Microalgae are attracting the interest of agrochemical industries and farmers, due to their biostimulant and biofertiliser properties. Microalgal biostimulants (MBS) and biofertilisers (MBF) might be used in crop production to increase agricultural sustainability. Biostimulants are products derived from organic material that, applied in small quantities, are able to stimulate the growth and development of several crops under both optimal and stressful conditions. Biofertilisers are products containing living microorganisms or natural substances that are able to improve chemical and biological soil properties, stimulating plant growth, and restoring soil fertility. This review is aimed at reporting developments in the processing of MBS and MBF, summarising the biologically-active compounds, and examining the researches supporting the use of MBS and MBF for managing productivity and abiotic stresses in crop productions. Microalgae are used in agriculture in different applications, such as amendment, foliar application, and seed priming. MBS and MBF might be applied as an alternative technique, or used in conjunction with synthetic fertilisers, crop protection products and plant growth regulators, generating multiple benefits, such as enhanced rooting, higher crop yields and quality and tolerance to drought and salt. Worldwide, MBS and MBF remain largely unexploited, such that this study highlights some of the current researches and future development priorities.

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Enterococci are ubiquitous bacteria which frequently occur in large numbers in dairy and other food products. Although they share a number of biotechnological traits (e.g., bacteriocin production, probiotic characteristics, usefulness in dairy technology), there is no consensus on whether enterococci pose a threat as foodborne pathogens, The potential pathogenicity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), including enterococci, in human clinical infections and their association with endocarditis have recently become a matter of controversy, in spite of the fact that foods containing enterococci have a long history of safe use. This article provides literature data available on microbial ecology, biochemical properties, production of anti-Listeria bacteriocins, and potential pathogenic traits of enterococci isolated from different dairy products.

The worldwide growing consumption of proteins to feed humans and animals has drawn a considerable amount of attention to insect rearing. Insects reared on organic wastes and used as feed for monogastric animals can reduce the environmental impact and increase the sustainability of meat/fish production. In this study, we designed an environmentally closed loop for food supply in which fruit and vegetable waste from markets became rearing substrate for Hermetia illucens (BSF— black soldier fly). A vegetable and fruit-based substrate was compared to a standard diet for Diptera in terms of larval growth, waste reduction index, and overall substrate degradation. Morphological analysis of insect organs was carried out to obtain indications about insect health. Processing steps such as drying and oil extraction from BSF were investigated. Nutritional and microbiological analyses confirmed the good quality of insects and meal. The meal was then used to produce fish feed and its suitability to this purpose was assessed using trout. Earthworms were grown on leftovers of BSF rearing in comparison to a standard substrate. Chemical analyses of vermicompost were performed. The present research demonstrates that insects can be used to reduce organic waste, increasing at the same time the sustainability of aquaculture and creating interesting by-products through the linked bio-system establishment.

The study of wild strains from natural habitats is a useful means of understanding better the heterogeneity within a species of biotechnological importance, and of obtaining atypical isolates with unknown capabilities. In the present research carried out on different Lactobacillus helveticus strains isolated from natural cheese starters, it was observed that several biotechnologically important characteristics can differ greatly between strains. Biotypes were found which differ in terms of fructose, maltose and trehalose fermentation, acidifying activity, proteolytic and peptidase activity, and antibiotic and lysozyme resistance. The possibility of choosing Lact. heleveticus strains with specific biotechnological profiles will influence the quality and the variety of dairy products.

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