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Microbial fermentation is an indigenous process known to be adapted for centuries by different communities and folks for the improvement of the quality of the food. Quality enhancement of the food is mostly carried out by lactic acid fermentation and sometimes probiotic fermentation mainly for the elongation of shelf-life, nutritional value addition and improvement of the sensory property. Technological interventions have led to the commercial production of many indigenous probiotic foods and beverages. The article reviews varieties of ethnic and industrial probiotic food and their distribution throughout the globe. Also, the health perspective, the involvement of microorganisms and their impact on the development of the food product have been elucidated in the article. Moreover, bottlenecks and the direction of research and commercialization with regards to ethnic and industrial probiotic food are of crucial importance and are also discussed in this review.

Elephant foot yam (EFY) Lacto-pickles are crisp, tangy and are prepared by Lacto-fermentation. The study investigated the production of EFY Lacto-pickles in submerged fermentation (SmF) from EFY tubers using Lactobacillus (Lb) plantarum (MTCC-1325) as a controlled starter culture. Taguchi statistical method was used to estimate the effects of three optimum variables, [i.e., salt concentration (NaCl 8%, w/v), inoculum volume (10%, v/v), and incubation period (22 days)] on lactic acid (LA) production and shelf-life (SL) of Lacto-pickles using an L9 orthogonal array (OA) analysis. The optimum setting of the predicted value for LA production (i.e., 3.69289 g/kg) and SL of EFY Lacto-pickles (42 days) was found very approaching to the experimental value [LA (i.e., 3.873 g/kg) and SL (42 days)] supporting the validity of the technique. A significant reduction in hardness (215.0–179.0 N) and change in colour was attained with an increase in storage/shelf-life (42 days) (p ≤ 0.05) of EFY Lacto-pickles.

Lacto-pickles are tangy, crisp, and definitely not intimidating to eat. We previously standardized fermentations of elephant foot yam (EFY) into lacto-pickle using different fermentation specifications. The aims of this work were to perform the effect of starter culture strain Lactobacillus plantarum (MTCC-1325) on chemical and biochemical properties of EFY lacto-pickle. In this study, we conducted the preprocessing of blanched EFY blocks/cubes in brine (NaCl, 8%, w/v) and inoculated with the starter culture (L. plantarum MTCC-1325). The impact of L. plantarum (MTCC-1325) during lacto-pickle fermentation and its effect on the antioxidant property, structural characterization (scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)), sensory analysis, and volatilome profile (gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS)) of EFY lacto-pickle were determined. Inoculated samples showed significantly higher acidification of the brine, reaching a pH of 2.67 and titratable acidity (TA) of 2.8 g/L within 42 days of fermentation, suggesting potential antioxidant activity. The FTIR technique revealed the changes/deformation of functional groups and SEM study suggested the interaction/adhesion between starter culture L. plantarum (MTCC 1325) on EFY lacto-pickle. The starter culture used clearly influenced volatile organic compounds (VOCs) profiles of EFY lacto-pickle. Moreover, EFY lacto-pickle produced with the starter culture significantly perceived a positive response in the overall acceptance. Overall results indicated the successful and accelerated EFY lacto-pickle was achieved when using L. plantarum (MTCC-1325) as starter culture and thus the possible use of this fortified product by the consumers in their diet.

Juice processing and preservation have been regarded as age-old technologies. Opuntia spp. is a fruit that grows in a semi-arid region and marginal soils and does not require much attention for cultivation. In view of the fruits’ nutritional and sensory attributes, unique juice processing technologies have been developed for higher yield and a prolonged shelf-life. The current chapter discusses the traditional juice processing methods for Opuntia juice extraction. Also, it depicts the use of novel technologies such as ultrasound, pulsed electric fields, and high hydrostatic pressure for Opuntia juice processing. The advantages of the modern processing and the current status of the juice processing from the fruits of Opuntia spp. have been elaborated in this chapter.

