Rice is one of the main cereal grains consumed on a regular basis in underdeveloped and developing nations across the globe. As a water-intensive crop, rice is particularly susceptible to drought stress, which adversely affects global food security. Global climate change has significantly increased the intensity and frequency of droughts. Drought stress strongly influences several physiological, morphological, biochemical, and agronomic parameters, directly affecting crop output. Plants use a variety of defence mechanisms, such as ROS-scavenging mechanisms, synthesis of various osmolytes, secondary metabolites, and phytohormones, to adapt to stressful environments. The candidate genes and metabolic pathways crucial to drought resistance in rice are getting revealed by recent advancements in molecular biology tools combined with enhanced breeding methodologies. In order to develop rice cultivars with increased drought tolerance, it will be extremely helpful to understand the ‘omics’ responses in rice during drought stress, particularly of tolerant genotypes. Moreover, molecular breeding techniques, enhanced agronomic management, genome editing, and genetic engineering may make substantial contributions in this regard. The integration of multi-omics methods, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and ionomics, offers a comprehensive understanding of cellular dynamics in plants under water deprivation. Therefore, it is imperative to utilize omics data from many molecular pathways to develop drought-resistant rice varieties for changing climatic circumstances. This article provides a comprehensive review of research on morpho-physiological, biochemical, molecular, and omics approaches, along with their applications in developing drought-tolerant rice varieties to address global food security concerns.
Food packaging has evolved from passive containment to dynamic systems that actively monitor and communicate product quality. Traditional intelligent packaging technologies such as sensors, indicators, and RFID tags have established significant potential in extending shelf-life and ensuring food safety. However, the reliance on synthetic dyes and nonbiodegradable materials has raised concerns regarding sustainability and consumer health. Recent advances in natural pigments, particularly anthocyanins and other plant-derived compounds, offer eco-friendly alternatives for pH-sensitive freshness indicators. Moreover, digital sensing technologies such as RFID, NFC, and smartphone-based applications enable real-time data transmission and supply chain transparency. This review proposes a hybrid approach that integrates natural pigment-based indicators with digital sensing platforms to create multifunctional, sustainable packaging solutions. These systems provide dual benefits: visible colorimetric cues for consumers and wireless data for industry stakeholders. By bridging analog and digital monitoring, hybrid intelligent packaging can reduce food waste, enhance consumer trust, and align with global sustainability goals. Future research should focus on pigment stability, biopolymer compatibility, cost-effective scaling, and regulatory frameworks to accelerate the adoption of these next-generation packaging systems.
Arsenic (As) transfer from contaminated soils to food grains is a major pathway of As entry into humans in paddy growing areas posing a serious risk to human health. This study investigates the effectiveness of irrigation water management combined with phosphate (P) and vermicompost applications, in immobilizing As and blocking its entry to rice grain. Different doses (0, 30 and 60 mg kg–1) of P, vermicompost (C), (0, 2.5 and 5.0 g kg–1) were applied under W1 (submerged) and W2 (alternate wetting and drying, AWD). Total and bioavailable As in soil were 33.8 mg kg–1 and 3.41 mg kg–1, respectively. Under different treatment combinations, As in soil was highest in amorphous hydrous oxides of Fe and Al (F3) fraction whereas least in non-specifically sorbed (F1) fraction. Arsenic content in rice grain decreased from 0.38 (P1-0 mg kg–1) to 0.25 mg kg–1 (P3-60 mg kg–1), whereas in case of vermicompost application the grain As decreased from 0.32 (C1-0 g kg–1) to 0.27 mg kg–1 (C3-5.0 g kg–1). The lowest grain As content was observed under the W2 condition with the combined application of P (P2-30 mg kg–1) and vermicompost (C2-2.5 g kg–1). Both grain and straw As were positively correlated with As associated with F1 and F2 soil fractions, whereas both showed negative correlation with As in F3, dithionite citrate bicarbonate-As, and