Conifers Phytochemicals: A Valuable Forest with Therapeutic Potential.

Conifers have long been recognized for their therapeutic potential in different disorders. Alkaloids, terpenes and polyphenols are the most abundant naturally occurring phytochemicals in these plants. Here, we provide an overview of the phytochemistry and related commercial products obtained from conifers. The pharmacological actions of different phytochemicals present in conifers against bacterial and fungal infections, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are also reviewed. Data obtained from experimental and clinical studies performed to date clearly underline that such compounds exert promising antioxidant effects, being able to inhibit cell damage, cancer growth, inflammation and the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, an attempt has been made with the intent to highlight the importance of conifer-derived extracts for pharmacological purposes, with the support of relevant in vitro and in vivo experimental data. In short, this review comprehends the information published to date related to conifers' phytochemicals and illustrates their potential role as drugs.

Review on essential oils, chemical composition, extraction, and utilization of some conifers in Northwestern Himalayas.

Essential oils (EOs) are regarded as alternative therapeutic agents for many diseases. In phytotherapy research areas, it is now well reported that conifers are the rich source of EOs. This review aims to update information on the biological sources and the best extraction processes of the significant constituents along with the traditional and therapeutic properties of the EOs from selected conifers of Himachal Pradesh, Northwestern Himalaya. In the present review, ten conifer species of high values have been selected. Results from several studies suggest that the conifers contain monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, ketones, alcohols, and esters, which are used in medicines, food products, and cosmetics as well as other commercial and industrial products. Traditionally, the EOs from the conifers have been reported to be used against fever, cough, bronchitis, skin diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, and asthma. The pharmacological studies suggest that these EOs can be used as antirheumatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antitoxic, aphrodisiac, and astringent agents. It is, therefore, concluded that the EOs from the conifers might be one of the promising tools for the treatment of various diseases. Extensive research is required to ascertain the efficacy of the EOs from unstudied conifers.

Conifer-Derived Metallic Nanoparticles: Green Synthesis and Biological Applications.

The use of metallic nanoparticles in engineering and biomedicine disciplines has gained considerable attention. Scientists are exploring new synthesis protocols of these substances considering their small size and lucrative antimicrobial potential. Among the most economical techniques of synthesis of metallic nanoparticles via chemical routes, which includes the use of chemicals as metal reducing agents, is considered to generate nanoparticles possessing toxicity and biological risk. This limitation of chemically synthesized nanoparticles has engendered the exploration for the ecofriendly synthesis process. Biological or green synthesis approaches have emerged as an effective solution to address the limitations of conventionally synthesized nanoparticles. Nanoparticles synthesized via biological entities obtained from plant extracts exhibit superior effect in comparison to chemical methods. Recently, conifer extracts have been found to be effective in synthesizing metallic nanoparticles through a highly regulated process. The current review highlights the importance of conifers and its extracts in synthesis of metallic nanoparticles. It also discusses the different applications of the conifer extract mediated metallic nanoparticles.

Fruit and Vegetable Peels: Utilization of High Value Horticultural Waste in Novel Industrial Applications.

Fruits and vegetables are the highly used food products amongst the horticultural crops. These items are consumed uncooked, nominally cooked or fully cooked, according to their nature and cooking process. With the change in diet habits and rising population, the production, as well as the processing of horticultural crops, has exponentially improved to meet its increasing demand. A large amount of peel waste is generated from fruit and vegetable-based industries and household kitchen and has led to a big nutritional and economic loss and environmental problems. Processing of fruits and vegetables alone generates a significant waste, which amounts to 25-30% of the total product. Most common wastes include pomace, peels, rind and seeds, which are highly rich in valuable bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, enzymes, polyphenols, oils, vitamins and many other compounds. These bioactive compounds show their application in various industries such as food to develop edible films, food industries for probiotics and other industries for valuable products. The utilization of these low-cost waste horticultural wastes for producing the value-added product is a novel step in its sustainable utilization. The present review intends to summarize the different types of waste originating from fruits as well as vegetables peels and highlight their potential in developing edible films, probiotics, nanoparticles, carbon dots, microbial media, biochar and biosorbents.

Studies of Phytochemicals, Antioxidant, and Antibacterial Activities of Pinus gerardiana and Pinus roxburghii Seed Extracts.

Pine seeds are considered as nonwood forest products (NWFP) with regularly increasing market's demand. They can be eaten in various ways such as roasted or raw. In addition, they are included in various traditional dishes like in cookies, sauces, candies, cakes, breads, and other bakery items and, moreover, for medicinal purposes. GC-MS study is performed to analyze the phytochemical compounds present in the seed extracts of Pinus roxburghii (Chir) and Pinus gerardiana (Chilgoza). In total, 25 compounds were identified each in Chir and Chilgoza. In Chir seeds, abundantly present compounds were 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (16.6%), followed by ç-Terpinene (9.9%) and cyclohexanol, 4-ethenyl-4-methyl-3-(1-methylethenyl)-, (1à,3à,4á) (9.8%), whereas in Chilgoza seeds, the maximum amount of compound was 1-hexyl-1-nitrocyclohexane (17.3%), followed by phenol, 2,6-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl) (15.4%), and heptadecane, 2-methyl (8.4%). The total phenolic content of Chir seed sample was 1536 ± 4.35 (mg GAE/100 g), whereas in the Chilgoza seed extract was 642.66 ± 2.08 (mg GAE/100 g). The application of RP-HPLC-DAD system revealed that Chir and Chilgoza seeds have maximum quantity of catechin (15.77 ± 0.16 µg/mg and 17.49 ± 0.32 µg/mg, respectively). Both Chir and Chilgoza seed extracts exhibited significant antioxidant (radical scavenging) potential, through H2O2 (618.94 ± 21.45 µg/mL and 575.16 ± 19.88 µg/mL) and DPPH (552.60 ± 13.03 µg/mL and 429.15 ± 3.80 µg/mL) assays, respectively. Additionally, a well-known antibacterial potential was also found in both plants' dichloromethane extracts, with 64 to 256 µg/mL of minimum inhibitory concentrations. As a whole, result shows the importance of both plants as a naturally occurring phytochemical source with significant antibacterial and antioxidant activity.

