This study addressed the research gap in the comprehensive elemental profiling and bio-accessibility assessment of various plant parts of two indigenous Carissa carandas (karonda) types. Fresh fruits, leaves, bark, and roots were freeze-dried, ground, and sieved (300 μm). The samples underwent microwaveassisted digestion with sub-boiled nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide, followed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to quantify 20 elements. The list included major (P, K, Ca, Na, and Mg), minor (B, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, etc.), and toxic trace elements (Ni, Cd, Pb, etc.). The hydrochloric acid extractability was assessed using 0.03 N HCl incubation at 37°C for 4 h to simulate gastric conditions. The study revealed significant tissue-specific variations in the mineral content: the leaf samples exhibited the highest levels of phosphorus (3,836.69 mg/kg) and magnesium (4,682.87 mg/kg), the fruits were rich in potassium (2,971.64 mg/kg), the bark accumulated high calcium amounts (8,823.55 mg/kg), and roots contained elevated sodium levels (2,129.18 mg/kg). The hydrochloric acid extractability also varied, with potassium and phosphorus showing high extractability in the fruit samples (80.06 and 87.51%, respectively) while magnesium and boron were more extractable in the leaves. Such toxic elements as lead (43.32 mg/kg, roots) and cadmium (1.22 mg/kg, bark) exceeded permissible limits, raising safety concerns. C. carandas proved to be a potential source of essential minerals, particularly its leaves and fruits, which demonstrated good nutraceutical prospects. The study provides a scientific basis for targeted use of specific C. carandas plant parts with an outlook of in-vivo bioavailability examination.

Carissa carandas is valued for its nutritional and medicinal properties, yet comprehensive comparative profiling of its different plant parts and types remains limited. The current study aimed to present a comprehensive analysis of the physicochemical, phytochemical, and volatile profiles of various plant parts (fruits, leaves, barks, and roots) from two types of Carissa carandas (i.e., pink and green). The study included collection of plant materials and quantification of sugars, ascorbic acid, total flavonoids, polyphenols, tannins, and antioxidant properties along with Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy for functional group identification, and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) for volatile compound profiling. Phytochemical evaluation revealed that pink-type fruits contained the highest ascorbic acid content, whereas leaves were richest in total flavonoids, polyphenols, and tannins. Antioxidant assays (DPPH, FRAP, ABTS, and RPA) demonstrated that leaves possessed superior antioxidant potential, correlating strongly with their phenolic and flavonoid concentrations. FT-IR identified diverse functional groups, indicating that green-type tissues have higher hydrocarbon signatures, while pink-type tissues exhibit greater aromatic characteristics. GC–MS/MS volatile profiling detected 31 compounds, predominantly hydrocarbons, with significant contributions from triterpenes and phthalates. Multivariate analyses further delineate the interrelationships among the parameters studied. These findings provided novel insights into the tissue-specific distribution of nutrients and bioactives in C. carandas, supporting its potential use in functional foods and nutraceuticals.

Nowadays, global food safety and security are major concerns to mitigate global hunger. As, the world's population rising at an alarming rate and is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, agriculturists have great responsibilities to grow more food from limited land. Crops are affected by several biotic and abiotic stresses in the field as well as during storage, this situation is drastic in developing countries. Potato belongs to the Solanaceae family, is considered a promising staple vegetable crop. To address the major issue of food safety and security, potatoes can be considered as a crucial non cereal food crop to combat this problem, as they can be grown under field conditions, and soilless medium (hydroponically, and aeroponically). The potato crop is also affected by various biotic stresses in both field and post-harvest conditions, significantly deteriorating its qualitative and quantitative yield. Among the biotic stresses, Fusarium dry rot (FDR) incited by the Fusarium species complex is considered a major problem in the present scenario. Dry rot of potato causes drastic quality and yield loss in cold stores. Moreover, Fusarium spp., producing mycotoxins like trichothecenes that contribute to the disease development. Fusarium spp. utilizes enzymes like pectinases and cellulases to break down plant cell walls, facilitating invasion and colonization. Therefore, implement crop rotation, use disease-resistant potato varieties, practice good sanitation, and employ fungicides to manage potato dry rot disease would be beneficial. Therefore, there is an urgent need to study the fungal species involved, pathogenicity, and to find the best management strategies for sustainable potato production. Although some reports on FDR of potato have been published previously, many recent studies have since offered new insights into diagnostic techniques, mycotoxin detection and quantification, and management strategies. Therefore, this review aims to integrate these recent findings, offering an updated outlook on FDR considering emerging research. Our objective is to provide a timely synthesis of the latest research developments that were not covered in previous reviews, making this article a valuable and necessary contribution to the agricultural field.

