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Genomic-Assisted Breeding in Solanaceous Vegetable Crops
(Rubicon Publications, 2025) Sanket Kumar, Suhas B
Several of the most significant vegetable crops in the world are members of the Solanaceae family, including eggplant/brinjal (Solanum melongena), pepper/capsicum (Capsicum spp.), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), and potato (Solanum tuberosum). These crops are essential to the nutrition and food security of the world. For instance, tomatoes, which are prized for their vitamins and antioxidants, are produced in excess of 180 million tons every year. In 2018, 368 million tons of potatoes were produced, making it a staple crop. While eggplant is high in phenolics (anthocyanins, chlorogenic acid), pepper offers vitamins C and A as well as phytochemicals. However, the need for improved quality, increased production, and climatic resistance has outpaced breeding advancements. The use of genomic tools (genome sequences, molecular markers, high-throughput genotyping, and genome editing) in breeding, known as genomic-assisted breeding (GAB), has become a potent strategy to speed up the development of crops in the Solanaceae family. Compared to traditional approaches, GAB allows breeders to more accurately integrate advantageous alleles and analyze complex attributes (disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, yield, and quality) at the molecular level. With the help of important case studies, this chapter examines the most recent genomic resources, techniques (MAS, QTL mapping, GWAS, genomic selection, genome editing), and integrated omics methods in the breeding of solanaceous vegetables.
The Application of Sodium Alginate and Aqueous Extract of Kadam (Neolamarckia Cadamba) Leaf Coating to Extend the Shelf Life of Cape Gooseberry
(Book Rivers, 2026) Zayeema Anjum, Khwaja Osama, Kaiser Younis
Cape gooseberries, a prominent exotic fruit, encounters challenges related to physiochemical and microbial deterioration during transportation and storage, resulting in post-harvest losses. To overcome this issue, alternative preservation methods have been developed, including the use of edible coating made from biopolymers enriched with pectin. This experiment aimed to utilize Sodium alginate (SA) combined with Kadam Leaf Extract (KLE) to create an edible SC for cape gooseberries, and to assess its impact on prolonging shelf life. Cape gooseberries tend to deteriorate over time, indicated by factors such as WL, hardness loss, pH, colour, TA, TSS, spoilage percentage, maturity index and microbial growth. For this study, cape gooseberries were divided into five groups, each consisting of thirty cape gooseberry fruits. All the samples were kept at ambient temperature (25 °C). During the 30 days storage period, all samples experienced significant increase (p < 0.05) in weight loss percentage, pH, TSS, MI, spoilage percentage, and microbial growth, the increase was prominently more significant in the control samples. The significant decrease (p < 0.05) in hardness and TA was more pronounced in uncoated samples compared to the coated ones. SA + KLE coating effectively delayed all the changes over the storage time as compared to the control groups. Conc.2 exhibited the least changes in all the factors analysed in this experiment. The observation of this study indicate that SA coating infused with KLE possess the capability to maintain the quality and prolong the shelf life of cape gooseberries.
Sodium Alginate and Mustard Protein-Based Emulsion Gels
(Book Rivers, 2026) Alweera Ashfaq, Khwaja Osama, Kaiser Younis
In this study mustard protein and sodium alginate-based emulsion gels were prepared by cold set gelation. The mustard protein isolate used in the study was isolated from defatted mustard meal using alkaline extraction and isoelectric precipitation. The protein content in the isolate was 90.5%. The concentration of oil was kept at 40% in all the emulsion gels having varying proportions of mustard protein and sodium alginate. Formulation of emulsion gel containing protein and sodium alginate in the ratio of 1:4 exhibited a good recovery rate of 91% and emulsion stability of 98%. Temperature sweep test showed that the fabricated emulsion gels were thermally stable. The ratio of mustard protein and sodium alginate significantly affects the characteristics of emulsion gels. Results of rheological analysis showed that PA21(emulsion gels having mustard protein and sodium alginate in the ratio of 2:1) and PA41 (emulsion gels having mustard protein and sodium alginate in the ratio of 4:1) were weak emulsion gels having low emulsion stability, oil binding capacity, and freeze-thaw stability. The protein and alginate content in emulsion gels also affected their color values. An increase in the ratio of protein resulted in the decreased strength of emulsion gels but played a significant role in the stabilization of oil droplets in the gel matrix. The best emulsion gel was selected for the replacement of butter in cookies. The 100% replacement of butter with emulsion gel resulted in harder cookies with low sensorial scores. However, EG50, (cookies having 50% butter substituted with emulsion gels) were considered more comparable with control in terms of textural and organoleptic properties. Moreover, both EG50 and EG100 (cookies having 100% butter substituted with emulsion gels) cookies showed a significant decrease in fat content making them a healthier choice. Therefore, the fabricated emulsion gel can be potentially used in the preparation of low-fat processed food products with potential health benefits.
