Essential oils (EOs) and plant extracts are sources of beneficial chemical compounds that have potential applications in medicine, food, cosmetics, and the agriculture industry. Plant medicines were the only option for preventing and treating mankind’s diseases for centuries. Therefore, plant products are fundamental sources for producing natural drugs. The extraction of the EOs is the first important step in preparing these compounds. Modern extraction methods are effective in the efficient development of these compounds. Moreover, the compounds extracted from plants have natural antimicrobial activity against many spoilage and disease-causing bacteria. Also, the use of plant compounds in cosmetics and hygiene products, in addition to their high marketability, has been helpful for many beauty problems. On the other hand, the agricultural industry has recently shifted more from conventional production systems to authenticated organic production systems, as consumers prefer products without any pesticide and herbicide residues, and certified organic products command higher prices. EOs and plant extracts can be utilized as ingredients in plant antipathogens, biopesticides, and bioherbicides for the agricultural sector. Considering the need and the importance of using EOs and plant extracts in pharmaceutical and other industries, this review paper outlines the different aspects of the applications of these compounds in various sectors.

No abstract

White biotechnology uses enzymes and microorganisms to produce value-added chemicals from renewable sources. White biotechnology provides valuable components for the food, pharmaceutical, agricultural sectors as well as other industries. Metabolic diversity in fungi, yeast, and bacteria can be exploited to produce food additives and other industrial products. This is an interesting topic for those interested in screening and metabolic testing of microorganisms, industrial biotechnology, fermentation technology, and the biological products research community. The use of microbial-derived compounds has a long history in the food industry, and compounds such as flavorings, essential amino acids, poly-unsaturated fatty acids, organic acids, gelling, etc. can be obtained from microbial sources. Also, the role of microbes in human health and wellbeing cannot be ignored. Microbes produce primary metabolites such as vitamins, nucleotides, and amino acids, as well as secondary metabolites. These secondary metabolites are used to make many drugs. In agriculture, microbes are also used to make fertilizers and biological pesticides. This paper reviews the types of bio-products obtained through biotechnology and the barriers and challenges of white biotechnology.

Algae are a large and diverse group of autotrophic organisms that are multicellular and single-celled and found in a variety of environments. Biofuel production and value-added chemicals produced through a sustainable process are represented by the biorefinery of algae. Algae are important because of the production of polysaccharides, lipids, pigments, proteins, and other compounds for pharmaceutical and nutritional applications. They can also be used as raw materials for biofuel production. Moreover, they are useful for wastewater treatment. All these factors have absorbed the attentions of researchers around the world. This review focuses specifically on the potentials, properties, and applications of algae as a sustainable renewable resource, which can be a good alternative to other sources due to their high biomass production, less land required for cultivation, and the production of valuable metabolites.