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Microgreens are gaining popularity as a nutritious culinary ingredient due to their nutritional profile and health benefits. However, their expansion at an industrial level is restricted owing to their short shelf life and higher microbial load. The use of edible coating is an effective strategy for maintaining the quality and extending the shelf life of fresh‐cut produce. In this research, different concentrations of Aloe vera gel (AVG) coatings (25%, 35%, and 45%) were evaluated to analyze their effects on the postharvest quality and shelf life of mustard ( Brassica juncea L.) and lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.) microgreens. Fresh‐cut microgreens coated with AVG and packed in polyethylene terephthalate clamshell (PET‐CS) containers, along with untreated control samples, were stored at 5°C and 85%–90% relative humidity for 9 days. The results demonstrated that 25% and 35% AVG‐coated microgreens significantly ( p < 0.05) reduced weight loss, electrolyte leakage, respiration rate, and microbial count. On the ninth day of storage, 25% and 35% AVG coatings reduced weight loss by 30% and 43%, respectively, in mustard microgreens and by 14% and 25%, respectively, in lettuce microgreens compared to noncoated samples. Respiration rates were notably lower in 25% and 35% AVG‐coated mustard (29–33 μL CO 2 ·g −1 ·h −1 ). Microgreens coated with 25% and 35% AVG coating maintained general acceptance based on visual quality, sensory attributes accompanied by higher ascorbic acid, chlorophyll, and antioxidant contents. Moreover, 25% and 35% AVG coatings improved consumer acceptance and marketability, offering a natural and safe solution for maintaining the postharvest quality, safety, and shelf life of microgreens.

This research analyzed the impact of exposing mung bean sprouts to ultraviolet-C (UV-C) radiation for different periods (2, 5, and 10 min). Treated sprouts were preserved at 5°C and 85-95% relative humidity for 6 days. Irradiation for 10 min effectively reduced fresh weight loss, electrolyte leakage, and microbial count and maintained the firmness of sprouts. It also positively influenced the bioactive components, including antioxidants, total phenols, and protein, potentially providing health benefits to consumers. In addition, prolonged UV-C exposure for 10 min leads to oxidative stress, marked by a rise in malondialdehyde, proline, and hydrogen peroxide content. These compounds assist in stress reduction and preserve secondary metabolites. This research implies that postharvest 10 min UV-C irradiation offers a potential approach to uphold quality while maximizing the nutritional value of mung bean sprouts.

In this study, the effect of high-pressure microfluidization on the colour and nutritional qualities of the orange carrot juice was investigated. The juice was processed at three different pressures (34.47 MPa, 68.95 MPa and 103.42 MPa) with three different passes (1, 2 and 3 passes). After that, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, carotenoids, color properties, and total soluble solids content of the processed carrot juice were evaluated. As a result, no specific trends in TPC and antioxidant activity of the juice were observed through the variations of processing conditions. However, microfluidization significantly (p < 0.05) improved the carotenoids content in carrot juice. With increasing number of pass, concentrations of β-carotene and lutein had increased significantly. Similarly, increasing process pressure initially increased carotenoid content significantly (up to 68.95 MPa), further increase pressure to 103.42 MPa did not cause significant changes in carotenoid concentration. Furthermore, color properties such as lightness, redness, yellowness, and chroma value were reduced significantly with the increase of pressure and the number of passes. The results indicated that high-pressure microfluidization could be used as a novel alternative nonthermal technology to heat pasteurization to improve the color and nutritional qualities in orange carrot juice, resulting in a desirable, high-quality juice for consumers.

The aim of the study was to screen the metabolite profile of phalsa (Grewia asiatica), an underutilized fruit crop, using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometric analysis. A total of 50 compounds were tentatively identified based on their molecular mass and characteristic fragment ions, each with less than 5 ppm of mass error. These compounds included 21 flavonols, 2 dihydroflavonols, 7 flavones, 3 flavanols, 6 anthocyanins, 3 isoflavonoids, 2 phenolic acids, 2 flavanones, and 4 other phenolics. Flavonols were the predominant group of compounds, representing around 52.6% of the total phenolics. The paper has also discussed the potentiality of phalsa as an emerging functional food for the management of various human diseases in relation to the existing literature.

This study reports the polyphenol profile of helencha (Enydra fluctuans Lour.), an underutilised, aquatic leafy vegetable, based on high resolution accurate mass analysis. The methanolic extract of helencha leaves was screened by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-QToF-MS). An in-house developed database of phytochemical metabolites was referred for compound identifications. Based on the detection of the pseudomolecular ion and at least one molecule-specific fragment ion (each with < 5 ppm of mass error), 25 potentially-bioactive phenolic compounds were putatively identified. These included 6 flavonols, 4 phenolic acids, 3 lignans, 3 flavones and 1 each of flavanol, flavanone, dihydroflavonol, tetramethoxyflavone, isoflavonoid and methylated flavonol. In addition, 3 unclassified compounds are also reported. The helencha extract showed antibiofilm properties with a potent bacteriostatic activity against the clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a human pathogenic bacteria. The complementary molecular docking studies indicated strong binding interactions of the identified compounds with the active site of LasR protein of P. aeruginosa. The in vitro and in silico study results would be useful to develop novel neutraceutical products based on helencha-extract and design new lead compounds to control the biofilm producing pathogenic microorganisms.