Potato dry rot disease caused by Fusarium species complex significantly affects both the quality and quantity of potato tubers under storage conditions. Several methods are available to manage this disease and among them chemical method is considered as a most effective due to its efficient, quick and desirable response. However, chemical applications possess environmental and health impacts therefore effective alternatives to manage plant diseases are crucial. In this study, a trial was conducted to investigate the biocontrol potential of different microbial biocontrol agents, including Trichoderma harzianum, T. asperellum, Bacillus subtilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Also, efficacy of methanolic extracts of various plant parts including pomegranate and onion peel, garlic, neem, and citrus leaves against Fusarium isolates was evaluated under in vitro and storage conditions. Results revealed that T. asperellum proved as the most promising species which inhibits the Fusarium growth up to 81.25

The present investigation aimed to optimize the solvent combination and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) conditions for extracting polar phyto-components from Carissa carandas, which is an underutilized fruit rich in various bioactive compounds. Initially, an augmented simplex centroid design was used to investigate the influence of four polar solvents (methanol, ethanol, acetone, and water) on the extraction of phyto-compounds, including total sugars, reducing sugars, total polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity of the extract. The desirability function determined that a solvent combination of ethanol-water (49:51, v/v) was the most effective for extracting polar components from C. carandas, and this combination was used for further MAE optimization. During MAE, the effects of different microwave powers (180, 360, and 450 W), time intervals (3 and 6 min), and acidity levels (0% and 1% HCl, w/v) were studied for the phyto-compounds. The results showed that microwave treatment at a low power level (180 W), shorter treatment time (3 min), and acidified solvents promoted the extraction of total and reducing sugars, as well as enhanced total polyphenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). The extraction solvent's acidity positively impacts TPC and TFC in reflux systems but negatively affects extraction yields in MAE. The antioxidant activities were also significantly influenced by the extraction solvent's microwave power, treatment time, and acidity. These findings emphasize the importance of MAE for efficiently extracting polar phyto-components from C. carandas, which can be further utilized in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

The present study was carried out to assess the phytochemical and antioxidant potential of 24 chilli landraces grown in hilly regions of India viz. Himachal Pradesh & Assam and genotypes were evaluated for different phytochemical parameters and antioxidant assays. Highest total sugar (3.43 %), reducing sugar (2.22 %), polyphenolic content (153.85 mg /100g GAE), total carotenoids (101.66 mg/100g), ascorbic acid (12.85 mg/100g) and reducing power assay (70.76 mM/g TE) were found in the genotype ‘Chilli SC-1’, while ‘Chilli CHI-15’ was found superior for total flavonoid content (547.01 mg/100g QE). The genotype, ‘Chilli SC-1’followed ‘Chilli L-2’ were found best owing to their Trolox equivalent antioxidant activity. The above results were also confirmed with spectral studies using FT-IR spectroscopy and genotype ‘Chili SC-1’ was found best in all the concerned parameters as the highest peaks of the respective sample were observed concerning all other samples. Further, principal component analysis indicated that the genotype ‘Chilli SC-1’, ‘Chilli LC-2’, ‘Chilli AC-9’ and ‘Chilli AC-10’ are the major contributors to divergence within different quality traits under study.

