Biocontrol and Secondary Metabolites: Applications and Immunization for Plant Growth and Protection covers established and updated research on emerging trends in plant defense signaling in, and during, stress phases. Other topics cover growth at interface as a sustainable way of life and the context of human welfare and conservation of fungi as a group of organisms. Further, the book explores induced systemic resistance using biocontrol agents and/or secondary metabolites as a milestone for sustainable agricultural production, thus providing opportunities for the minimization or elimination of the use of fungicides. - Presents an overview on mechanisms by which plants protect themselves against herbivory and pathogenic microbes - Identifies the use of immunization as a popular and effective alternative to chemical pesticides - Explores how these fungi help crop plants in better uptake of soil nutrients, increase soil fertility, produce growth promoting substances, and secrete metabolites that act as bio-pesticides

Microbiologists and soil scientists will find this study compelling reading. It focuses on the role of bacterial, fungal and plant secondary metabolites in soil ecosystems. Our understanding of the biological function of secondary metabolites is surprisingly limited, considering our knowledge of their structural diversity and pharmaceutical activity. This book reviews functional aspects of secondary metabolite production, with a focus on interactions among soil organisms.

Volatiles and Metabolites of Microbes compiles the latest research and advancement in the field of volatiles, metabolites synthesized from the microbial strains such as actinomycetes, bacteria, cyanobacteria, and fungal species and their potential applications in the field of healthcare issue and sustainable agriculture. There is an urgent need to explore new and advanced biological methods for health industries and sustainable agriculture and to protect the environment from environmental pollution or contaminates, global warming, and also control the health of human beings from the side effects of various pharmaceuticals products. Focusing all these factors, Volatiles and Metabolites of Microbes explores new aspects of microorganism in terms of volatiles, enzymes, bioactive compounds synthesized from the microbes and their potential applications in the field of sustainable agriculture and health-related issues - Provides a broad aspect about volatiles, bioactive compounds, and secondary metabolites of microbes compiled in one cover - Gives the latest research and advancement in the field of volatiles, secondary metabolites, and bioactive compounds synthesized from the different microbial strains - Responds to new developments in the detection of the complex compound structures of volatiles - Offers insight to a very broad audience in Biotechnology, Applied Microbiology, Agronomy, and Pathology

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi. They cause deleterious effects on humans, animals, and plants. More than one hundred mycotoxins are known which contaminate food and feed raw materials. Fungal infection and mycotoxin contamination can occur directly in fields (pre-harvest stage), during storage, or during industrial processing (post-harvest stage). Given the proven toxicity of mycotoxins and their widespread distribution, it is necessary to prevent their occurrence in food and feed. To limit mycotoxin contamination, several techniques can be adopted at the pre-harvest or post-harvest stages. These techniques can reduce mycotoxin concentration through fungal growth reduction or mechanisms leading to mycotoxin degradation or mycotoxin detoxification (i.e., reduction of the toxicity). Until very recently, fungicides were favored to limit mycotoxin contamination by reducing fungal growth. Nonetheless, the sanitary and environmental impacts of these products and their effects on food quality encourage the development of alternative strategies based on biocontrol agents (BCAs) or natural compounds. Moreover, in some cases, fungal growth reduction can stimulate mycotoxin production. The focus of this Special Issue of Toxins is to gather the most recent advances related to reducing mycotoxin contamination in food and feed using BCAs and natural compounds. In this context, two main types of approaches can be proposed: Preventive methods that could be applied in the field, during storage, or during industrial processing and curative methods that detoxify contaminated matrices by eliminating the produced mycotoxin.

This reference work presents an authoritative review of endophytes and their applications to human welfare. Endophytes have become a class of interesting and curious microorganisms due to their intimate intra- and intercellular association with plants for competence, survival and reproduction. They can be bacteria or fungi, and they are usually non-pathogenic to their host. Endophytes have important applications in agriculture and industry, namely, they can help with plant growth, act as biocontrol agents and biosurfactant and secondary metabolite producers, and they are also rich sources of bioactive natural products. Novel and beneficial effects of endophytes are constantly emerging, and this book, divided into four sections, provides readers with the latest developments in this fast expanding field. In the first section, readers will discover the biology of the major groups of endophytes, followed by a summary of conventional and molecular tools for endophytes’ identification in Section II. The production of high-value metabolites by endophytes will be explored in the third section of this book, and in the final section, readers will find several case studies, examples and prospects for endophytes’ application in agriculture and industry. Written by leading international authors, this reference work will appeal to a wide readership, from students and researchers in the field of botany, biotechnology and agriculture to professionals interested in the production and applications of endophytic metabolites.

