Urbanization, industrialization and other human-related activities discharge various inorganic and organic toxic compounds into the environment. Many physical, chemical and biological methods have been practiced, to treat contaminated wastewater: among these, the biological method of wastewater treatment by utilizing algae has been reviewed widely. However, the removal efficacy of algae monoculture is low, as compared to the algae consortium systems. The presence of microorganisms such as fungi or bacteria in wastewater can establish various relationships, such as mutualism or symbiosis with algae, which help in the removal of various organic and inorganic compounds from wastewater, thus acting as a wastewater treatment system. Heterotrophic microorganisms can segregate natural organic matter, which is released by algae in the form of dissolved organic carbon, and releases carbon dioxide, which is utilized by algae for photosynthesis. In accordance with existing studies, microalgal consortiums with bacteria or fungi occurring naturally or crafted artificially can be utilized for wastewater treatment; therefore, the present review provides an outline of the symbiotic relationships between algae and other microorganisms, and their applications in wastewater treatment. Various mechanisms—such as mutualism, commensalism and parasitism—for the removal of different pollutants from wastewater by consortium systems have been elucidated in this review; moreover, this review addresses the challenges that are restricting large-scale implementation of these consortiums, thus demanding more research to enable enhanced commercialization.

Fruits and vegetables are healthy because they contain good nutrients and secondary metabolites that keep the body healthy and disease-free. Post-harvest losses of fresh fruits and vegetables limit access and availability as a result of foodborne infections and poor storage technologies. The selection of fruits and vegetables depend on the starting microbial load, the size of fruits and vegetables, and the type of infrastructure. Despite the positive impacts of conventional thermal (roasting, boiling, blanching) and some non-thermal processing techniques such as High Pressure Processing (HPP), Pulse Electric Field (PEF), Cold Plasma Technology (CPT) on shelf-life extension, their use is commonly associated with a number of negative consequences on product quality such as cold plasma treatment increases the acidity and rate of lipid oxidation and further decrease the colour intensity and firmness of products. Similarly, in high pressure processing and pulse electric field there is no spore inactivation and they further limit their application to semi-moist and liquid foods. On that account, food irradiation, a non-thermal technique, is currently being used for post-harvest preservation, which could be very useful in retaining the keeping quality of various fresh and dehydrated products without negatively affecting their versatility and physico-chemical, nutritional and sensory properties. Existing studies have communicated the effective influence of irradiation technology on nutritional, sensory, and physico-chemical properties of multiple fruits and vegetables accompanying consequential deduction in microbial load throughout the storage period. Food irradiation can be recognized as a prevalent, safe and promising technology however, still is not fully exploited on a magnified scale. The consumer acceptance of processed products has always been a significant challenge for innovative food processing technologies such as food irradiation. Therefore, owing to current review, additional scientific evidences and efforts are still demanded for increasing its technological request.

Edible hydrocolloid polymers have created significant deliberation in modern eons due to their numerous advantages of being used as edible materials over synthetic materials, which could be helpful to the food industry as well as toward environmental sustainability. In the current scenario, where biopolymers have replaced petroleum-based materials, natural edible hydrocolloids are now in demand to combat the harmful impacts of non-biodegradable materials. This review addresses the importance of natural edible hydrocolloids, materials that can be used to form hydrocolloid gel, their properties, synergistic interactions of hydrocolloids and various applications in food and biomedical fields,

• Different biomass as sustainable alternative of biofuel. • Different thermochemical method for biomass velarization. • By-product utilization of thermochemical method. • Current status of thermochemical method for biomass velarization.