One of the greatest challenges food research is facing in this century lies in maintaining sustainable food production and delivering high-quality food products and supplements. Consumer interest in healthy lifestyle and health-promoting natural products is a major driving force for the increasing global demand of biofunctional foods and food supplements. A number of commercial sources sell synthetic formulations of bioactive substances for use as food supplements. However, the bioactive enrichment of health-oriented food supplements synthesized by microorganisms (naturally occurring and/or metabolically engineered) using bioprocess route is in increased demand. The food supplements include a vast array of products, i.e., vitamins, minerals, amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), antioxidants (polyphenols, carotenoids), amino acids/peptides and their derivatives, etc. Metabolic engineering uses fermentation technology and explores industrial organisms to manufacture bioactives compounds commercially that have an edge over traditional chemical processes. This chapter is focused on the synthesis of biofunctional food supplements by conventional and metabolic engineered microorganisms, safety, and regulatory issues.

The global energy demand is increasing dramatically and an increase of 50% over the present time (2020) is expected by 2050 (U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA). In the past few decades, a major fraction of energy demand (81.4%) is met with fossil-based fuels (petroleum, natural gas, and coal). If this trend continues, the world’s overall fossil fuel stores will be depleted in less than 45 years. Unlike fossil fuels, biofuels are sustainable because they are generated by carbon in the atmosphere and renewable in nature. Traditionally, biofuels (bioethanol, biodiesel, biojet oil, etc.) have been obtained using food crops/glycophytic crops (sugarcane, corn, wheat, sweet potato, sugar beet, etc.). However, these food crops/glycophytic crops are the primary source of human food in many regions of the world. Besides, these crops cannot be grown in challenging geographical conditions such as arid and salty soils. Halophytes have great potential in restoration of degraded saline locations as well as coastal stabilization. In addition, several halophytes are sources of nonconventional cash-crop and production of cheap lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel production. In this chapter, a vision using halophyte plants as a potential source of lignocellulosic biomass for alternative biofuel production has been summarized. The economic and environmental aspects that are related to biofuel production from different halophytic plants with focus on the biomass composition and the technology employed have been emphasized.

Beverages play a vital role in the livelihood of human beings. Drinks, particularly those processed from fruits, provide nutritional and health benefits, and they also support socio-economic livelihood. Beverages have also become part of the culture and tradition among indigenous communities, being served at social gatherings, funerals, and marriages. The manufacturing processes of fermented beverages relies on age-long traditional procedures modernized with available equipment and novel processing operations. Development in science and technology has led to the conception of a variety of fermented products like cider, beer, kombucha, and wine. Although tropical and cactus fruits have been harnessed for the development of fermented beverages, these products are yet to catch global consumers’ attention. This chapter provides an overview on the different types of fermented beverages produced from Opuntia spp. with information on the composition of these beverages. Additionally, an insight into the status and scope of commercialization of beverages from Opuntia spp. as well as projections and future development areas were highlighted.

The history of fermented probiotic beverage is centuries old. The documentation of Indian probiotic beverages can be traced back to 3000 BCE. Several Indian fermented foods/beverages such as dairy (dahi, chhurpi/churapi, gheu/mar), and non-dairy-based (cereals and legumes, fruits, vegetables and ethnic) probiotic beverages are popular functional foods with many potential health benefits. In this chapter, various exploratory information/reports on traditional probiotic beverages have been collected to show their worldwide significance. The chapter also deals with the traditional/endemic raw materials available and their ethnomedical significance in mass product development to consider the growing market requirement for functional food products.

Biogenic amines (BAs) are essentially nitrogenous compounds, organic and basic in nature. They participate in several biochemical roles with both favorable and unfavorable effects on human health. BAs are detected in both raw and processed foods and can be used as an indicator of food hygienic quality index. Traditional fermented foods, associated BAs, and their implications on human health are well documented in literature. Among the traditional fermented foods, fermented vegetables that are low in BA content have gained popularity in recent years because of culinary properties and nutrition. The microorganisms with probiotic potential significantly add to the nutritional value of various fermented vegetables and reduce the BA contents. The controlled fermentation conditions, packaging, additives, appropriate use of starter culture, modulation of strain determinant, and regulating gene of inhabited microorganism at transcription level can regulate BA synthesis in fermented vegetables. In this review, the critical vision on several aspects of BAs in fermented vegetables, i.e., the risk evaluation, detection by molecular techniques, and the strategies to prevent and/or removal of BAs are discussed.

