Promising bioactive properties of quercetin for potential food applications and health benefits: A review

Naturally occurring phytochemicals with promising biological properties are quercetin and its derivatives. Quercetin has been thoroughly studied for its antidiabetic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-Alzheimer's, anti-arthritic, antioxidant, cardiovascular, and wound-healing properties. Anticancer activity of quercetin against cancer cell lines has also recently been revealed. The majority of the Western diet contains quercetin and its derivatives, therefore consuming them as part of a meal or as a food supplement may be sufficient for people to take advantage of their preventive effects. Bioavailability-based drug-delivery systems of quercetin have been heavily studied. Fruits, seeds, vegetables, bracken fern, coffee, tea, and other plants all contain quercetin, as do natural colors. One naturally occurring antioxidant is quercetin, whose anticancer effects have been discussed in detail. It has several properties that could make it an effective anti-cancer agent. Numerous researches have shown that quercetin plays a substantial part in the suppression of cancer cells in the breast, colon, prostate, ovary, endometrial, and lung tumors. The current study includes a concise explanation of quercetin's action mechanism and potential health applications

Techno-functional characteristics, and potential applications of edible coatings: A comprehensive review

This review emphasizes the growing technical and functional properties of edible coatings, as well as their numerous prospective applications. Edible coatings were developed using proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and natural polymers. These ingredients could be altered and blended to create coatings with distinct properties. Food products were coated with edible coatings in a number of ways, including dipping, spraying, brushing, rolling, or twirling the food in the coating material. The application strategy applied is dependent on the distinctive food product and the desired outcome. These coatings are at the cutting-edge of innovation and sustainability, employing organic and biodegradable components to efficiently address major environmental challenges. This study additionally investigates the many technical and practical advantages that these coatings have, such as better barrier qualities, precise release mechanisms, and integration with cutting-edge sensor technologies for continuous quality monitoring. It also emphasizes the wide variety of applications, which vary from increasing product shelf life and decreasing food waste to addressing various nutritional demands and improving food aesthetic appeal. The advancements created in the edible coatings industry highlight their crucial role in redefining accepted paradigms of food packaging, preservation, and consumption by fusing scientific advancement with culinary inventiveness are also been discussed. Innovative materials, bioactive compounds for health benefits, and packaging and coatings with less environmental impact are being researched to produce edible coatings with better functionality and sustainability

Insights on nutritional profile, nutraceutical components, pharmacological potential, and trending utilization of persimmon cultivars: A review

The commercial persimmon fruit (Diospyros kaki) is a seasonal fruit and it contains various nutrients such ascarbohydrates,vitamins, fiber, minerals, phenolic compounds (ferulic acid, p-Coumaric acid, and gallic acid) and carotenoids (β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, β-carotene, zeaxanthin, and lutein). This current review is an effort to sum up information regarding persimmon fruit's nutrient profile, bioactive potential, pharmacological potential, and its utilization in industry. Accordingly, the bioactive components such as p-Coumaric acid, epigallocatechin gallate, proanthocyanins, flavonoids, etc. and their extraction techniques such as high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), microwave-assisted extraction, and ultrasonic-assisted extraction are also highlighted. Further this review also describe the evidence based various pharmacological application of fruit and its bioactive components which have scavenging effect on active oxygen free radicals (flavonoids), prevents oxidative stress-related illnesses (p-Coumaric), promote neural degeneration and karyopyknosis in cells (tannin), may assist with hyperlipidemia and diabetes (proanthocyanidins). Overall persimmon and its components application in multiple products in various forms in the food sector can open up new avenues for its utilization, enhancing the natural flavour and bioactive components while also improving health

Effects of pre-treatments on nutritional and mineral composition of garden cress seeds (Lepidium sativum)

