Dr. Y.S.R. Horticultural University

The rising prevalence of diseases such as cancer, obesity, diabetes and inflammatory bowel has become a significant public health concern due to its long-term health implications worldwide. Current strategies being deployed for the treatment process are rather nonspecific and have several side effects. There is great need to find safe and alternate strategies for the prevention and treatment of diseases. Pectin, a complex plant-derived polysaccharide primarily composed of galacturonic acid, has garnered significant attention for its versatile applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and biomedical industries. This review provides a comprehensive overview of pectin, with a particular focus on low methylated modified pectin (MP). Various plant sources of pectin are discussed, highlighting waste valorization opportunities, particularly from citrus peels and other fruit by-products. The paper delves into the structural characteristics and physicochemical properties that underpin its functionality. Special emphasis is placed on the role of MP in gut health, including its fermentation by gut microbiota into short-chain fatty acids. It also explores the various sources, extraction from conventional acid to emerging green methods, physio-chemical properties and application of modified pectin.

In this work, we investigate a cosmological model based on a plane symmetric space–time, where the matter content of the Universe is described by Rényi holographic dark energy within the framework of Einstein’s theory of gravitation in the presence of massive scalar fields and cosmic strings. Exact solutions of the field equations are obtained by assuming a specific relation between the metric potentials. Observational constraints on the model parameters are obtained using the latest Hubble cosmic chronometer data through a Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis. The resulting contour plots provide tight bounds on the free parameters, and the reconstructed Hubble parameter exhibits excellent agreement with the ΛCDM model over the entire redshift range. A detailed investigation of the cosmological parameters reveals that the model successfully reproduces the standard cosmic evolution. The deceleration parameter indicates a matter-dominated, decelerating phase at early epochs (z ≥ 2), followed by a smooth transition to the present accelerated phase and an asymptotic approach to a de Sitter–like expansion in the future. The dark energy equation-of-state parameter evolves dynamically and crosses the phantom divide, exhibiting quintom-like behavior. The ωde - ω'de plane analysis places the model predominantly in the freezing region, indicating a stable and rapidly accelerating dark energy phase. Statefinder diagnostics show consistency with ΛCDM at the present epoch, with deviations toward Chaplygin gas–like behavior at late times. Furthermore, the energy condition analysis supports the accelerated expansion through the violation of the strong energy condition at late times. Overall, the model provides a physically viable and observationally consistent description of cosmic evolution beyond the standard ΛCDM scenario.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), propagated vegetatively, harbors limited genetic variability for breeding, prompting exploration of rare seed-derived half-sib progenies to generate novel recombinants. The present study investigated 263 first-generation seedling-derived half-sib progenies from five maternal accessions alongside three checks in an augmented randomized complete block design over two years (2024–2025) at Kozhikode, India. Significant genotypic variation was observed across 17 vegetative, rhizome, yield, and percentage dry recovery, with high broad-sense heritability (60–97%) for most, including total yield per plant (80.73%), primary rhizome weight (64.3%), and dry recovery (95.73%). Genotypic coefficients of variation exceeded 20% for key yield components, indicating strong selection potential. Pearson correlations highlighted strong positive associations of total yield with primary rhizome weight (r = 0.81, p< 0.01), mother rhizome weight (r = 0.60), and primary rhizome number (r = 0.57), alongside a yield–dry recovery trade-off (r = -0.20). Stepwise regression identified primary rhizome weight as the strongest predictor (adjusted R² = 0.791). Structural equation modeling confirmed vegetative growth (measured by leaf width, leaf number, petiole length) strongly influences rhizome sink strength (β = 0.860, p = 0.027), mediating indirect effects on total yield per plant. Multi-trait indices—multi-trait genotype-ideotype distance (MGIDI), multi-trait stability (MTSI), Smith-Hazel (SH), and factor analysis-ideotype (FAI)—identified 53 superior progenies (20% intensity), with 14 common selections across methods, prioritizing balanced yield, sink capacity, and stability. These findings validate seedling progenies as a practicable resource for turmeric improvement, offering observable vegetative proxies for subterranean yield traits and ideotype-based frameworks to accelerate recombination breeding.

In this paper, we investigate a Bianchi type II anisotropic cosmological model in the framework of Barrow holographic dark energy, considering both the Hubble horizon and Granda–Oliveros scale as infrared cutoffs. To obtain exact solutions of the Einstein field equations, we assume a suitable relation between the metric potentials. Using Hubble cosmic chronometer data, we constrain the model parameters and obtain the best-fit values b4 = −0.091+0.013 −0.012 and H0 = 72.3±2.7 km s−1Mpc−1. The H(z) fit shows excellent agreement with observational data and overlaps with ΛCDM at low redshifts, with mild deviations at higher z. The physical behaviour of the model is examined through a detailed analysis of cosmological parameters. The deceleration parameter q(z) reveals a smooth transition from an early decelerating phase to the present accelerating epoch. The equation of state parameter ωde shows quintom-like dynamics, evolving across the cosmological constant boundary and entering the phantom regime, consistent with late-time acceleration. Stability is tested using the squared sound speed vs2 , which remains positive in the recent Universe, ensuring classical stability. The ωde–ω’de phase plane indicates that both models lie in the freezing region, corresponding to faster acceleration. The statefinder diagnostics (r,s) and (r,q) further confirm the transition from the standard cold dark matter dominated phase to a de Sitter-like attractor, with trajectories showing clear deviations from ΛCDM.

Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) is propagated through orthotropic cuttings. The present study evaluated the influence of bio-agents on growth, anatomical and physiological attributes of black pepper cuttings under net house conditions. Three treatments were tested: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF @ 5 g per cutting), Azospirillum (@ 5 g per cutting) and an untreated control. Bio-agent application significantly enhanced vegetative growth at 60 days after transplanting (DAT). Azospirillum recorded the highest shoot height (6.95 cm), number of leaves (1.24), leaf length (5.02 cm), leaf breadth (3.60 cm) and leaf area (12.53 cm²), showing clear superiority over the control. Petiole length (2.41 cm) and internodal length (3.13 cm) were also significantly improved. Shoot girth and number of branches, however, did not differ significantly among treatments. Anatomical characteristics were positively influenced by Azospirillum, which exhibited greater lamina thickness (0.27 mm) and stomatal frequency (88.75). At 90 DAT, physiological performance was markedly enhanced under Azospirillum treatment, with maximum total dry matter production (2.68 g), chlorophyll content (19.95 SPAD units) and relative water content (68.75%), whereas root girth remained non-significant. Overall, Azospirillum @ 5 g per cutting consistently improved vegetative vigor, leaf structural traits and physiological efficiency, indicating its potential as an effective bio-inoculant for enhancing nursery establishment and quality planting material production in black pepper.