This present work reports the synthesis of Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from cotton using an ultrasound-assisted acid hydrolysis. Further, the synthesized CNCs was comprehensively characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to analyze surface functional groups and X-ray diffraction (XRD) in studying structural characteristics. Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) have been used to study the thermal properties of CNCs. Morphology of CNCs was studied using a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The crystallite size was found to be 10-50 nm using XRD data and the average particle size to be 221 nm using PSD analysis.

Curcumin, a dietary phytochemical, has been extracted from rhizomes of Curcuma amada using ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) and the results compared with the conventional extraction approach to establish the process intensification benefits. The effect of operating parameters such as type of solvent, extraction time, extraction temperature, solid to solvent ratio, particle size and ultrasonic power on the extraction yield have been investigated in details for the approach UAE. The maximum extraction yield as 72% was obtained in 1h under optimized conditions of 35°C temperature, solid to solvent ratio of 1:25, particle size of 0.09mm, ultrasonic power of 250W and ultrasound frequency of 22kHz with ethanol as the solvent. The obtained yield was significantly higher as compared to the batch extraction where only about 62% yield was achieved in 8h of treatment. Peleg's model was used to describe the kinetics of UAE and the model showed a good agreement with the experimental results. Overall, ultrasound has been established to be a green process for extraction of curcumin with benefits of reduction in time as compared to batch extraction and the operating temperature as compared to Soxhlet extraction.

Starch is second most abundant biomaterial available after cellulose but the intensity of research on starch is less compared to cellulose. It is a carbohydrate based polymer synthesized in plants for the storage of the energy. Major percentage of starch is being utilized by food industries as raw material for giving texture, flavor, gelling, fat replacement etc. and also has multiple applications in different area due to its biological origin and properties. Native starch possesses low shear stress, poor thermal properties and less digestion resistance and retro-gradation. Thus, it has to be modified using physical, chemical, enzymatic and/or genetic treatments. Physical and chemical modifications using ultrasound and acid hydrolysis is time-efficient and effective process. These economical treatments are predominant for production of digestion resistant starch with increased shelf-life and thermal properties. Ultrasound assisted acid hydrolyzed starch (potato) exfoliates the native starch and modifies the structural arrangement. On acid treatment the amorphous nature of starch converted to crystalline nature. The physical and structural properties of the native starch were enhanced. The digestibility and structure of the modified starch effects on the double helices structure of starch. The size of the starch particle was changed from 1596 nm (Conventional) to 80 and 42 nm on ultrasonication and acid hydrolyzed ultrasonication approaches respectively. The crystallite of the particles was evaluated from XRD analysis. From TEM analysis the starch nanoparticles were found to have spherical morphology.