Recent advances in solar drying technology have enabled food preservation and agricultural processing of energy-friendly, clean, and sustainable developments in the rural sector of developing countries. The present review highlights the significant contributions of solar dryers in addressing energy supply challenges, and achieving the goal of sustainable development by providing affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. The present review discusses innovative approaches in solar drying techniques, direct, indirect, and hybrid systems with a focus on improving drying rates, efficiency, and overall effectiveness. Additionally, the mechanisms, advantages, and limitations of these technologies are analysed. Furthermore, complementary technologies like thermal energy storage, computational modelling, and smart control systems are developed to enhance the performance and reliability of solar drying methods. Emphasising automation, process optimisation, and environmental sustainability, the findings demonstrate the role of solar drying in reducing emissions. The present review aims to cover breadth and depth, serving as a good source of information for scientists, engineers, and policy makers on maximising the possibility of solar drying in providing a more sustainable and resilient future.

Cichorium intybus L. hairy roots (HRs), induced from chicory plants by Rhizobium rhizogenes, have demonstrated potential antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. These chicory HRs exhibit bioactivities due to the presence of chemical compounds such as polyphenols and flavonoids. In the present work, yeast extract (YE) was evaluated as a biostimulant for HRs. After 25 days of culturing HRs in a medium containing YE at two different concentrations, the sample cultivated with 50 mg/L of YE showed higher biomass accumulation than the one treated with 100 mg/L. Specifically, 50 mg/L of YE increased HR biomass approximately 2.5 times compared to the control. Additionally, YE enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities (catalase and peroxidase) by increasing phenolic and flavonoid contents. The anti-inflammatory activity was assessed using the nitric oxide (NO) inhibition test, revealing that YE-elicited HRs suppressed NO synthesis at a non-toxic concentration of 5 μg/mL. Furthermore, YE-elicited HRs inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cancer cells by approximately 20%. Overall, the present work demonstrated that YE effectively stimulated HR biomass growth while enhancing antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities, providing a promising strategy for cultivating C. intybus L. hairy roots for therapeutic applications.

The present work evaluated the effects of storage times (30, 45, and 90 days) at frozen temperature (-20°C) on biochemical composition and oxidative damage markers of Scomber scombrus fillets. The results showed a significant decrease in proteins and total lipids after the freezing process. We noted significant increases and decreases, respectively, in SFA and PUFA levels. Remarkable variations in oxidative damage markers were also observed. They were more significant after the first 30 days of storage. Therefore, it is highly recommended to consume the fish fillets, either fresh or frozen, within the period of not exceeding 45 days.

In India, the main source of buffalo meat is old buffaloes, and such spent animal meat is tough, and fetches low demand. Generally, spent animal meat is tough, and has poor binding capacity, thus unable to be consumed fresh, which necessitates different binding technologies for efficient transformation of old and spent buffalo meat into nutrient rich, value-added, restructured meat products. The present work was conducted to develop the restructured buffalo meat slices (RBMS) using egg white powder (EWP) as an innovative novel binder within the meat batter at different levels i.e. 0, 1, 2, and 3% (C, T1, T2, and T3, respectively). The developed RBMS were subjected to evaluation on efficacy of different concentrations of egg white powder on different quality characteristics during restructuring process. RBMS prepared with 3% EWP (T3) showed significantly (p < 0.01) higher cooking yield, batter stability, and water holding capacity than other treatments. RBMS prepared with 3% EWP (T3) had significantly (p < 0.01) lower diameter shrinkage in the product, and improved the moisture and protein contents in both raw batter and cooked product. The addition of EWP significantly (p < 0.01) decreased the hardness, and increased the cohesiveness values in RBMS. Significantly (p < 0.01) better instrumental colour scores and superior sensory scores were recorded in RBMS added with EWP. Scanning electron microscopy photographs of RBMS batter showed that the proteins appeared to be well formed strands in EWP-treated samples, and the solid gel network was also found strongly binding the meat gels. A well-built matrix with more thick strands was observed and further increased with increasing EWP content in RBMS added with EWP batter gels. In the case of transmission electron microscopy photographs, RBMS added with 3% EWP showed that egg proteins were evenly distributed, filling both the intracellular and some of the intercellular spaces between cells; and the egg proteins formed a continuous network, interwoven with water and muscle proteins. Based on the obtained results, the addition of EWP provided improved physico-chemical characteristics such as better proximate composition, textural quality, and instrumental colour scores; and superior sensorial scores than control samples. Therefore, the addition of 3% EWP to restructured meat batter can be recommended as a novel binder for the development of different value added and restructured meat products using buffalo meat.