oxalate-extractable Fe. Overall, the combined application of P (at 30 mg kg–1) and vermicompost (at 2.5 g kg–1) effectively reduced grain As content under W2. These findings suggest that combining AWD with P and vermicompost application can be a viable approach for reducing As toxicity in rice cultivation; however, field-scale validation across different soils and cultivars is required before broader recommendations can be made. Based on the graphical abstract, this study evaluates the effectiveness of irrigation water management combined with phosphate (P) and vermicompost (C) applications in immobilizing arsenic (As) and limiting its transfer to rice grains. Different doses of P and vermicompost were applied under two irrigation regimes: W1 (continuous submergence) and W2 (alternate wetting and drying, AWD). The total and bioavailable As contents in soil were 33.8 mg kg⁻¹ and 3.41 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Across all treatment combinations, the highest proportion of soil As was associated with the amorphous hydrous oxides of Fe and Al (F3), while the lowest was found in the non-specifically sorbed (F1) fraction. Under W1 conditions, As distribution was higher in labile fractions (F1 = 0.52
The present study reports the simultaneous detection of Flavobacterium columnare and Saprolegnia ferax in cultured pacu (Piaractus brachypomus), during winter. The gross lesions in moribund pacu showed erosion of fins, cotton-wool like growth on the body surface and prominent discolouration on skin and gills. Wet mount from the gill tissue showed haystacklike appearance, presumptive of columnaris disease. F. columnare was detected in gill tissues of diseased pacu by PCR using specific primers. Phylogenetic analysis of 16s rDNA amplified from DNA of diseased pacu gills revealed that the sequence belonged to genetic group 2 of F. columnare. Histopathological findings of the diseased fish showed extensive damage in gills. In addition, wet mount of surface lesions revealed long thin aseptate hyphae presumptive of oomycete infection. Skin and fin tissue from diseased pacu inoculated on GPY agar plates showed cotton wool like growth. The isolated oomycete was purified and identified as S. ferax through amplification and sequencing of ITS region. These results attribute the mortality of pacu to infection with F. columnare and S. ferax. Considering the increase of pacu culture in many countries, and specially its polyculture with major carps in India, the findings of the present study necessitate early detection of these pathogens for health management of pacu.
The growing consumer demand for healthier deep-fried foods has intensified research into innovative frying technologies that can increase product quality while mitigating health risks. Conventional atmospheric deep fat frying often leads to excessive oil uptake, degradation of heat-sensitive nutrients, and formation of underivable compounds. In this context, vacuum frying (VF) has emerged as promising alternative to obtain safe and nutritious deep-fried foods. Therefore, this study has explored the impact of VF conditions (25 kPa, 138 degrees C, 10 min) on bidirectional transport mechanisms, including moisture migration, oil absorption, and temperature distribution in Gulab jamun ball. A finite element method (FEM) based coupled 2D-axisymmetric heat and mass transfer (HMT) model, developed in COMSOL Multiphysics, was employed to simulate these processes. The simulated results showed rapid surface heating to near oil temperature, while center remained slightly below 100 degrees C. Dry basis moisture content decreased significantly, with surface moisture reducing from 0.42 to 0.05 g/g, while center declined to 0.38 g/g. Oil absorption (d.b.) progressively increased, with surface oil content increasing from 0.245 to 0.384 g/g and center achieved 0.315 g/g. Model validation showed strong agreement with experimental data (0.942 <= R 2 <= 0.994, MRE: 0.003-0.910, RMSE: 6.55 & times; 10-4 -2.843, and chi 2: 1.15 & times; 10-4 -2.929). These results confirm the accuracy of the model in successfully predicting bidirectional transport dynamics. These findings provide deeper mechanistic insight into transport phenomena occurring under VF conditions and support the optimization of processing parameters for traditional dairy based confectioneries. Through reduced oil uptake and improved nutrient retention, VF contributes significant societal potential in promoting healthier fried food options, improving public health outcomes, and advancing sustainable food processing technologies.