Highlights • The manifold uses of cow dung (CD) and CD microflora have been reviewed in the context of agriculture, industrial biotechnology and environmental applications. • The CD is composed undigested residue of plant matter which has passed through the animal's gut and includes water (80%), undigested residues (14.4%) and various groups of microorganisms (5.6%), including bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes. • The agriculture application of CD/ CD-base microorganisms include biological control of plant pathogens and nematodes, growth promotion by synthesis of indole-3-acetic acid and use as an organic fertilizer. • CD-based microorganisms are involved in geo-microbiological processes such as sulfur oxidation, phosphorus solubilization and zinc mobilization. • The uses of CD-microorganisms in the production of enzymes, organic acids, alternative fuels (biome thane and biohydrogen) and other biocommodities have been highlighted. • Environmental applications of CD in the context to biosorption of heavy metals, biodegradation of xenobiotics, and production of carbon-dots have been discussed., The review aims at highlighting the manifold applications of cow dung (CD) and CD microflora covering agricultural, biotechnological and environmental applications. The update research on CD microflora and CD in agricultural domain such as biocontrol, growth promotion, organic fertilizer, sulfur oxidation, phosphorus solubilization, zinc mobilization and underlying mechanisms involved in these processes are discussed. The significance of CD applications in tropical agriculture in context to climate change is briefly emphasized. The advances on genomics and proteomics of CD microflora for enhanced yield of enzymes, organic acids, alternative fuels (biomethane and biohydrogen) and other biocommodities, and environmental applications in context to biosorption of heavy metals, biodegradation of xenobiotics, etc. have been given critical attention.

The microbial infection and growth of fibroblasts are the critical factors for the effective wound healing. The natural polymer-based dressing membranes may mimic extracellular matrix to support the survival, proliferation and differentiation of fibroblasts. The present study deals with the preparation of chitosan/titanium dioxide (CS/TiO2) composite membranes with different degree of TiO2 incorporation, and their characterization in terms of morphology, ultrastructure, thermal behavior and mechanical properties with SEM, FTIR, XRD and tensile strength analyses. The data demonstrated the formation of strong O-Ti-O bonding between TiO2 and CS resulting in superior porosity, mechanical strength, crystallinity and flexibility of the composite membranes. Further, the cyto-compatibility, proliferation, oxidative stress, cell cycle and apoptosis analyses of fibroblast L929 cells demonstrated the enhanced proliferation and survival, and decreased oxidative stress and apoptosis in L929 cells grown on CS/TiO2 membrane incorporated with 025% TiO2. Next, we measured the significant up-regulation in the expression of fibroblast-markers in L929 cells cultured on CS/TiO2 (0.25%) membrane. Furthermore, the CS/TiO2 composite membranes exhibited a superior antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Taken together, the data confirmed that CS/TiO2 (0.25%) membrane improved the growth, survival and functional integrity of fibroblasts, and exerted antibacterial activity which may be utilized as potential dressing materials.

Wound healing/cicatrization is a complex series of intricate processes that involve renewal of skin/epidermis after injury. A large number of ethno-medicinal plants/plant extracts are used by tribal and folklore traditions in developing world for the treatment of wounds, burns and cuts in distinct appearances. Moreover, plants/plant extracts have a significant history and successful clinical track record as indigenous drugs in wound repair systems. This review provides detailed information on molecular and cellular mechanism of plant/plant extracts on wound healing applications and further analyses the opportunities and scope with its future openings and prospects owing to the multifaceted challenges attached with neo-tissue regeneration. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Fish oil is an abundant source of omega-3 (n-3 or ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and contains Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA). PUFAs are very effective in preventing/ inhibiting cardiovascular incidents, particularly in individuals with high cardiovascular risk/accidents. In this review, composition, extraction of fish oil and its favorable/beneficial effects in Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) and molecular mechanism for its treatment/reduction have been discussed. Moreover, the application of fish oil for preventive/protective and remedial/curative properties in nutritive and health benefits has been summarized. All these aspects further search the opportunities/hope and scope with its expected opening and anticipations/ possibilities to provide additional therapeutic substitutes for the reduction of CVDs and registration of new drugs.