Sodium Alginate and Lemon (Citrus Limon) Waste-Based Biodegradable Film
(Book Rivers, 2026) Alisha ahmad, Khwaja Osama, Owais Yousuf
The aim of the study was to develop a biodegradable packaging film using sodium alginate and waste lemon peel. For this purpose, different concentration of both sodium alginate and lemon peel powder was taken in ratios Sodium alginate: lemon peel powder:: 0.5:1, 0.5:2, 0.5:3, 0.5:4, 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, and 1.5:1, 1.5:2, 1.5:3, 1.5:4 to obtain 12 film specimens. The films were plasticized using glycerol (5% v/v) and crosslinked with a 2% CaCl2 solution. The films were developed using the solution-casting method. Dried films obtained were visually homogenous, flexible, and without any cracks. The films were analyzed for various physical, mechanical, optical, and light barrier properties. The physicochemical properties of the film were thickness (0.07 ± 0.01 to 0.27 ± 0.01 mm), grammage (246.72 ± 0.35 to 445.78 ± 0.23 g/m2), moisture content (10.38 ± 0.31% to 14.14 ± 0.37%), ash content (3.23 ± 0.05% to 5.13 ± 0.04%), water solubility (64.14 ± 0.07% to 81.91 ± 0.23%), and water absorption (19.20 ± 1.18% to 38.54 ± 1.45%). The developed films displayed good mechanical properties with a maximum tensile strength of 6.42 ± 0.02 MPa for sample SA1:LPP1 having sodium alginate: lemon peel ratio of 1:1. Elongation at break and burst strength ranged from 4.67 ± 0.12 to 15.27 ± 0.12% and 0.23 ± 0.01 to 0.66 ± 0.02 MPa, respectively. The highest retraction ratio of 98.33 ± 0.29% was observed in sample SA1:LPP1. Lemon peel had a significant effect on the color values. An increase in its concentration resulted in an increase in the a* and b* values and decreased the L* value. Lemon peel also improved the light barrier properties of the film with transparency ranging from 3.56 ± 0.47 to 7.03 ± 0.09. The light transmittance decreased with an increase in lemon peel powder which was in accordance with obtained opacity. The films also showed 83.80 to 90.76% biodegradability in a soil burial test. Based on the results, the film sample SA1:LPP1, sodium alginate: lemon peel ratio of 1:1 had better properties as compared to other films. Therefore, the use of lemon peel can serve as a promising source for the development of biodegradable packaging.
Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from green coconut shell
(Book Rivers, 2026) Poornima Singh, Rahul Singh
Coconut is a tropical fruit widely consumed across many countries. In numerous households, green coconut shells account for more than 60% of total waste by volume. These shells are primarily composed of lignin and cellulose—components similar to those found in wood—making them suitable for phytochemical extraction. To analyse these phytochemicals, ultrasound-assisted extraction was performed under varying conditions, including extraction times (10, 20, and 30 minutes), temperatures (30°C, 35°C, and 40°C), and solid-to-solvent ratios (1:10, 1:20, and 1:30). Optimization of the extraction process was achieved using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Quantitative analysis of the extracts confirmed the presence of bioactive compounds such as phenols, flavonoids, and tannins, all of which contribute to notable antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. The results showed total phenolic content (TPC) ranging from 7.08 to 33.46 mg GAE/g, total flavonoid content (TFC) from 2.09 to 28.46 mg QAE/g, and total tannin content (TTC) from 70.5 to 141.09 mg TAE/g. The antioxidant activity ranged from 49.98% to 66.1%. The antimicrobial activity was also significant, with inhibition zones against E. coli ranging from 3.7 to 9.6 mm and against S. aureus from 5.8 to 11 mm.Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis revealed the presence of functional groups such as O-H, C=O, and C-H. Additionally, the optimized conditions for ultrasound-assisted extraction were compared to those of microwave-assisted extraction (300 watts for 2 minutes), and the ultrasound method yielded superior results.