The SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic a Global Emergency: The Journey from Bats to Humans

Bats are considered as the reservoirs of coronaviruses (CoVs) which resulted in severe disease outbreaks in humans. Zoonotic coronaviruses responsible for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), were originated from bats and remain highly pathogenic to humans during the last two decades. Recently, an acute respiratory disease outbreak which spread in Wuhan, China was caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) also known as 2019-nCoV, received worldwide attention. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the COVID-19 epidemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 as a public health emergency. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has been considered as the third highly pathogenic epidemic of the 21st century. The SARS-CoV-2 belongs to β-coronavirus group with highly identical genome to bat coronavirus RaTG13, assuming bat as the natural host. According to WHO as of December 21, 2020, approximately 75,479,471 persons were infected with 16,86,267 deaths in 222 countries. Whereas the in Pakistan according to WHO as of December 21, 2020, around 4 57,288 persons were infected with 9, 330 death reported in the country. Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; 2019-nCoV; Bats; Human; Epidemic; Pandemic DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/105-07 Publication date: February 28th 202

Application of Pretreatments on Banana Slices for Improving Drying Characteristics

The banana slices were subjected to pretreatment solutions for improving drying, physico-chemical and sensory characteristics.  The pretreatments were applied with four different solutions including ascorbic acid, lemon juice, sodium chloride and honey. The banana slices were cut into 5 mm and 7 mm in size, about 120 g banana slice samples were dip in each pretreatment solution for ten min. The banana slice samples were dehydrated in dehydration chamber and dried at temperatures of 60 °C for 12 to 16 hrs. Each sample was observed for physico chemical characteristics such as pH, TSS, vitamin C, total sugar and ash % and sensory analysis of their color, aroma, taste, texture and overall acceptability were observed. The results obtained showed that the banana slices treated with ascorbic acid and honey solution has the highest value of vitamin C. The results obtained for sensory analysis showed the significant difference in aroma, taste, texture and overall acceptability scores recorded for the samples pretreated with honey solutions for ten min. It is concluded from the present study that pretreatment solutions have important role in determining the final quality characteristics of dried banana slices and it has great potential application in food industries. Keywords: Banana; slices; pretreatment; ascorbic acid, honey, drying characteristics; sensory evaluation. DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/103-06 Publication date: December 31st 202

FOOD POVERTY, HUNGER AND ECONOMY

This study is focused on the interrelation of food poverty, hunger and economic values which has progressed with the economic and social policies that have the connection with the sustainable food production, marketing import and export policies of agricultural food commodities owing there values in rural and urban areas. Most of the 63% world population is facing hunger and economic problems they can be minimized through sustainable macroeconomic growth and stability to alleviate poverty, policies to provide resources throughout the world cost-effective benefit food programs, providing basic necessities of physical and social shelters for individual life. Development of Entrepreneurship among the peoples through private and government sector with fiscal and monetary flexible work practices policies were applying new technologies creating new innovative ideas focusing on competitive business strategies ideas to cross the barriers with innovation motivation and cooperation will lead the sustainable availability of food; reduce hunger with increasing economy through the world

EFFECTIVE USE OFFRESHLY HARVESTED, FREEZ DRIED AND PROCESSED USE OF POMEGRANATE (Punica granatum L.) FRUITS IN PAKISTAN

This study is based on the effective use of freshly harvested, freeze, dried and processed use of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruits in Pakistan, locally pomegranate is known as Anar. pomegranate is a seasonal fruit crop therefore, rich in many macro and micro food nutritional components to food diet of consumer by eating this in any form it active the immune system in terms of antioxidant, nutritional therapeutic, wound healing, thirst quenching and appetite properties. Pomegranate arils were always hold by outre hard cover and inside the arils were separated by white albedo membrane which gives a protection to the seed of anar. However, studies have shown that pomegranate juice and arils are rich in total carbohydrates and sugars, proteins and amino acids and also have an abundant source of vitamin C 226.8mg, vit. K 44.2mg and folate 1.5mcg. In conclusion this study focuses the health benefits of pomegranate as functional food ingredients in consumer diet to protect their health by consuming pomegranate as food supplement for health concerned

NOVEL FOODS: SUSTAINABLE FOOD PROCESS

Novel food consumption in this challenging world has grown its demand. The growing food industry has been working to produce sustainable foods by converging food safety and security in precedence additional concerned by producing various type of foods by examining the health effect benefits to consumers and its nutritional value and toxicological behaviour. Consumption strategies eliminating the undesirable food components use fewer food additives including food preservatives by replacing them through the use of new advanced technologies such as (HPP) high-pressure processing, (HHP)high hydrostatic pressure and (PEF) Pulsed electrical field and heat pasteurization are efficient methods of food production process based on food safety consumer health protection. The aim of this study is to enlighten the various novel foods and techniques used for the processing and production of sustainable and functional foods

Insights into the Evolutionary Genetic History of Pak-Turk Bottle Gourds [Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.]

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