In recent year, sugar- and starch-based feedstocks have not been sustainable for biorefinery due to the fact that their cultivation for food use covers the biggest percentage of production. Although lignocellulosic biomass, mainly in the form of agricultural residues, is extensively available, its conversion and utilization as biorefinery (biofuels) is still not financially competitive. One solution to this problem is the development of an alternative energy crop/tuber crop, such as the Jerusalem artichoke (JA) (Helianthus tuberosus L.). JA is native to North America and recently has been recognized as a promising biomass for the production of biofuel. The use of its tubers offers numerous benefits over conventional crops, including low input cultivation, high crop yield, ability to grow in a wide range of climates and soil conditions and high tolerance to environmental stresses, such as drought, salinity, pest, and plant diseases. Furthermore, the tubers are highly rich in inulin, which can be converted to fermentable sugars through hydrolysis. This chapter provides an overview of the potential uses of JA for the production of biofuels as well as an overview of the relevant production technologies.

Microorganisms [bacteria, fungi (yeasts and mold)] have been adopted successfully in a wide range of industries, from food and beverage processing industries to pharmaceutical operations. Additionally, microorganisms offer tremendous unexploited potential for value- added products such as amino acids, nucleotides and nucleosides, vitamins, organic acids, alcohols, exopolysaccharides, antibiotics, antitumor agents, etc., through various fermentation processes and parameters. This chapter reviews the involvement of various groups of microorganisms in fermentation. The measurement of microbial biomass, growth and kinetics, and factors affecting fermentation processes are also explained. The roles of microorganisms (bacteria and yeasts) involved in fermentation processes [solid-state fermentation (SSF) and submerged fermentation (SmF)] mostly related in processing industries are discussed.

Tropical root and tuber crops (TRCs) are found in a wide variety of production systems and used as staple food in many underdeveloped and developing countries of the world. TRCs are a pertinent source of food security since they are climatic resilient and can grow on less productive and marginal lands. In addition, productivity is higher in comparison with cereals and horticultural crops, constituting a source of income for farmers. The traditional foods from TRCs are indigenous and consumed in several parts of Africa, Asia, and in Latin America. Most of the traditional fermented food products (gari, fufu, agbelima, etc.) are functional foods rich in phytochemicals/bioactive, anti-oxidant, and probiotic components. Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts are the major group of probiotic/microorganisms associated with TRCs’ fermentation with several health benefits. Traditional foods from TRCs will spur rural industrial development and raise income for producers, processors, and traders.

Forest biomass is comprised of lignocellulosic stocks, which principally include woody materials, such as hardwoods and softwoods, and forest wastes (i.e., sawdust and pruning, and bark thinning residues, wood chips, and branches from dead trees). At present, the market of woody biomass for the production of bioethanol is very limited because of limited capital, state-of-the-art technology, and strict forest laws and rules prevalent in many countries. However, forest biomass, such as Mohua (Madhuca latifolia L.), sal (Shorea robusta L.) and bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris) trees commonly found in the tropical deciduous forests of Asian and Australian continent, have been investigated for biofuel production. The flowers and seeds of Mohua are a rich source of fermentable sugars (glucose and fructose) and have been used for bioethanol and biodiesel production, respectively. Sal seeds are also used for biodiesel production.

In recent year, konjac glucomannan (KGM) has attracted more attention due to its non-harmful and non-toxic properties, good biocompatibility, biodegradability and hydrophilic ability. Moreover, KGM and their derivatives have several importances in the multidirectional research areas such as nutritional, biotechnological and fine chemical fields. In the previous article, we have reviewed the nutritional aspects of KGM covering the various aspects of functional foods, food additives and their derivatives. This review aims at highlighting the diverse biomedical research conducted on KGM in the past ten years, covering therapies for anti-obesity, regulation in lipid metabolism, laxative effect, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, prebiotic to wound dressing applications. Moreover, this review deals with global health aspects of KGM and the disparate health related factors associated with diseases and their control measures.

