Repurposing of Marine Raw Materials in the Formulation of Innovative Plant Protection Products

Over the years, the growth of the world population has caused a huge agricultural production to support thepopulation's needs. Since plant protection products are essential to preserve agricultural crops and to optimize vital plant processes,it is crucial to use more sustainable, biodegradable, and biocompatible raw materials, without harming the environment and humanhealth. Although the development of new plant protection products is a costly process, the environmental benefits should beconsidered. In this context, marine raw materials obtained as byproducts offishing industries, possessing a wide variety ofphysicochemical and biological properties, can serve as a promising source of such materials. They have a high potential fordeveloping alternative and safe formulations for agricultural applications, not only as biocompatible excipients but also as effectiveand selective, or even both. It is also possible to promote a synergistic effect between an active substance and the biological activityof the marine polymer used in the formulation, enabling plant protection products with lower concentrations of the activesubstances. Thus, this review addresses the repurposing of marine raw materials for the development of innovative plant protectionproducts, focusing on micro- and nanoparticulate formulations, to protect the environment through more ecological and sustainablestrategies.