemicals through solid state fermentation (SSF). A variety of microorganisms are used for the production of these valuable products through SSF processes. Therefore, SSF and their effect on the formation of value-added products are reviewed and discussed

An Ecological Approach to Control Pathogens of Lycopersicon esculentum L. by Slow Release of Mancozeb from Biopolymeric Conjugated Nanoparticles

To control insects, weeds, and infections in crops, old-fashioned pesticide formulations (with massive quantities of heavy metals and a variety of chemicals) are used. By biological amplification via the food chain, many of these established pesticide formulations have accumulated in living systems and caused environmental pollution. To form a nanoparticulate matrix with a diameter ranging from 322.2 ± 0.9 to 403.7 ± 0.7 nm, mancozeb was embedded in chitosan–gum acacia (CSGA) biopolymers and loadings were confirmed via TEM and FTIR. Differential scanning calorimetry analyses were carried out as part of the investigation. Inhibition of Alternaria alternata by nanoparticles (NPs) with 1.0 mg/mL mancozeb (CSGA-1.0) was 85.2 ± 0.7 % at 0.5 ppm, whereas for Stemphylium lycopersici it was 62.1 ± 0.7% in the mycelium inhibition method. NPs demonstrated antimicrobial action in pot house environments. After ten hours, the mancozeb was liberated from the nanoformulations due to polymer matrix diffusion and relaxation, compared to 2 h for commercial mancozeb. Even while drug-loaded conjugated nanoparticles have equivalent antifungal activities, they have a lower release rate and, hence, reduced toxicology compared to commercial mancozeb. Therefore, this method can be employed to implement sustainable farming techniques in the future

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) based detection of bacteria: A Review

Various diseases are caused by pathogenic bacteria and their diagnosis depends on accurate detection of pathogen from clinical samples. Several molecular methods have been developed including PCR, Real Time PCR or multiplex PCR which detects the pathogen accurately. However, every method has some limitations like low detection limit, whereas Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a powerful and novel nucleic acid amplification method, which detects the DNA at very low level compared to other methods. This method amplifies very few copies of target DNA with high specificity, efficiency and rapidity under isothermal conditions by using a set of four specially designed primers and a DNA polymerase with strand displacement activity. This review presents detection of various bacteria by LAMP method and covers their detection limit in clinical specimens.Keywords: Bacteria, Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), sensitive, rapid, simple.African Journal of Biotechnology, Vol 13(19), 1920-192

Antibacterial activities of Origanum vulgare alone and in combination with different antimicrobials against clinical isolates of Salmonella typhi

Background: Typhoid fever continues to remain a major public health problem especially in the areas where there is problem of sanitation and hygiene. The emergence of multidrug resistance of Salmonella typhi, the bacteria responsible for Typhoid to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and cotrimoxazole has further complicated the treatment and management of enteric fever. One strategy for the treatment of the multidrug resistant bacteria is to use herbs in combination with conventional drugs. The present study was done to find out the interaction effect of phenolic, nonphenolic fractions, and volatile oil of Origanum vulgare with ciprofloxacin. Materials and Methods: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) by microdilution method for individual phytoconstituents and in combination with ciprofloxacin was compared for clinically isolated bacteria from patients infected with S. typhi. Fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) and Fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) were also calculated. Results: The MIC declined to a significant level indicating synergistic relationship between ciprofloxacin and phenolic, nonphenolic fractions and volatile oil in vitro. The FICI exhibits synergistic effect for all the three samples while indifferent and antagonistic for samples and for phenolic and nonphenolic fractions. Conclusions: Present study shows that not only the formulation using O. vulgare and ciprofloxacin can overcome multidrug resistance but also will reduce the toxic effects of ciprofloxacin