Wound, burn and tissue related diseases are the most common and devastating forms of trauma worldwide and thousands are still dying each year when they are left untreated. The traditional treatments for wound infection using medicinal plant extracts in hydrogels and ointment formulations have several disadvantages, delicate shape and dry up quickly upon exposure to air. Indeed, there is need for the development of an alternative form of dressing material for wound healing applications. Because the medicinal plant products are economical, researchers have adopted a novel approach of complexing the active components of plants with various groups of polymers to develop biodegradable fabrications. Moreover, fabricated constructs are very extremely useful as scaffold in tissue regeneration with known successes in wound healing/ dressing applications that the fabricated substitutes mimic the extracellular matrix of tissue. In this review, we give an extensive overview on scientifically evaluated bioactive molecules of medicinal plants as well as plant extract blended polymeric constructs for the possible treatment of various skin injuries. In addition, the technological challenges and future trends for recent developments of the treatments of wound infections are extensively summarized. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Amorphophallus konjac (konjac) is one among the major vegetable (tuber) crops grown in Asian countries. In China and Japan, it has been used as food and a food additive for more than 1000 years. Ov...

Fermentation has been used long ago for human consumption and food production. Fermentation process is not only beneficial for prolonging the shelf life of foods, beverage, and gruel, but also fermentation can increase the nutritional value in a safe and effective manner. Nowadays, modern fermentation technologies are used for industrial food production; putting these things in mind, it is necessary to identify and optimize naturally occurring microorganisms. It is defined as starter cultures to ensure consistency and commercial viability and also ensure safety, texture, and flavor of the product. The main property is to improve the health and prevent diseases such as colorectal cancer, obesity, and osteoporosis.

Lactobacillus plantarum (widespread member of the genus Lactobacillus) is one of the most studied species extensively used in food industry as probiotic microorganism and/or microbial starter. The exploitation of Lb. plantarum strains with their long history in food fermentation forms an emerging field and design of added-value foods. Lb. plantarum strains were also used to produce new functional (traditional/novel) foods and beverages with improved nutritional and technological features. Lb. plantarum strains were identified from many traditional foods and characterized for their systematics and molecular taxonomy, enzyme systems (α-amylase, esterase, lipase, α-glucosidase, β-glucosidase, enolase, phosphoketolase, lactase dehydrogenase, etc.), and bioactive compounds (bacteriocin, dipeptides, and other preservative compounds). This review emphasizes that the Lb. plantarum strains with their probiotic properties can have great effects against harmful microflora (foodborne pathogens) to increase safety and shelf-life of fermented foods.

Alphaviruses, such as Chikungunya virus, O’Nyong–Nyong virus, Ross River virus, have been widely known to cause fever, rash, and rheumatic diseases. In addition, several other alphaviruses, for instance Eastern equine encephalitis virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, and Western equine encephalitis virus, potentially cause fatal encephalitis in humans. These diseases are considered as neglected tropical diseases for which there are no current antiviral therapies or vaccines available. The replication process in alphaviruses depends on four nonstructural proteins, NSP1–NSP4, which are produced as a single polyprotein. Therefore, the Alphavirus-mediated diseases in humans remain challenging among the virologists worldwide. Thus researchers are trying to find out proficient approaches, including the discovery of novel chemotherapeutic agents for the possible management and treatment of infected patients. Attempts were also made to identify an active compound against alphaviruses from natural sources. The genomes of various alphaviruses have already been revealed, and the function of proteins may be predicted by homology modeling, with the known proteins of closely related viruses. With the help of this information of protein modeling and subsequent virtual screening approach, the research teams will be able to identify few potential leads. The drug discovery against various alphaviruses is still in its early stages. Moreover, consolidating the available information and making it available for the scientific community are urgent requirements to expedite the research of potential drug discovery. The current chapter describes the techniques available to prevent Alphavirus infection and to treat Alphavirus-associated malignancies. In addition, we also discuss the recent outcomes in the fields of synthetic and natural medicinal chemistry research that were solely aimed to fight against Alphavirus infection. Thus the present chapter may also help and expedite the drug discovery and development of inhibitors against nonstructural proteins of various alphaviruses.

