1.
Nanomaterials: new weapons in a crusade against phytopathogens.
Rajwade, JM, Chikte, RG, Paknikar, KM
Applied microbiology and biotechnology. 2020;(4):1437-1461
Abstract
Bacteria, fungi, viruses, and nematodes are the major causal agents of plant diseases. These phytopathogens are responsible for about 10-40% losses in productivity and quality of food crops and horticultural produce. Although eradication of pathogens is not possible, control of plant diseases has been an area of continuous improvement/research. Use of antimicrobials, bacteriophages, and biocontrol agents, natural and synthetic agrochemicals along with best farm management practices constitute integrated measures for disease control. However, the quest for new materials continues due to pesticide resistance in the pathogens, emergence of new serotypes, and accumulation of high quantities of agrochemical contaminants in the ecosystem and associated environmental hazards, specificity of biocontrol agents, succession of pathogens during the plant growth phase, etc. The emergence of "nanotechnology," a multidisciplinary field of research, has provided a plethora of nanomaterials for potential applications in the agricultural sector. Control of plant diseases requires agents that reduce the pathogen to manageable levels, tools for early-stage detection of pathogen, and compounds that elicit immune response in the host plants. Nanomaterials have in fact been assessed for their utility in all these approaches for disease control. The present review discusses nanomaterials for controlling phytopathogens, nanomaterials in plant disease diagnostics, and nanomaterials as elicitors of the plant immune system. These nanomaterials thus represent new weapons in the fight against the phytopathogens. Recent studies indicate that nanomaterials will be a crucial component in the agroecosystem.
2.
Cure of tuberculosis using nanotechnology: An overview.
Kerry, RG, Gouda, S, Sil, B, Das, G, Shin, HS, Ghodake, G, Patra, JK
Journal of microbiology (Seoul, Korea). 2018;(5):287-299
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), a major health issue of the present era. The bacterium inhabits the host macrophage and other immune cells where it modulates the lysosome trafficking protein, hinders the formation of phagolysosome, and blocks the TNF receptor-dependent apoptosis of host macrophage/monocytes. Other limitations such as resistance to and low bioavailability and bio-distribution of conventional drugs aid to their high virulence and human mortality. This review highlights the use of nanotechnology-based approaches for drug formulation and delivery which could open new avenues to limit the pathogenicity of tuberculosis. Moreover phytochemicals, such as alkaloids, phenols, saponins, steroids, tannins, and terpenoids, extracted from terrestrial plants and mangroves seem promising against M. tuberculosis through different molecular mechanisms. Further understanding of the genomics and proteomics of this pathogenic microbe could also help overcome various research gaps in the path of developing a suitable therapy against tuberculosis.