The present work aimed to develop a dried hom-thong banana foam snack by incorporating egg albumin (EA) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) for foam formation, followed by air drying, offering a technological alternative for the banana pulp. The effect of EA at different concentrations (5, 7.5, and 10%), incorporated without or with the addition of CMC (0 or 0.15%) into the mixture of banana foam (w/w), on its foam properties as well as the characteristics of the snacks, was investigated. An increase in the concentration of EA from 5% up to 7.5% resulted in an increase in foaming ability with foam expansion (400.50 - 535.19%), because entrapping air in the foam was limited at a maximum concentration of 7.5% EA. However, the addition of 0.15% CMC into the mixture of banana foam containing 10% EA (10% EA + 0.15% CMC) presented the highest foam expansion (641.62%), the lowest density (0.22 g/mL), and excellent foam stability estimated from without foam drainage. Moisture content and water activity (aw) of all banana foam snacks were low (5.08 - 7.84%) after air drying at 75°C for 6 h, and the maximum aw value was less than 0.6 (0.18 - 0.25), ensuring the microbiological stability of the product at ambient temperature. When applying EA at a concentration of 5% and adding 0.15% CMC (5% EA + 0.15% CMC), the snack had high structure stability and was crispy, as its hardness and fracture force were 10.28 and 8.37 N, respectively, and a low colour negative appearance resulting from a lower browning index (BI) was found. This sample also received a high score for the sensory evaluation of appearance and overall acceptance. In comparison to the 10% EA sample, although the 5% EA + 0.15% CMC sample had lower trend for some sensory scores, its texture properties, colour, and BI values were superior. Therefore, to produce a dried banana foam snack using foam mat drying, applying EA at a concentration of 5% in addition of 0.15% CMC is recommended.

Jackfruit seeds, accounting for approximately 10 - 15% of the total fruit weight, are commonly regarded as a by-product in jackfruit processing. The present work aimed to characterise the chemical composition of jackfruit seeds, and evaluate the physicochemical properties of starch extracted from three widely cultivated jackfruit varieties in Vietnam: Thai, Nghe, and Dua. The seed moisture contents ranged from 57.91 - 60.99%, while the protein, fat, and ash contents varied from 13.50 - 15.87, 0.58 - 1.58, and 0.39 - 0.58%, respectively. The amylose contents were between 30.36 and 35.37%, with total starch contents ranging from 60.47 - 76.82%, and resistant starch (RS) contents ranging from 54.08 - 63.48%; the highest RS content was observed in the Thai jackfruit variety. In terms of mineral composition, calcium, iron, zinc, sodium, and magnesium concentrations were 5.19 - 8.81, 0.81 - 1.08, 0.53 - 0.65, 3.60 - 4.51, and 6.60 - 8.69 mg/100 g, respectively. Furthermore, the present work revealed that starch from the Thai jackfruit variety exhibited the highest swelling and oil absorption capacities, while Nghe jackfruit starch demonstrated superior gel-forming ability compared to the other two varieties. These findings provided valuable insights into the potential application of jackfruit seed starch as a functional ingredient in the formulation of health-promoting food products, emphasising the importance of optimising its utilisation in value-added food processing.

Legumes and whole grains are least preferred in processed food products owing to their lower digestibility, palatability, higher cooking time, and the presence of antinutritional factors. Sprouted flours of cereals and legumes provide nutritional advantages, and can get beyond these limitations. However, compositional differences also cause technical difficulties in processing. Consequently, research is necessary to determine the best combinations. The present work assessed the feasibility of substituting unique combinations of green gram, Bengal gram, pearl millet, and wheat with semolina in pasta. Two optimal formulations were established; one with a combination of sprouted wheat:sprouted Bengal gram:semolina (25:25:50); and the other with sprouted pearl millet:sprouted green gram:semolina (30:20:50). The consumer acceptability study yielded a good sensory score of 7.8 - 8.0 for sensory acceptability. These optimised formulations exhibited a notable increase in protein content (13.26 and 13.48%). The high in vitro protein digestibility (77.51 and 76.18%) confirmed higher bioaccessibility of protein. Meanwhile, tannins and phytates exhibited a significant decrease (p < 0.05) at 160.64 and 151.118 mg tannic acid equivalent/100 g, and 0.301 and 0.330 g/100 g, respectively. Starch and total sugars were 56.11 and 54.99%, and 8.83 and 10.50%, respectively. The DPPH inhibition activity for optimised combinations was 30.31 and 29.87%. The hardness decreased, and water absorption and cooking losses increased with higher levels of sprouted flour. The inclusion of sprouted flours improved the protein by 26 - 28%, total mineral content by 221 - 282%, and DPPH inhibition activity by 178 - 183%. The optimised combinations could effectively be utilised as nutritionally valuable pasta products based on sensory and quality parameters.