Cellulose, present in renewable lignocellulosic material, is considered to be the most abundant organic substrate on earth for production of hexose and pentose sugars, feedstock for fuel, and for other chemicals. Research on cellulase has progressed very rapidly in the past few decades with an emphasis on enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose to hexose sugars. The enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose requires the use of cellulase [1,4-(1,3:1,4)-β-D-glucan glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.4], a multiple enzyme system consisting of endo-1,4,-β-D-glucanases [1,4-β-D-glucanases (CMCase, EC 3.2.1.4)], exo-1,4,-β-D-glucanases [1,4-β-D glucan cellobiohydrolase, FPA, EC 3.2.1.91], and β—glucosidase (cellobiase) (β-D-glucoside glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.21). Major impediments to exploit the commercial potential of cellulases are the economic yield, stability, specificity, and above all, the cost of production. In the last few years, emphasis has been devoted mainly to submerged fermentation and less attention has been given to solid state fermentation (SSF). SSF refers to the process whereby microbial growth and product fermentation occur on the surface of solid materials. This process occurs in the absence of “free” water, where the moisture is absorbed to the solid matrix. The direct applicability of the product, the high product concentration, lower production cost, easy product recovery, and reduced energy requirement make SSF a promising technology for cellulase production. This chapter covers the production of cellulase in SSF using various lignocellulosic substrates, the microorganisms involved, cultural conditions, process parameters (ie, moisture content and water activity, mass transfer processes: aeration and nutrients diffusion, substrate particle size, temperature, pH, surfactants, etc.), bioreactor designs, and the strategies to improve enzyme yield.

The iron oxide nanoparticles have been synthesized in co-precipitation method using aqueous solution of ferric and ferrous ions with sodium salt. The synthesis of iron-oxide nanoparticles were validated by UV-Visible spectroscopy which showed higher peak at 370 nm as valid standard reference. An average size of iron oxide nanoparticle found by Diffraction Light scattering (DLS) particle size analyser, ranges approximately between 10 nm to 120 nm with mean particle size of 66 nm. The X-ray power diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the crystallographic structure of magnetic particles. Characterization of the mean particle size and morphology of iron oxide nanoparticles confirmed that the iron oxide nanoparticles are nearly spherical and crystalline in shape. Further the antibacterial effect of iron oxide nanoparticles was evaluated against ten pathogenic bacteria which showed that the nanoparticles have moderate antibacterial activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative pathogenic bacterial strains and retains potential application in pharmaceutical and biomedical industries.

In the bioconversion of lignocelluloses for bioethanol, pretreatment seems to be the most important step which improves the elimination of the lignin and hemicelluloses content, exposing cellulose to further hydrolysis. The present study discusses the application of dynamic statistical techniques like the Taguchi method and artificial neural network (ANN) in the optimization of pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomasses such as Hybrid Napier grass (HNG) (Pennisetum purpureum) and Denanath grass (DG) (Pennisetum pedicellatum), using alkali sodium hydroxide. This study analysed and determined a parameter combination with a low number of experiments by using the Taguchi method in which both the substrates can be efficiently pretreated. The optimized parameters obtained from the L16 orthogonal array are soaking time (18 and 26 h), temperature (60°C and 55°C), and alkali concentration (1%) for HNG and DG, respectively. High performance liquid chromatography analysis of the optimized pretreated grass varieties confirmed the presence of glucan (47.94% and 46.50%), xylan (9.35% and 7.95%), arabinan (2.15% and 2.2%), and galactan/mannan (1.44% and 1.52%) for HNG and DG, respectively. Physicochemical characterization studies of native and alkali-pretreated grasses were carried out by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transformation Infrared spectroscopy which revealed some morphological differences between the native and optimized pretreated samples. Model validation by ANN showed a good agreement between experimental results and the predicted responses.