Fruit and Vegetable Peel-Enriched Functional Foods: Potential Avenues and Health Perspectives.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are highly utilized commodities by health-conscious consumers and represent a prominent segment in the functional and nutritional food sector. However, food processing is causing significant loss of nutritional components, and the generation of waste is creating serious economic and environmental problems. Fruit and vegetables encompass husk, peels, pods, pomace, seeds, and stems, which are usually discarded, despite being known to contain potentially beneficial compounds, such as carotenoids, dietary fibers, enzymes, and polyphenols. The emerging interest in the food industry in the nutritional and biofunctional constituents of polyphenols has prompted the utilization of fruit and vegetable waste for developing enriched and functional foods, with applications in the pharmaceutical industry. Moreover, the utilization of waste for developing diverse and crucial bioactive commodities is a fundamental step in sustainable development. Furthermore, it provides evidence regarding the applicability of fruit and vegetable waste in different food formulations especially bakery, jam, and meat based products.

Nanohybrid Antifungals for Control of Plant Diseases: Current Status and Future Perspectives.

The changing climatic conditions have led to the concurrent emergence of virulent microbial pathogens that attack crop plants and exhibit yield and quality deterring impacts on the affected crop. To counteract, the widespread infections of fungal pathogens and post-harvest diseases it is highly warranted to develop sustainable techniques and tools bypassing traditional agriculture practices. Nanotechnology offers a solution to the problems in disease management in a simple lucid way. These technologies are revolutionizing the scientific/industrial sectors. Likewise, in agriculture, the nano-based tools are of great promise particularly for the development of potent formulations ensuring proper delivery of agrochemicals, nutrients, pesticides/insecticides, and even growth regulators for enhanced use efficiency. The development of novel nanocomposites for improved management of fungal diseases can mitigate the emergence of resilient and persistent fungal pathogens and the loss of crop produce due to diseases they cause. Therefore, in this review, we collectively manifest the role of nanocomposites for the management of fungal diseases.

A Literature-Based Update on Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.: Traditional Uses, Nutraceutical, and Phytopharmacological Profiles.

Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. (Cucurbitaceae) is an annual climbing plant, native to Asia with multiple therapeutic uses in traditional medicine. This updated review is aimed at discussing the ethnopharmacological, phytochemical, pharmacological properties, and molecular mechanisms highlighted in preclinical experimental studies and toxicological safety to evaluate the therapeutic potential of this genus. The literature from PubMed, Google Scholar, Elsevier, Springer, Science Direct, and database was analyzed using the basic keyword "Benincasa hispida." Other searching strategies, including online resources, books, and journals, were used. The taxonomy of the plant has been made by consulting "The Plant List". The results showed that B. hispida has been used in traditional medicine to treat neurological diseases, kidney disease, fever, and cough accompanied by thick mucus and to fight intestinal worms. The main bioactive compounds contained in Benincasa hispida have cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Further safety and efficacy investigations are needed to confirm these beneficial therapeutic effects and also future human clinical studies.

Pleurotus Macrofungi-Assisted Nanoparticle Synthesis and Its Potential Applications: A Review.

Research and innovation in nanoparticles (NPs) synthesis derived from biomaterials have gained much attention due to their unique characteristics, such as low-cost, easy synthesis methods, high water solubility, and eco-friendly nature. NPs derived from macrofungi, including various mushroom species, such as Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus spp., Lentinus spp., and Ganoderma spp. are well known to possess high nutritional, immune-modulatory, antimicrobial (antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral), antioxidant, and anticancerous properties. Fungi have intracellular metal uptake ability and maximum wall binding capacity; because of which, they have high metal tolerance and bioaccumulation ability. Primarily, two methods have been comprehended in the literature to synthesize metal NPs from macrofungi, i.e., the intracellular method, which refers to NP synthesis inside fungal cells by transportation of ions in the presence of enzymes; and the extracellular method, which refers to the treatment of fungal biomolecules aqueous filtrate with a metal precursor. Pleurotus derived metal NPs are known to inhibit the growth of numerous foodborne pathogenic bacteria and fungi. To the best of our knowledge, there is no such review article reported in the literature describing the synthesis and complete application and mechanism of NPs derived from macrofungi. Herein, we intend to summarize the progressive research on macrofungi derived NPs regarding their synthesis as well as applications in the area of antimicrobial (antibacterial & antifungal), anticancer, antioxidant, catalytic and food preservation. Additionally, the challenges associated with NPs synthesis will also be discussed.