Fucoxanthin is an algae-specific xanthophyll of aquatic carotenoid. It is prevalent in brown seaweed because it functions as a light-harvesting complex for algal photosynthesis and photoprotection. Its exceptional chemical structure exhibits numerous biological activities that benefit human health. Due to these valuable properties, fucoxanthin’s potential as a potent source for functional food, feed, and medicine is being explored extensively today. This article has thoroughly reviewed the availability and biosynthesis of fucoxanthin in the brown seaweed, as well as the mechanism behind it. We included the literature findings concerning the beneficial bioactivities of fucoxanthin such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, antidiabetic, anticancer, and other potential activities. Last, an additional view on its potential as a functional food ingredient has been discussed to facilitate a broader application of fucoxanthin as a promising bioactive compound.

The essential oil in leaves of Polygonum minus Huds., a local aromatic plant, were identified by a pipeline of gas chromatography (GC) techniques coupled with mass-spectrometry (MS), flame ionization detector (FID) and two dimensional gas chromatography time of flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC–TOF MS). A total of 48 compounds with a good match and high probability values were identified using this technique. Meanwhile, 42 compounds were successfully identified in this study using GC-MS, a significantly larger number than in previous studies. GC-FID was used in determining the retention indices of chemical components in P. minus essential oil. The result also showed the efficiency and reliability were greatly improved when chemometric methods and retention indices were used in identification and quantification of chemical components in plant essential oil.

Summary: Frugivory among bats (Chiroptera) has evolved independently in the New and Old World tropics: within the families Phyllostomidae and Pteropodidae, respectively. Bats from both families rely primarily on olfaction for the location of fruits. However, the influence of bats on the evolution of fruit scent is almost completely unknown. Using the genusFicusas a model, the aims of this study were to explore the chemical composition of fruit scent in relation to two contrasting seed dispersal syndromes in Panama and Malaysia and to assess the influence of fruit scent on the foraging behaviour of neo‐ and palaeotropical fruit‐eating bats (Artibeus jamaicensisandCynopterus brachyotis, respectively). Two hypotheses were tested: (i) variation in fruit scent, between bat‐ and bird‐dispersed figs, is independent of phylogeny and (ii) Old and New World fruit bats, which have evolved independently in each hemisphere, share the same olfactory preferences with respect to fruit scent. The fruit scents of bat‐ and bird‐dispersed fig species were sampled in the field, using dynamic headspace adsorption techniques. New and Old World fruit bats were then captured and tested on natural fig fruit scents from both hemispheres. Chemical analyses, using gas chromatography (GC) andGC/mass spectrometry (MS), revealed a broad overlap in scent compounds between bat‐dispersed fig species from both hemispheres. Their fruit scents were dominated by monoterpenes, which contrary to phylogenetic predictions, were completely absent from bird‐dispersed species from both regions. The fruit scents of bat‐dispersed figs were highly attractive to neotropical bats (A. jamaicensis) in behavioural experiments, whereas those of bird‐dispersed figs were completely rejected. Neotropical bats (A. jamaicensis) exhibited a significant preference for fig fruit scents dominated by monoterpenes, independent of the geographical origin of the scent. Palaeotropical bats (C. brachyotis), by contrast, rejected monoterpene‐rich fruit scents from the Neotropics. In a cluster analysis (which included additional, published data from the literature), the fruit scents of bat‐dispersed figs were clumped by subgenus, with the exception of palaeotropical figs of the subgenus Sycomorus.C. brachyotis, from Malaysia, was the only fruit bat species that significantly preferred the fruit scents of Sycomorus figs that contained no monoterpenes.

Agro-industrial waste is a by-product of agriculture-based industries which are often rich in lignocellulosic materials and bioactive compounds. The management of these wastes is poorly regulated by the industries where it is commonly discarded in uncontrolled practices. Such activities have created an adverse effect on ecosystem and the economy as a whole. Due to this matter, enormous researches have been conducted to recover usable compounds from these wastes. Cellulose from agro-industrial residue has become a type of renewable resource in various applications. This review article describes the chemistry, structure, and method used to obtain cellulose and nanocellulose from various sources of agro-industrial waste. This report also covers some of the recent innovative food applications of cellulose and nanocellulose. In the latter part of this review, the safety issues regarding the use of nanocellulose in food application are summarized.