This study aimed to recognize an effective treatment-time combination for improving nutritional value of Garden cress seeds (GCS). In this study GCS were subjected to different pre-treatments combinations viz., BoR- boiling (10 min) + roasting (2.5, 5 and 7.5 min), BlR- blanching (3 min) + roasting (2.5, 5 and 7.5 min) and SR- soaking (12 hrs) + roasting (2.5, 5 and 7.5 min), respectively. Results revealed for proximate composition showed slight variation in protein content ranged from 21.08 to 22.90% among treatments. Results for treatment SR 2.5 showed significant (p<0.05) increase in ash content from 4.62 to 5.24%. Results reported for treatment BoR showed significant improvement in iron content (10.84 mg/100 g) with increase in roasting time i.e., treatment BoR 7.5. The significant (p < 0.05) decrease in anti-nutritional factors from 458.3 to 414.5 mg/100 g for phytates, and 152.11 to 93.93 mg/100 g for oxalates were observed in treatment SR 7.5 with maximum retention of calcium of 378 mg/100 g. It could be concluded that overall improvement in nutrient content and maximum nutrient retention was observed during soaking and subsequent roasting. Thus, treatment SR 7.5 can be considered as best pre-treatment for enhanced nutritional value and decreased antinutritional profile of GCS

Cold plasma as an emerging nonthermal technology for food processing: A comprehensive review

Cold plasma, a partially ionized gas maintained at low temperatures, has emerged as a promising nonthermal food processing technique with various applications, including food sterilization and improved agricultural output. By generating reactive species such as ions, radicals, and photons, cold plasma interacts with and modifies the surfaces of materials or living cells. This comprehensive review focuses on the microbial decontamination capabilities of cold plasma and its impact on a wide range of food products, including cereals, milk, fruits, vegetables, and meat. Cold plasma treatment offers distinct advantages over traditional methods such as heat treatment, chemical treatment, and irradiation. It effectively eliminates pathogenic microbes from food surfaces while preserving the quality, flavor, and nutritional content of the food. By sterilizing food surfaces and packaging materials, cold plasma significantly reduces the risk of harmful microorganism contamination. Moreover, it extends the shelf life of food products by eliminating germs, viruses, and other hazardous microbes. This review critically assesses the qualitative impact of plasma treatment, emphasizing the importance of selecting the appropriate cold plasma technology for various food products. To ensure the safety and effectiveness of cold plasma technology for commercial implementation, this review investigates the properties of cold plasma treatment for different food products. It examines the molecular connections between dietary components and cold plasma species, highlighting potential avenues for future research

A critical review on integrating bio fortification in crops for sustainable agricultural development and nutritional security

Numerous developing nations face epidemics that are characterized by nutritional deficiencies in both humans and animals. A further threat to nutritional quality is posed by the lack of dietary diversity, which consists predominantly of cereal-based crops lacking in essential mineral nutrients. Cereals and pulses are major food crops in backward countries; however, they often lack essential compounds, macronutrients, and micronutrients, resulting in imbalanced nutrition. Widespread malnutrition, characterized by ailments such as anemia, rickets, and scurvy, is a direct consequence of this nutritional imbalance. It is crucial to bio-fortify cereals and pulses to provide the population with balanced diets and reduce malnutrition. New breeding techniques (NBTs) such as gene editing, gene overexpression, and gene transfer from wild relatives offer alternative avenues to obtain crops with optimal nutritional profiles. This review delves into the significance of bio fortification in enhancing food crops and explores the utilization of advanced breeding methods for the development of novel bio fortified crop varieties, thereby tackling nutritional security within the realm of agriculture. It conveys a message to researchers regarding the considerable potential of bio fortification to enhance crop productivity while enriching crops with additional nutrients

Barley phytochemicals and health promoting benefits: A comprehensive review

Barley is one of the most important cereal crops cultivated in all agricultural regions across the world. Barley is high in proteins, and carbohydrates, including Beta-glucan, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. Barley is gaining popularity among agricultural and culinary experts due to its unique chemical composition and health benefits. Beta-glucans, a kind of soluble fiber found in barley, may help decrease cholesterol levels. Consuming barley could reduce total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Barley also contains antioxidant qualities and may help manage blood sugar levels. It is thought to be a beneficial supplement to a balanced diet for persons at risk of cardiovascular disease. Barley has been shown to have antitumor properties through regulating the immune system and limiting cancer cell proliferation and dissemination. Furthermore, barley possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics, which may contribute to its anticancer potential. Barley and barley-based food products have a broad range of applications in a variety of sectors, including food, beverage, bread, animal feed, and cosmetic ingredients. This review investigates the phytochemicals found in barley, such as phenolic acid, flavonoids, lignans, tocols, phytosterols, and folates. This review also highlights the health benefits of barley, such as cholesterol and blood sugar reduction, anticancer activity, anti-oxidant and detoxifying properties, anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties. This paper discusses the several properties, uses of barley, health promotion activity of barley and different aspects, as well as current and future advances in developing various value-added products of barley

