It must be green: meeting society’s environmental concerns

Natural colour extraction from horticultural crops, advancements, and applications-a review

The scope for natural colours is increasing because of the awareness of allergic, toxic, and hazardous reactions associated with synthetic dyes. Natural colours are extracted from sources that are naturally available, such as flora, fauna, and minerals. Nature sourced us multiple possibilities of colours with varied shades and hues that are subtle and harmonious when combined. Reasons like the instability of natural colours during industrial processing, seasonal availability of raw materials, fading of colour over time, cost of the benefit, and struggles in attaining sustainability have reduced commercialisation success as synthetic colours. Some plants that yield natural colours are also included in crop rotation practice. Natural dye extraction is a source of employment for the countrified subdivisions of poor developing countries. Indigenous technologies on natural colour extraction are available and have been practiced over the years; due to a lack of documentation and information on colour-yielding plants or products from horticultural crops, and their extraction methods, the use of natural colours is diminishing day by day. Even in recent years, emerging techniques have been adopted in research and development, and the information has not been brought together for the use of industries and allied sectors. Several modern approaches, such as Ultrasonication, microwave, enzymatic, supercritical, pressurised liquid extraction, etc., have proven to give better results in extracting natural colours. Thereby, having instantaneous information will help to go green, be eco-friendly, and effectively utilise all the resources without compromising industrial benefits. Reviewing the availability of natural colours from horticultural crops, classifications, recent trends in their extraction process, and applications in various fields will help achieve the above.

Bioinoculants-Natural Biological Resources for Sustainable Plant Production

Agricultural sustainability is of foremost importance for maintaining high food production. Irresponsible resource use not only negatively affects agroecology, but also reduces the economic profitability of the production system. Among different resources, soil is one of the most vital resources of agriculture. Soil fertility is the key to achieve high crop productivity. Maintaining soil fertility and soil health requires conscious management effort to avoid excessive nutrient loss, sustain organic carbon content, and minimize soil contamination. Though the use of chemical fertilizers have successfully improved crop production, its integration with organic manures and other bioinoculants helps in improving nutrient use efficiency, improves soil health and to some extent ameliorates some of the constraints associated with excessive fertilizer application. In addition to nutrient supplementation, bioinoculants have other beneficial effects such as plant growth-promoting activity, nutrient mobilization and solubilization, soil decontamination and/or detoxification, etc. During the present time, high energy based chemical inputs also caused havoc to agriculture because of the ill effects of global warming and climate change. Under the consequences of climate change, the use of bioinputs may be considered as a suitable mitigation option. Bioinoculants, as a concept, is not something new to agricultural science, however; it is one of the areas where consistent innovations have been made. Understanding the role of bioinoculants, the scope of their use, and analysing their performance in various environments are key to the successful adaptation of this technology in agriculture.

A comprehensive review on carotenoids in foods and feeds: status quo, applications, patents, and research needs

Carotenoids are isoprenoids widely distributed in foods that have been always part of the diet of humans. Unlike the other so-called food bioactives, some carotenoids can be converted into retinoids exhibiting vitamin A activity, which is essential for humans. Furthermore, they are much more versatile as they are relevant in foods not only as sources of vitamin A, but also as natural pigments, antioxidants, and health-promoting compounds. Lately, they are also attracting interest in the context of nutricosmetics, as they have been shown to provide cosmetic benefits when ingested in appropriate amounts. In this work, resulting from the collaborative work of participants of the COST Action European network to advance carotenoid research and applications in agro-food and health (EUROCAROTEN, www.eurocaroten.eu, https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA15136/#tabs|Name:overview) research on carotenoids in foods and feeds is thoroughly reviewed covering aspects such as analysis, carotenoid food sources, carotenoid databases, effect of processing and storage conditions, new trends in carotenoid extraction, daily intakes, use as human, and feed additives are addressed. Furthermore, classical and recent patents regarding the obtaining and formulation of carotenoids for several purposes are pinpointed and briefly discussed. Lastly, emerging research lines as well as research needs are highlighted.