Nanotechnology: The new perspective in precision agriculture

Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary research field. In recent past efforts have been made to improve agricultural yield through exhaustive research in nanotechnology. The green revolution resulted in blind usage of pesticides and chemical fertilizers which caused loss of soil biodiversity and developed resistance against pathogens and pests as well. Nanoparticle-mediated material delivery to plants and advanced biosensors for precision farming are possible only by nanoparticles or nanochips. Nanoencapsulated conventional fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides helps in slow and sustained release of nutrients and agrochemicals resulting in precise dosage to the plants. Nanotechnology based plant viral disease detection kits are also becoming popular and are useful in speedy and early detection of viral diseases. In this article, the potential uses and benefits of nanotechnology in precision agriculture are discussed. The modern nanotechnology based tools and techniques have the potential to address the various problems of conventional agriculture and can revolutionize this sector

FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING AND ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIAL OF MIXTURE OF SELECTIVE MEDICINAL PLANTS

Objectives: Even though pharmacological industries have produced a number of new antibiotics in the last three decades, resistance to these drugs by microorganisms has increased. The present study was aimed to evaluate antioxidant, antimicrobial activity and phytochemical screening of the mixture of plants extracts.Method: The antimicrobial activity of the mixture was tested by agar well diffusion assay and antioxidant or free radical scavenging activity of the mixture was assessed against 1, 1- diphenyl-2-picrylhydazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing agent. Total phenolic content and phytochemical screening was also determined to assess their corresponding effect on the antioxidant activity of the plants mixture.Result: Among all the four extracts (viz. methanol, ethanol, ethyl acetate and benzene) of mixture, methanol and ethanol extract exhibited maximum activity against L. acidophilus and S. aureus, respectively. Benzene and ethyl acetate extracts of mixture was found to be significantly effective against all fungal strains tested with the inhibition zone ranging from 26.0 ± 1.41 to 11.0 ± 0.43 mm. Ethyl acetate and benzene extract of mixture  were highly effective against A. terrus (20.5 ± 0.71 mm) and A. niger (26 ± 1.41 mm) respectively. The superoxide radical scavenging activity (as evaluated by DPPH assay) of ethanol extract of mixture at concentration of 100 μg/ml was found to be 74.54 % followed by methanol i.e. 72.10 % where as maximum metal chelating activity was observed in ethyl acetate (76.82 %) followed by methanol extract (72.91 %) and ethanol extract (62.11 %) respectively. The IC50 value of the ethanol extract of the mixture was more than that of L-ascorbic acid showing the maximum inhibitory effect followed by methanol extract as evaluated by DPPH assay while the same was higher in ethyl acetate extract as evaluated by ferric reducing agents.Conclusion: These finding provides evidence that plant mixture has strong antimicrobial and antioxidant effect and hence may be used as a source of natural antibiotics for the treatment of the diseases caused by the above pathogenic micro-organisms.Keywords: Plants mixture extracts, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity, minimum inhibitory concentration, phytochemical screenin

Fermentation: A Boon for Production of Bioactive Compounds by Processing of Food Industries Wastes (By-Products)

A large number of by-products or wastes are produced worldwide through various food industries. These wastes cause a serious disposable problem with the environment. So, now a day’s different approaches are used for alternative use of these wastes because these by-products are an excellent source of various bioactive components such as polyphenols, flavonoids, caffeine, carotenoids, creatine, and polysaccharides etc. which are beneficial for human health. Furthermore, the composition of these wastes depends on the source or type of waste. Approximately half of the waste is lignocellulosic in nature produced from food processing industries. The dissimilar types of waste produced by food industries can be fortified by various processes. Fermentation is one of the oldest approaches and there are three types of fermentation processes that are carried out such as solid state, submerged and liquid fermentation used for product transformation into value added products through microorganisms. Selections of the fermentation process are product specific. Moreover, various studies were performed to obtain or fortified different bioactive compounds that are present in food industries by-products or wastes. Therefore, the current review article discussed various sources, composition and nutritive value (especially bioactive compounds) of these wastes and their management or augmentation of value-added products through fermentation

Application of <i>Jeevamrit</i> Improves Soil Properties in Zero Budget Natural Farming Fields

Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), utilizing natural resources, multiple cropping systems, and cow-dung- and urine-based products to improve soil biology, has been practiced by thousands of farmers in India. However, without any scientific proof, this traditional and ancient technique is mocked as a bugged theory in the scientific community. In the current study, we have investigated the effect of Jeevamrit—cow-dung- and urine-based formulation—on soil chemical and microbial properties of the ZBNF field coupled with metagenomic analysis and the economics of ZBNF. The percentage increase in soil properties, such as organic carbon, available phosphorus, and available potassium, was recorded up to 46%, 439%, and 142%, respectively, while micronutrients, such as Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn, also increased up to 98%, 23%, 62%, and 55%, respectively, from 2017 to 2019. Whole genome metagenomic analysis revealed that Proteobacteria were dominantly present, and bacterial phyla including Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, and Panibacillus. On the other hand, Ascomycota was the dominating fungal phyla present in the soil sample. Further, functional analysis showed a high representation of genes/enzymes involved in amino acids and carbohydrate metabolism contributing to soil fertility, plant growth, defense, and development. Additionally, the cost–benefit ratio of ZBNF was double the farmer’s practice when tested with the rice and wheat cropping system. The results from this study provide a new proof of concept and understanding of the potential of the ZBNF component, i.e., Jeevamrit, in improving soil properties

Toxicity Assessment and Control of Early Blight and Stem Rot of <i>Solanum tuberosum</i> L. by Mancozeb-Loaded Chitosan–Gum Acacia Nanocomposites

Biopolymers such as chitosan and gum acacia are used for nanotechnological applications due to their biosafety and ecofriendly nature. The commercial fungicide mancozeb (M) was loaded into chitosan–gum acacia (CSGA) polymers to form nanocomposite (NC) CSGA-M (mancozeb-loaded) measuring 363.6 nm via the ionic gelation and polyelectrolyte complexation method. The physico-chemical study of nano CSGA-M was accomplished using dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Nano CSGA-M-1.0 (containing 1.0 mg/mL mancozeb) at 1.5 ppm demonstrated a maximum inhibition (83.8 ± 0.7%) against Alternaria solani, while Sclerotinia sclerotiorum exhibited a 100% inhibition at 1.0 and 1.5 ppm through the mycelium inhibition method. Commercial mancozeb showed an inhibition of 84.6 ± 0% and 100%, respectively, for both fungi. In pot house conditions, NCs were found to exhibit good antimicrobial activity. Disease control efficiency (DCE, in %) in pathogen-treated plants for CSGA-M-1.0 was 64.6 ± 5.0 and 60.2 ± 1.4% against early blight and stem rot diseases, respectively. NCs showed lower cytotoxicity than commercial mancozeb at the given concentration. In conclusion, both in vitro and in vivo antifungal efficacy for nano CSGA-M was found to be quite comparable but less toxic than mancozeb to Vero cell lines; thus, in the future, this formulation may be used for sustainable agriculture

Microbe-Plant Interactions Targeting Metal Stress: New Dimensions for Bioremediation Applications

In the age of industrialization, numerous non-biodegradable pollutants like plastics, HMs, polychlorinated biphenyls, and various agrochemicals are a serious concern. These harmful toxic compounds pose a serious threat to food security because they enter the food chain through agricultural land and water. Physical and chemical techniques are used to remove HMs from contaminated soil. Microbial-metal interaction, a novel but underutilized strategy, might be used to lessen the stress caused by metals on plants. For reclaiming areas with high levels of heavy metal contamination, bioremediation is effective and environmentally friendly. In this study, the mechanism of action of endophytic bacteria that promote plant growth and survival in polluted soils—known as heavy metal-tolerant plant growth-promoting (HMT-PGP) microorganisms—and their function in the control of plant metal stress are examined. Numerous bacterial species, such as Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Burkholderia, Pseudomonas, and Stenotrophomonas, as well as a few fungi, such as Mucor, Talaromyces, Trichoderma, and Archaea, such as Natrialba and Haloferax, have also been identified as potent bioresources for biological clean-up. In this study, we additionally emphasize the role of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) in supporting the economical and environmentally friendly bioremediation of heavy hazardous metals. This study also emphasizes future potential and constraints, integrated metabolomics approaches, and the use of nanoparticles in microbial bioremediation for HMs