Over the past few years, the cancer-related disease has had a high mortality rate and incidence worldwide, despite clinical advances in cancer treatment. The drugs used for cancer therapy, have high side effects in addition to the high cost. Subsequently, to reduce these side effects, many studies have suggested the use of natural bioactive compounds. Among these, which have recently attracted the attention of many researchers, quercetin has such properties. Quercetin, a plant flavonoid found in fresh fruits, vegetables and citrus fruits, has anti-cancer properties by inhibiting tumor proliferation, invasion, and tumor metastasis. Several studies have demonstrated the anti-cancer mechanism of quercetin, and these mechanisms are controlled through several signalling pathways within the cancer cell. Pathways involved in this process include apoptotic, p53, NF-κB, MAPK, JAK/STAT, PI3K/AKT, and Wnt/β-catenin pathways. In addition to regulating these pathways, quercetin controls the activity of oncogenic and tumor suppressor ncRNAs. Therefore, in this comprehensive review, we summarized the regulation of these signalling pathways by quercetin. The modulatory role of quercetin in the expression of various miRNAs has also been discussed. Understanding the basic anti-cancer mechanisms of these herbal compounds can help prevent and manage many types of cancer.

Heat stress (HS) is one of the major abiotic stresses affecting the production and quality of wheat. Rising temperatures are particularly threatening to wheat production. A detailed overview of morpho-physio-biochemical responses of wheat to HS is critical to identify various tolerance mechanisms and their use in identifying strategies to safeguard wheat production under changing climates. The development of thermotolerant wheat cultivars using conventional or molecular breeding and transgenic approaches is promising. Over the last decade, different omics approaches have revolutionized the way plant breeders and biotechnologists investigate underlying stress tolerance mechanisms and cellular homeostasis. Therefore, developing genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics data sets and a deeper understanding of HS tolerance mechanisms of different wheat cultivars are needed. The most reliable method to improve plant resilience to HS must include agronomic management strategies, such as the adoption of climate-smart cultivation practices and use of osmoprotectants and cultured soil microbes. However, looking at the complex nature of HS, the adoption of a holistic approach integrating outcomes of breeding, physiological, agronomical, and biotechnological options is required. Our review aims to provide insights concerning morpho-physiological and molecular impacts, tolerance mechanisms, and adaptation strategies of HS in wheat. This review will help scientific communities in the identification, development, and promotion of thermotolerant wheat cultivars and management strategies to minimize negative impacts of HS.

The pursuit of novel food products with good nutritional value for both direct and indirect human consumption is crucial. Given the nutritional benefits of insects and the sustainability of this sort of farming, using them as food for farmed animals is a promising alternative. In this regard, the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) is most capable of efficiently converting a wide variety of organic materials, from food waste to manure, into insect biomass generating value and closing nutrient loops as they reduce pollution and costs. Their larvae have 29% fat and 42% crude protein, yet they have more saturated fats than most insects. They don't concentrate hazards such as mycotoxins or insecticides. Although rapid development is expected, insects remain underutilized in the animal feed industry mainly due to technical, financial, and regulatory barriers. The social stigmas and legal prohibitions against eating organisms that eat waste are added to extant taboos facing insect consumption. Bridging the knowledge gap is crucial to bring together stakeholders and to better understand the opportunities and challenges of this novel industry, so as to develop guidelines on producing insects on an industrial scale to facilitate the wider use of BSF products as animal feed, and fertilizer.

Background: A biennial or perennial plant of the Apiaceae family, Eryngium caeruleum M. Bieb. is traditionally used in medicine as an antitoxic, diuretic, digestive, anti-inflammatory and analgesic drug. This plant is widely distributed in temperate regions around the world. Young leaves of the plant are used in cooking as aromatic cooked vegetables in various local products in Iran. Purpose: The current review aimed to highlight complete and updated information about the Eryngium caeruleum species, regarding botanical, ethnopharmacological, phytochemical data, pharmacological mechanisms as well as some nutritional properties. All this scientific evidence supports the use of this species in complementary medicine, thus opening new therapeutic perspectives for the treatment of some diseases. Methods: The information provided in this updated review is collected from several scientific databases such as PubMed/Medline, ScienceDirect, Mendeley, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Ethnopharmacology books and various professional websites were also researched. Results: The phytochemical composition of the aerial parts and roots of E. caeruleum is represented by the components of essential oil (EO), phenolic compounds, saponins, protein, amino acids, fiber, carbohydrates, and mineral elements. The antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antihypoxic, and anti-inflammatory properties of E. caeruleum have been confirmed by pharmacological experiments with extracts using in vitro and in vivo methods. The syrup E. caeruleum relieved dysmenorrhea as effectively as Ibuprofen in the blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study. Conclusion: Current evidence from experimental pharmacological studies has shown that the different bioactive compounds present in the species E. caeruleum have multiple beneficial effects on human health, being potentially active in the treatment of many diseases. Thus, the traditional uses of this species are supported based on evidence. In future, translational and human clinical studies are necessary to establish effective therapeutic doses in humans.