Biosurfactants for a Sustainable Future Explore the state-of-the-art in biosurfactant technology and its applications in environmental remediation, biomedicine, and biotechnology Biosurfactants for a Sustainable Future explores recent developments in biosurfactants and their use in a variety of cutting-edge applications. The book opens a window on the rapid development of microbiology by explaining how microbes and their products are used in advanced medical technology and in the sustainable remediation of emerging environmental contaminants. The book emphasizes the different techniques that are used for the production of biosurfactants from microorganisms and their characterization. Various aspects of biosurfactants, including structural characteristics, developments, production, bio-economics and their sustainable use in the environment and biomedicine, are addressed, and the book also presents metagenomic strategies to facilitate the discovery of novel biosurfactants producing microorganisms. Readers will benefit from the inclusion of: A thorough introduction to the state-of-the-art in biosurfactant technology, techniques, and applications An exploration of biosurfactant enhanced remediation of sediments contaminated with organics and inorganics A discussion of perspectives for biomedical and biotechnological applications of biosurfactants A review of the antiviral, antimicrobial, and antibiofilm potential of biosurfactants against multi-drug-resistant pathogens. An examination of biosurfactant-inspired control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Perfect for academic researchers and scientists working in the petrochemical industry, pharmaceutical industry, and in the agroindustry, Biosurfactants for a Sustainable Future will also earn a place in the libraries of scientists working in environmental biotechnology, environmental science, and biomedical engineering.

This handbook compiles authoritative information about fungal metabolites and their chemistry and biotechnology. The first in the reference work series “Phytochemicals”, and written by a team of international expert authors, this book provides reference information ranging from the description of fungal natural products, over their use e.g. as anticancer agents, to microbial synthesis, even spanning to the production of secondary metabolites on industrial scale. On the other hand it also describes global health issues related to aflatoxin production in foods and agriculture, including perspectives for detoxification. The handbook characterizes different compound classes derived from fungal secondary metabolites, like ergot alkaloids and aflatoxins. The discussion puts a special emphasis on how potentially useful compounds can be obtained and what applications they can find, on the one hand, and how potential dangers can be encountered on the other hand. The comprehensive chapters in this handbook will thus appeal to readers from diverse backgrounds in chemistry, biology, life sciences, and even medicine, who are working or planning to work with fungal (secondary) metabolites and their application. They provide the readers with rich sources of reference information on important topics in this field.

In the context of increasing concern for food and environmental quality, use of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) for reducing chemical inputs in agriculture is a potentially important issue. This book provides an update by renowned international experts on the most recent advances in the ecology of these important bacteria, the application of innovative methodologies for their study, their interaction with the host plant, and their potential application in agriculture.

Fungi research and knowledge grew rapidly following recent advances in genetics and genomics. This book synthesizes new knowledge with existing information to stimulate new scientific questions and propel fungal scientists on to the next stages of research. This book is a comprehensive guide on fungi, environmental sensing, genetics, genomics, interactions with microbes, plants, insects, and humans, technological applications, and natural product development.

To meet the challenge of feeding ever increasing human population, efficient, economical and environment friendly disease control methods are required. Pests are responsible for heavy crop losses and reduced food supplies, poorer quality of agricultural products, economic hardship for growers and processor. Generally, chemical control methods are neither always economical nor are they effective and may have associated unwanted health, safety and environmental risks. Biological control involves use of beneficial microorganism to control plant pathogens and diseases they cause and offers an environmental friendly approach to the effective management of plant diseases. This book provides a comprehensive account of interaction of host and its pathogens, induced host resistance, development of biological control agents for practical applications, the underlying mechanism and signal transduction. The book is useful to all those working in academia or industry related to crop protection.