In modern days, to meet the steadily growing demand for novel and nutritional food products several innovative technologies have been used in the food industry. Among them, explosion puffing (EP) is considered an efficient method for the processing of food products and is proposed as an alternative to conventional processing methods. This review discusses the wide applications of EP in drying, puffing, extraction of bioactive compounds, removal of anti-nutritional compounds, etc. Thus, it provides a complete picture of the applications of EP for the development of different food products and tries to elucidate the effect on the quality attributes of the food. EP act as a promising tool in the food industry. The improvements in the food products quality can be achieved through EP. However, several challenges such as protein denaturation, Maillard reaction, unsuitability for some food products, etc. should be addressed before the industrial adaptation of this technique.

About a thousand species of insects have been associated with stored products in different parts of the world. A few pests are considered as pests causing severe damage to the stored grains. This paper gives an overview of damage symptoms and biology of some of the major pests of stored grains viz., Sitophilus oryzae, Rhyzopertha dominaca, Trogoderma granarium, Tribolium castaneum, Lasioderma serricorne, Stegobium paniceum, Callosobruchus spp., Sitotroga cereallela, Corcyra cephalonica, Oryzaephilus surinamensis, Plodia interpunctella Latheticus oryzae, and Cadra cautella. The stored grain insect pests can be categorized on the basis of their feeding behaviour as internal and external feeder or as major and minor pests based on the severity of damage. These systems are developed insect management decisions.

The present investigation entitled “Mass Production of entomopathogenic fungai Beauveria bassiana (Metsch.) on liquid and solid media” was carried out at Bio Control Laboratory, Department of Entomology, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut during 2018-19. In all there were eight treatments including control replicated thrice in a randomized block design. The results obtained in the study are summarized. The effect of different substrates for the mass production of Beauveria bassiana spore/ml was significantly higher recorded. Data recorded on 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 after the day after inoculation of various treatments in the, T10 Savoured dextrose broth (SDB), was the best treatment by bringing down the B. Bassiana production up to (49.48) spore/ml in liquid medium during the 2018-19 years. The other treatments in order of spore producing was with T11 Potato dextrose broth (PDB) (38.52), in liquid medium and solid medium in the treatment and T8 Cowpea Vigna unguiculata + Molasses + 1% YE + 1.0 g Dextrose (28.73), followed by with T7 Black gram Vigna mungo + Molasses + 1% YE + 1.0 g Dextrose (27.52 spore/ml, T5 Cowpea Vigna unguiculata + Molasses + 1% YE (17.53 spore/ml), T4 Black gram Vigna mungo + Molasses + 1% YE (14.87 spore/ml), T2 Cowpea Vigna unguiculata + Molasses (10.50 spore/ml), T1 Black gram Vigna mungo + Molasses (8.35 spore/ml), T9 Gram Cicer aeritinum + Molasses + 1% YE + 1.0 g Dextrose (3.92 spore/ml), T6 Gram Cicer aeritinum + Molasses + 1% YE (2.85 spore/ml) and T3 Gram Cicer aeritinum + Molasses respectively.

The present investigations were undertaken in laboratory on “Study on factitious host Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) against storage of egg parasitoid Trichogramma chilonis (Ishii) cards under laboratory conditions” during the year 2018 in the bio-control laboratory, Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut (U. P.) India. The effects of different rearing media on some biological parameters of factitious host, C. cephalonica are based on results are most effective performance with T3 (Sorghum + Groundnut + Yeast powder, 50:50 + 5g Yeast), treatments i.e. larval, pupal, male and female moths emergence, and egg production in cc and followed by 17530, 16667, 15131,14875, 13545 and 11830 i.e. T3 (Sorghum + Groundnut + Yeast powder, 50:50 + 5g Yeast), T5 (Sorghum + Soyabeen + Yeast powder, 50:50 + 5g Yeast), T6 (Sorghum + Cowpea + Yeast powder, 50:50 + 5g Yeast), T4 (Sorghum + Gram powder + Yeast powder, 50:50 + 5g Yeast), T2 (Sorghum + Green Gram + Yeast powder, 50:50 +5g Yeast), T1 (Sorghum + Black gram + Yeast powder, 50:50 + 5g Yeast) and T7 (Sorghum alone (check) eggs per cc of Sorghum + Groundnut + Yeast powder, 50:50 + 5g Yeast and wheal), respectively.