Background: In recent years, there has been an increase in consumer demand for beverages made from fermented soybeans. Unfortunately, the nutritional imbalance and flavour profiles of plant-based milk substitutes frequently prevent people from consuming them. Fermentation can aid plant-based milk substitutes’ taste profiles, nutritional characteristics, texture and microbiological safety in order to produce more valued and delicious products without adding additional, frequently viewed as fake, ingredients. Methods: The implications of probiotic fermentation to improve the nutritive and sensory quality of fermented soymilk are assessed. Three soybean varieties as food grade soybean (Krune), low KTI soybean (V-23) and black soybean (VL-Bhatt 65) are used for the formation of soymilk which further fermented by three probiotic strains as Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Weissella confusa. The fermented soymilk samples were stored for 28th days at 4°C to analyse the changes in chemical composition and sensory quality. Result: High protein content was found in BA (6.85±0.13 g/100g), while the consumer preferred the LR with best overall ranking (6.25±0.05) in hedonic scale. The viability count of probiotic was highest (9.44±0.17 log cfu/ml) in BA after storage. The study suggested that soymilk with enormous number of biomolecules or pigments showed better viability of probiotic after storage and L. rhamnosus fermented soymilk preferred by the consumer over others probiotic fermented soymilk.

The global agri-food system generates substantial volumes of waste annually, 150 billion metric tons an amount projected to grow by 7.5 % each year, including crop residues, food processing by-products, and consumer discards. These wastes, if unmanaged, contribute to environmental harm and loss of valuable nutrients. The Research Topic "Agri-Food Waste Utilization for a Sustainable Future: Challenges and Opportunities" compiles interdisciplinary research aimed at transforming agri-waste/by-products, into valuable resources through valorization, lifecycle assessments, economic analyses, and policy frameworks-paving the way for circular and sustainable food systems.Several studies under this theme highlight innovative uses of agricultural wastes in diverse sectors. Jalal Uddin et al. 1 report the successful use of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzymes from fruit and vegetable peels in biodegrading and decolorizing industrial azo dyes. PPO extracted from Solanum tuberosum achieved an 83.29% decolorization efficiency against Reactive Black-5, revealing the potential of agro-waste-derived enzymes in eco-friendly wastewater management. Arable crops processing generates lots of waste streams like stale bread, other wastes from bread industry, legumes like soybean processing into tofu, protein isolates generates most notably soybean dregs (okara) and soybean whey which have huge potential for upscaling. In this track, Hafyan et al. 2 review the potential of bread waste (BW) as a feedstock for producing valuable biochemicals. Unlike lignocellulosic biomass, demanding harsh pretreatment and cumbersome decomposition reactions, BW characterized by its starchy composition and cost-effectiveness is readily accessible and has immense potential as sustainable feedstock for bioenergy and high-value biochemicals. Despite its promise in a circular bioeconomy, challenges remain, including low technological readiness, cost-effectiveness, and public acceptance. The review stresses the need for integrated sustainability assessments to scale BW-based biorefineries, provides sustainability assessment, through life cycle anslysis, technoeconomic feasibility, social lifecycle and draws out current challenges and concludes with chalking a future strategic approach for BW utilization. Similarly, Shen et al. 3 explore the use of screw extrusion as a scalable method for treating underutilized soybean by-products. Considering the consequences of residual metal ions, excessive protein residues and microbial contamination in soybean whey, they propose extraction of isoflavones from soy whey. They advocate the use of extrusion technology to leverage thermal and mechanical means to convert nutrient-rich residues into value-added products, addressing contamination concerns and reducing environmental impacts. They conclude with enlisting the advantages, limitations, and further scope of extrusion technology for soybean by-product processing.Besides food and agricultural waste, increased urbanization and industrialization globally has resulted into a sudden increase in wastewater production. Ghanbari et al. 4 emphasize the reuse of wastewater and biosolids in agriculture to reap social and economic benefits and promote the sustainability of agriculture and the environment. They employed MAXQDA to organize and code the collected data from scientific articles and expert interviews, conduct systematic analysis of the components affecting sustainable management of wastewater use in agriculture. A comprehensive framework for the sustainable management of wastewater in agriculture has been provided with IQCA method wherein they have identified six key components-economic, environmental, contextual, individual, management and planning, and education and extension-that are critical for successful reuse of purified waste water. Emphasizing education and stakeholder engagement, the study provides a practical guide for developing inclusive, sustainable water strategies.Apart from agriculture, waste from households also account for considerable environmental load. In Japan alone, 2.44 million tons (almost half of the total food waste) came from households (Morais and Ishida 5 ). Theory of Consumption Values (TCV) was applied to understand household composting behavior among Japanese households 5 . Use of categorical PLS-SEM approach identified key motivators like social approval, knowledge, convenience, and interest in gardening. Functional value, such as ease of use, played a central role, while emotional factors and demographics had minimal impact. Morais and Ikshida 5 highlight the importance of community initiatives and educational outreach in mainstreaming household composting.India produces ~27 million MT onions, contributing widely to global consumption. Onions processing into various value-added products like dehydrated onion, onion paste, pre-cut onions generates large amounts of waste, in the form of outer skins, peels, and trimmings. Disposal of this waste is challenging for industries owing to strong characteristic odour of sulphur containing compounds. Gorrepati et al. 6 assessed the nutraceutical potential of onion peels, from eight dark red varieties as a potential source of high-value secondary metabolites. These peels showed high total phenolic and anthocyanin contents, along with strong antioxidant activity. They reported that red coloured variety BSR had 49 identified phenolic compounds, including nine flavanol, four flavones, and thirty anthocyanin glycosides. In contrast, white onion varieties had five flavanol and eleven anthocyanins. With anthocyanin content as high as 28 mg/100g in some varieties, these can be well exploited for use in functional food and dietary supplement development. Similarly in Taiwan, Grouper aquaculture represents a significant sector for processed seafood. It also generates substantial by-products, posing challenges for waste management and environmental sustainability. Grouper bone...