In the context of the major crop losses, pesticides will continue to play a key role in pest management practice in absence of practical and efficient alternatives; however, increasing awareness regarding environmental and human health impacts of conventional pesticides as well as the development of resistance and cross-resistance reduced their availability and promoted the search for alternative control strategies and reduced-risk pesticides. Among the various alternatives, a drastic re-emergence of interest in the use of plant-derived compounds, called allelochemicals, was noted and demand for an organic product is rising. Currently, azadirachtin, a tetranortriterpenoid derived from the neem seed of the Indian neem tree [Azadirachta indica A. Juss (Meliaceae)], is one of the prominent biopesticides commercialized and remains the most successful botanical pesticide in agricultural use worldwide. Azadirachtin is a powerful antifeedant and insect growth disruptor with exceptional low residual power and low toxicity to biocontrol agents, predators, and parasitoids. This review summarizes the state of the art on key azadirachtin insecticidal activities and risk assessment, identifies knowledge gaps that could serve as the basis for future research direction and highlights limitation in agricultural use and the development of novel strategies by the use of nanotechnology to control its release rate and improve its stability and sustainability.

The success of stable and long-term implant integration implies the promotion, control, and respect of the cell microenvironment at the site of implantation. The key is to enhance the implant–host tissue cross talk by developing interfacial strategies that guarantee an optimal and stable seal of soft tissue onto the implant, while preventing potential early and late infection. Indeed, implant rejection is often jeopardized by lack of stable tissue surrounding the biomaterial combined with infections which reduce the lifespan and increase the failure rate of implants and morbidity and account for high medical costs. Thin films formed by the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes are particularly versatile and attractive for applications involving cell–material contact. With the combination of the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin (Fn, purified from human plasma) and poly-L-lysine (PLL, exhibiting specific chain lengths), we proposed proactive and biomimetic coatings able to guarantee enhanced cell attachment and exhibiting antimicrobial properties. Fn, able to create a biomimetic interface that could enhance cell attachment and promote extracellular cell matrix remodeling, is incorporated as the anionic polymer during film construction by the LbL technic whereas PLL is used as the cationic polymer for its capacity to confer remarkable antibacterial properties.