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The literature is full of studies reporting environmental and health issues related to using traditional pesticides in food production and storage. Fortunately, alternatives have arisen in the last few decades, showing that organic agriculture is possible and economically feasible. And in this scenario, fungi may be helpful. In the natural environment, when associated with plants, these microorganisms offer plant-growth-promoting molecules, facilitate plant nutrient uptake, and antagonize phytopathogens. It is true that fungi can also be phytopathogenic, but even they can benefit agriculture in some way—since pathogenicity is species-specific, these fungi are shown to be useful against weeds (as bioherbicides). Finally, plant-associated yeasts and molds are natural biofactories, and the metabolites they produce while dwelling in leaves, flowers, roots, or the rhizosphere have the potential to be employed in different industrial activities. By addressing all these subjects, this manuscript comprehensively reviews the biotechnological uses of plant-associated fungi and, in addition, aims to sensitize academics, researchers, and investors to new alternatives for healthier and more environmentally friendly production processes.

Mangroves are ecosystems with unique characteristics due to the high salinity and amount of organic matter that house a rich biodiversity. Fungi have aroused much interest as they are an important natural source for the discovery of new bioactive compounds, with potential biotechnological and pharmacological interest. This review aims to highlight endophytic fungi isolated from mangrove plant species and the isolated bioactive compounds and their bioactivity against protozoa, bacteria and pathogenic viruses. Knowledge about this type of ecosystem is of great relevance for its preservation and as a source of new molecules for the control of pathogens that may be of importance for human, animal and environmental health.

In this study, nifedipine (NFP)-loaded polymeric nanocapsules were prepared and characterised with a view to protect the drug from degradation. Nanocapsule suspensions were prepared using two different surfactants (pluronic F68 and polyvinyl alcohol). Physicochemical stability and in vivoantihypertensive effect were evaluated. The particle size, zeta potential and entrapment efficiency remained constant during a period of 28 days of exposure under light irradiation. A smaller particle size and a higher zeta potential were obtained for the nanocapsules prepared with Pluronic F68 as surfactant. The solid drug and the nanocapsules were submitted to light exposure for 28 days. After this period of time, the percentage of drug remaining in the PF68NFP and PVANFP nanocapsules was 28.1% and 21.3%, respectively. In contrast, the solid drug was completely degraded after 4 days, suggesting that the nanocapsule suspensions promoted significant protection of the drug against light exposure. In addition, in vivo studies were carried out, which demonstrated that the formulations with polyvinyl alcohol exhibited a very rapid onset of action after oral administration in rats and led to faster drug release. The nanoparticles developed can be considered as an alternative for improving NFP stability in liquid formulations.

Yeasts are the most used microorganisms for biotechnological purposes. Although they have been mainly recognized for their application in the beverage and bioethanol industries, these microorganisms can be efficiently employed in pharmaceutical and food production companies. In these industrial sectors, yeasts are highly desirable for their capacity to produce bioactive compounds from simple substrates, including wastes. In this review, we present the state of the art of bioactive compound production in microbial cell factories and analyze the avenues to increase the productivity of these molecules, which benefit human and environmental health. The article addresses their vast biological activities, from preventing to treating human diseases and from pre to postharvest control on agroindustrial streams. Furthermore, different yeast species, genetically engineered or not, are herein presented not only as biofactories of the referred to compounds but also as their targets. This comprehensive analysis of the literature points out the significant roles of biodiversity, bioprospection, and genome editing tools on the microbial production of bioactive compounds and reveals the value of these approaches from the one health perspective.

Herpes viruses are widespread in the human population and can cause many different diseases. Genital herpes is common and can increase the risk of HIV infection and neonatal herpes. Acyclovir is the most used drug for herpes treatment; however, it presents some disadvantages due to its poor oral bioavailability. In this study, some ethylene vinyl acetate devices with different acyclovir amounts (0, 10, and 20 wt.%) were manufactured by fused filament fabrication in two different geometries, an intrauterine device, and an intravaginal ring. Thermal analyses suggested that the crystallinity of EVA decreased up to 8% for the sample loaded with 20 wt.% of acyclovir. DSC, SEM, and FTIR analyses confirmed that the drug was successfully incorporated into the EVA matrix. Moreover, the drug release tests suggested a burst release during the first 24 h followed by a slower release rate sustained up to 80 days. Biological assays showed the biocompatibility of the EVA/ACV device, as well as a 99% reduction in vitro replication of HSV-1. Finally, the EVA presented a suitable performance for 3D printing manufacturing that can contribute to developing personalized solutions for long-term herpes treatment.