The present investigations entitled “Studies on biology and eco-friendly management of lesser grain borer (Rhyzopertha dominica Fab.) under laboratory conditions” in Eastern part of Uttar Pradesh” was carried out at Students’ Instructional Farm of Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad during Rabi, 2015. revealed that the Nine protectants including control (untreated) viz.. Neem oil, Mentha leaf powder, Neem cake and Neem dry leaf powder and Deltamethrin were evaluated as seed protectant, all the protectants were found effective over untreated for control of 3 months of storage and Deltamethrin 40.0 mg seed was observed the best (0.33% damage) and followed neem oil (1% damage). 6 months of storage and Deltamethrin40.0 mg seed was observed the best (1.33% damage) and fallowed neem oil (2% damage).

The experiment on seasonal abundance of, six insect-pests were found during the crop season attacking on the crop at different growth stages. Among them, pea pod borer (Etiella zinckenella) and gram pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera) were recorded as major pests. The pea leaf miner (Chromatomyia horticola), pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum), blue butter fly (Lampides boeticus) and stem fly (Ophiomyia phaseoli) were recorded as ‘minor’ pests. The population of pea pod borer was recorded during, first week of December and reached the peak in the first week of March. The pea pod borer population was negatively correlated with maximum temperature and positively correlated with minimum temperature, relative humidity and rain fall. Gram pod borer population was recorded during second week of December and reached to its peaked level in last week of February. Its population showed the significant negative correlation with maximum temperature while positive correlations with minimum temperature, relative humidity and rain fall. The initial incidence of pea leaf miner, pea aphid, and stem fly was observed during last week of November to first week of December and subsequently reaching to while to peak level on first and second week of February.

The assessment of the effects of slurry erosion under the actual operating conditions is a difficult task due to the complex nature of the influencing parameters such as velocity of flow, impingement angle, slurry concentration, properties of abrasive media, etc. However, these conditions can be simulated in a test rig by performing the abrasion of materials. Inadequate slurry flow, complex design structure, etc. are the main problems that are generally encountered during the slurry erosion testing. In the present work, a simple design of the slurry erosion test rig has been proposed which provides a better control over the slurry erosion flow and an adjustable specimen holder in comparison with the documented setups. Further, commissioning of the present test rig was carried out by determining the parameters (flow velocity, slurry concentration, and duration of testing) that influence the effect of slurry erosion on the 21CrMoV57 and SS410 metals. The metals are compared for the better performance against slurry erosion. The metals are subjected to high pressure slurry jet impingement in the test rig and analyzed with the help of SEM/EDS and XRD techniques. The observed result has shown good erosion resistant performance of 21CrMoV57 as compared to SS410.

The present investigations entitled “Studies on biology and eco-friendly management of lesser grain borer (Rhyzopertha dominica Fab.), under laboratory conditions” in Eastern part of Uttar Pradesh” were carried out in the laboratory of the department of Entomology of Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Narendra Nagar (Kumarganj), Faizabad. 2015, revealed that the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha Dominica Fab. Is the most commonest species, causing considerable damage to wheat grain by affecting the quality and quantity of grain. Life cycle of Rhyzopertha Dominica Fab. Was found to be completed in shorter duration at greater temperature as compared to lower temperature. Biology of Rhyzopertha Dominica Fab. carried out on wheat variety PBW-154 under controlled conditions of at 25 ± 2 0C, 27 ± 2 0C, 30 ± 2 0C and 35 ± 2 0C temperature and 60 ± 5, 70 ± 5, 75 ± 5 and 85 ± 5 percent relative humidity. Average duration for complete of the life cycle egg to adult was 57.33, 48.33, 40.33 and 34.00 days at 25 ± 2 0C, 27 ± 2 0C, 30 ± 2 0C and 35 ± 2 0C temperature and 60 ± 5, 70 ± 5, 75 ± 5 and 85 ± 5 percent relative humidity.