Fruit based probiotic functional beverages: A review

Probiotics are living bacteria and yeasts that nourish the human body, particularly the digestive system. Fruit-based beverages are an excellent vehicle for delivering probiotics to the body since they are frequently taken in large quantities and include a number of nutrients that promote the growth of these beneficial microbes. When adding probiotics to a fruit-based drink, the probiotics must survive and remain viable in the drink until ingested. This may be accomplished by choosing probiotic strains that are known to be substantial, as well as keeping the drink at the appropriate temperatures. It's also worth noting that not all probiotics have the same characteristics, and different strains of bacteria and yeast may provide varied health advantages. Fruit-based probiotic drinks, fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and kimchi, kombucha, water kefir, and non-dairy yogurt prepared from plant-based milk are all prominent non-dairy sources of probiotics. These commodities are high in beneficial bacteria and can be used in a balanced diet to help with digestion. Individuals who are lactose intolerant or follow a vegan diet prefer these non-dairy probiotic alternatives. The purpose of this review to comprehensively cover the mechanism of fruit-based probiotics and sum-up the recent advances fruit-based probiotic beverages and value-added products from these probiotics. It covers the notion of probiotics, fruits as prebiotics, the comparative fermentation mechanism of dairy and non-dairy probiotics, and the physiochemical and sensory alterations that occur following fermentation

Promising bioactivities of postbiotics: A comprehensive review

Postbiotics are bioactive substances that are useful and are produced during fermentation in the matrix. Postbiotics are under a fragile balance in our body, excessive metabolities, may it be from any origin has a potential to hamper or interfere number of physiological processes in our body. As an innovative approach, it can be used to improve immune tolerance and treat food allergy particularly in infants and children. Postbiotics are classified on the basis of structure (peptides, teichoic acis and plasmalogens), elemental composition (as carbohydrates), proteins (p40, p75 molecule, lactocepin), vitamins (B-group), lipids (butyrates, acetate, lactate, propionates), organic acids (such as 3-phenyllactic acid and propionic) and different complex molecules (such as lipoteichoic acids, peptidoglycan-derived muropeptides). Postbiotics, mentioned above have been shown to have immunological effects by increasing mucin levels and encouraging the production of claudin and occluding. Moreover, different studies highlight postbiotics as a promising remedy for the prevention of gastrointestinal diseases and it is also considered as a treatment technique with lesser unfavourable side effects, especially in children and infants. However, future head-to-head studies will be necessary to determine the best parent cell strains, the best postbiotic dosages, and the inexpensive postbiotics in comparison to other medications. The postbiotic source, origin, extraction, synthesis, and bioactivity mechanism are all included in the review. The antibacterial mechanisms of postbiotics are discussed in this review, along with their effects on the absorption of healthy substances, the prevention of cancer, mental health, and other therapeutic qualities

Rice bran: Nutritional, phytochemical, and pharmacological profile and its contribution to human health promotion

Plant by-products being cost effective, readily available and potential source of various bioactive compounds coupled with non-extractable polyphenols are increasingly gaining attention among consumers. Rice bran, a by-product produced after milling rice kernels possess numerous health benefits due to its high nutritional value, in addition to be highly used as animal feed. Rice bran also is a rich source of dietary fiber, sterols, vitamins and various antioxidants. The present review is focused on the different types of bioactive compounds, chemical and nutritional constituents present in rice bran. Potential health benefits and biological activities of rice bran such as treatment against diabetes, cancer, inflammation have been emphasized. Various processing techniques of rice bran like ohmic heating, microwave heating, infrared heating, acid treatment and extrusion are also discussed in detail. Rice bran have the potential to be used in food sector as bioactive compound carrier, flavor enhancer, oil extraction, emulsifying agent, foaming agent and protein stabilizer