Post-harvest losses of tropical fruits have profound implications for food security and food safety. Hexanal has demonstrated high efficacy in reducing post-harvest losses, and extending the shelf life of temperate fruits. The protective effects of hexanal on tropical fruits are limited. The present review investigated the influence of hexanal treatment on the extension of shelf life in tropical fruits. A systematic review was conducted to collate existing data pertaining to hexanal treatment, its impact on the shelf life and safety of tropical fruits, and its potential mechanism of action. Literature was examined via electronic databases such as Google, Google Scholar, PubMed, and SCOPUS, spanning the period from 2012 to 2024. The findings revealed that hexanal application, at both pre- and post-harvest, had the potential to extend the shelf life, and enhance the safety of tropical fruits. Hexanal exhibits favourable effects on the physicochemical and microbial parameters during fruit storage. It was found that the effectiveness of hexanal treatment varies across species. To date, there is insufficient evidence that differentiates between tropical and temperate fruits in response to hexanal. It is suggested that the mode of action of hexanal in extending the shelf life is by affecting the calcium ion channel generating calcium signalling, subsequently inhibiting the expression of ripening-related genes such as phospholipase D. Hexanal implementation showed promising result for prolonging fruit shelf life. The transcriptomic and metabolomics studies provided information on how ripening is regulated, which is important for future shelf-life improvement through gene modification.

Dandelion is a wild herbaceous plant commonly consumed in the daily diet of Western countries. It contains large amounts of nutrients including minerals, iron, calcium, sodium, magnesium, and vitamins A, B, C, E, and K. It is also a traditional Chinese medicine with a wide range of pharmacological activities including antimicrobial. In traditional Chinese medicine, dandelion is “isogenic of medicine and food”, which may be functional as food and medicine. “Chinese herbal salad” is a usual choice for the Chinese; but, it is difficult to classify its quality and quantity. The quality relies on the place of origin or method of cultivation, and the quantity depends on the amount of dandelion used in making Chinese herbal salad for a specific function, such as antibacterial properties. Therefore, the present work designed a functional food (Chinese herbal salad) using dandelion as the ingredient, and compared different cultivation methods (soil or hydroponic) in terms of their antibacterial properties. A questionnaire survey was also conducted on the dandelion salad to verify its acceptance and suitability for use in salad recipes. This would develop a more diverse and innovative dandelion food available to the public, and promote the use of this herbal plant as a health and nutritional supplement in the daily diet.

High amount of carbohydrates present in honey poses a challenge for identifying specific phenolics and flavonoids, as these bioactive compounds are typically present in lower concentrations. Therefore, the present work aimed to investigate the chemical profiles of two Malaysian honey types, Gelam and Tualang, including their raw and polyphenol extracts. The present work also evaluated the antidiabetic property of the raw and polyphenol extracts via α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The 1H NMR metabolomics successfully differentiated between the raw and polyphenol extracts of Gelam, Tualang, and Manuka honey. A total of 18 metabolites, including phenolics/flavonoids, carbohydrates, amino acids, and organic acids were responsible for the separation of raw and polyphenol extracts of honey samples. The principal component analysis (PCA) loadings plot showed signals in the aromatic region of polyphenol extracts, potentially belonging to phenolics and flavonoids. HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of kaempferol, luteolin, isorhamnetin, hesperetin, chlorogenic acid, naringenin, ferulic acid, sinapic acid, and quercetin in honey samples. The results indicated that Gelam honey had higher total phenolic and flavonoid contents than Tualang honey. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity results revealed that the raw honey of Gelam, Tualang, and Manuka exhibited a higher percentage of inhibition at the concentration of 500 μg/mL (52.58 ± 2.43%, 39.03 ± 3.47%, and 50.54 ± 0.23%, respectively) compared to the polyphenol extracts (0.57 ± 0.05 - 1.09 ± 0.09%). The antidiabetic mechanisms of the polyphenols towards in silico molecular docking revealed rutin having the highest binding affinity (-10.1 kcal/mol) compared to other compounds. Although phenolics and flavonoids contribute to antidiabetic activity, results obtained in the present work indicated that other metabolites, such as amino acids and organic acids, were mainly responsible for the antidiabetic activity of Gelam and Tualang honey. The present work provided important information on the chemical profile and antidiabetic activity of Malaysian honey.