Nanopesticides and Nanofertilizers and Agricultural Development: Scopes, Advances and Applications

Excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture in order to increase yields has proved unnecessary because a large part of them remain unused and have negative effects on the environment and human health. Therefore, it is a great challenge for farmers to replace the application of pesticides and fertilizers with nanopesticides and nanofertilizers, with the aim of reducing the use of mineral fertilizers and increasing yields, as well as supporting agricultural development. This review provides a detailed overview of the classification of pesticides, commonly used nanoparticles in agriculture and their function, as well as impact of nanopesticides and nanofertilizers on the environment. The application of nanopesticides and nanofertilizers and new delivery mechanisms to improve crop productivity are reviewed and described. Particularly, the advantage of the nanoencapsulation process is emphasized for both pesticides and fertilizers. For hydrophobic pesticides, it may be a tool to provide greater stability, dispersion in aqueous media, and allowing a controlled release of the active compound, which increases its effectiveness. In nanofertilizers, micro- or macronutrients can be encapsulated by nanomaterials which allow to release of nutrients into the soil gradually and in a controlled way maintaining soil fertility, thus preventing eutrophication and pollution of water resources. Risks assessment of application of nanopesticides and nanofertilizers in agriculture are required for their correct and safe application.

Chemical Composition and Biological Significance of Thymol as Antiparasitic

Thymol is one of the most important phytochemical components because of its pharmacological and bioactive potential effects. This review focuses particularly on thymol as an alternative natural antiparasitic with potential use in the pharmaceutical industry. This is in line with the preferences of the natural products for treatment being safer and without side effects. The biosynthesis pathways of thymol and carvacrol have been discussed, and mechanism of action of thymol on parasites. Studies on thymol confirmed the activity of thymol as anti-parasite against anthelmintic, Trypanosoma ssp., Toxoplasma gondii, Leishmania spp., Plasmodium falciparum, Giardia duodenalis, Eimeria ssp., Cryptosporidium baileyi and Cryptosporidium galli.

Pineapple (<i>Ananas comosus</i>L. Merr.), Waste Streams, Characterisation and Valorisation: An Overview

Processing pineapple industry produces huge amounts of waste thus contributing to worsen the global environmental problem. Valorising pineapple waste through further processing until it is transformed into valuable products using environmentally friendly techniques is both, a challenge, and an opportunity. The aim of this review is to characterize and highlight the phytochemical constituents of pineapple peel, their biological activity, and to evaluate the current state-of-art for the utilization of pineapple waste from the processing industry for obtaining pharmaceuticals, food, and beverages, biocombustibles, biodegradable fibers, and other different usage. Pineapple residues are rich in many bioactive compounds such as ferulic acid, vitamin A and C as antioxidant, and containing alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, cardiac glycoside, steroids, triterpenoids and phytosterols may provide a good source of several beneficial properties, as well as bromelain that showed significant anticancer activity. Also, pineapple processing residues contain important volatile compounds used as aroma enhancing products and have high potential to produce value-added natural essences. Pineapple peels can be used as nonpharmacological therapeutical in the form of processed food and instant drinks;its potent natural antimicrobial properties may be applied for food conservation and as potential leads to discover new drugs to control some infectious microbial. Pineapple waste is a promising source of metabolites for therapeutics, functional foods, and cosmeceutical applications.

Parasitic Contamination of Drinking Water and Egyptian Standards for Parasites in Drinking Water

Water is life and access to clean drinking water is a fundamental human right. For human health, drinking water standards and guidelines have been developed to ensure their quality. Waterborne parasites are a great challenge and cause many diseases for humans. Thus, continuous monitoring of drinking water from the competent authorities in search of pollutants is required. The safety of drinking water for the growing population can be ensured by the correct use of water treatment technologies. Cryptosporidium is the first parasite to cause concern to health officials in the world. Also, Naegleria fowleri causes fatal cerebral infection, Acanthamoeba species that cause both cerebral and corneal disease;and Giardia which has heightened world concerns because of its severity. This study is based on highlighting on drinking water quality guidelines and standards published by the World Health Organization and some countries, especially Egypt. A growing concern globally after the scientists revealed the effects of polluted drinking water. So, a large number of the population is at risk of water pollution for the purpose of human access to clean drinking water and other uses.

Nanobiotechnology for the Detection and Control of Waterborne Parasites

Nowadays, the fast development of nanobiotechnology, has led to rapid diagnosis of important infectious diseases such as arboviruses-borne diseases, vector-borne infections and waterborne parasites diseases and others in order to reduce and avoid further dissemination of the infections within the general population. Furthermore, new nanomedicines based on the application of silver and gold nanoparticles which are less toxic, more effective, and that does not generate resistance could help to solve the problems of parasitic disease like leishmaniasis and chagas disease. It turns out that the combination of nanoparticles with antibiotics not only reduces the toxicity of both agents towards human cells but also enhances their ability to destroy bacteria by facilitating the binding of antibiotics to the microbes. Moreover, combining nanoparticles with antimicrobial peptides and essential oils with nanoparticles generates genuine synergy against microbial resistance.