Pectin is a structural polysaccharide present in plants that primarily consists of galacturonic acid units. This Review discusses the chemistry of pectin, including its composition and molecular weight. Pectin is conventionally extracted from agricultural waste (fruit and vegetable peels) using an acidic or basic aqueous medium at high temperatures. These processes are time- and energy-consuming and also result in severe environmental problems due to the production of acidic effluents and equipment corrosion. As pectin usage is increasing in food industries for developing different products and it is also used as an excipient in pharmaceutical products, better extraction procedures are required to maximize the yield and purity. The Review encompasses various alternate green approaches for the extraction of pectin, including traditional acid extraction and various emerging technologies such as deep eutectic solvent-based extraction, enzyme-assisted extraction, subcritical fluid extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, and microwave-based extraction, and evaluates the yield and physicochemical characteristics of the extracted pectin. This work aims to provide a platform for attracting more thorough research focused on the engineering of novel and more efficient green methods for the extraction of pectin and its utilization for various biotechnological purposes.

Gum ghatti, popularly known as Indian gum and obtained from Anogeissus latifolia, is a complex high-molecular-weight, water-soluble, and swellable nonstarch polysaccharide comprised of magnesium and calcium salts of ghattic acids and multiple monosugars. Unlike other nontimber forest produce, gums ghatti is a low-volume but high-value product. It has several applications and is widely used as food, in pharmaceuticals, and for wastewater treatment and hydrogel formation, and it has attracted a great deal of attention in the fields of energy, environmental science, and nanotechnology. Industrial applications of gum ghatti are primarily due to its excellent emulsification, stabilization, thickening, heat tolerance, pH stability, carrier, and biodegradable properties. However, utilization of gum ghatti is poorly explored and implemented due to a lack of knowledge of its production, processing, and properties. Nevertheless, there has been interest among investigators in recent times for exploring its production, processing, molecular skeleton, and functional properties. This present review focuses on production scenarios, processing aspects, structural and functional properties, and potential applications in the food, pharmaceuticals, nonfood, and other indigenous and industrial usages.

Music elicits multifactorial benefits in emotional, social, cognitive, and academic aspects of human life. Music is clinically proven to reduce stress and anxiety, and improve mood and self-expression, particularly after traumatic events. Studies have also demonstrated that music promotes parasympathetic autonomic systems, suppresses hyperactivation of stress responses, and boosts immune functions. However, its ability to promote brain plasticity and signalling are only beginning to be realized. Moreover, its employment as a therapy for the treatment of specific aspects of other neurological disorders, including neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative conditions and their comorbidities, is fast becoming an interesting field of research. The aim of this review is to summarize some of the recent studies focused on evaluating the applications of music therapy. For this purpose, we have focused on disorders encompassing both temporal extremities of brain developmental stages, from developmental conditions of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), to ageing-related pathologies of Parkinson's disease and dementias. The findings of the reviewed studies indicate potent utilities of music-based interventions in beneficially affecting multiple spheres of brain functions, such as sensorimotor, auditory, communication/language, psychological/emotional, behavioural, sleep and memory and cognitive attributes of patients diagnosed with diverse neuropathologies. Nevertheless, lack of standardized protocols for music provision as well as absence of information regarding key aspects, such as cultural and musical orientations of subjects and therapists'/caregivers' attitudes, have hindered the complete realization of music's therapeutic potential for neurological conditions. Further, while some studies have undertaken assessments of core neurophysiological mechanisms underlying music therapy, this information is largely lacking for most clinical studies. While this is not an exhaustive review of literature, we do hope that it serves as a platform to promote future research for establishing music therapy as a relevant neurotherapeutic strategy.

In the recent past, non-thermal food processing methods have been promoted due to the limitations associated with conventional thermal processing methods such as poor nutrient quality, rheological properties, and sensory characteristics of food products. The microbial and enzyme inactivation in food products subjected to non-thermal processes occurs without the application of heat that in turn results in products of superior quality. Non-thermal food processing for health-promoting beverages is gaining popularity because of the various advantages like processing at ambient temperature resulting in minimal or no changes in the texture, sensory attributes, composition of nutrients, bioactive compounds (antioxidants, anthocyanin, β-carotene and flavonoids), and organic acids. Due to the continuous rise in the research in this field, it is very important to synthesize relevant literature to supplement existing information to benefit all researchers and industrialists in the food processing sectors. This review aims to critically discuss various non-thermal processing technologies like ultrasound, pulsed light, high hydrostatic pressure, supercritical carbon dioxide, cold plasma, membrane technology, and pulsed magnetic field for processing health-promoting beverages. The working principle, effect of non-thermal processing technologies on the nutritional quality, sensory attributes, and elimination of microbial load of health-promoting beverages are also discussed. Most of the studies are performed on a laboratory scale which exhibits the need for the development of industrial-scale trials. Non-thermal processes are potential alternatives to thermal processing methods due to the retention of superior product quality and lower energy requirements. It is concluded that the adaptability of the combination of non-thermal processes along with aseptic packaging and cold temperature storage will result in superior product quality.

Microwave (MW)-based dry blanching can inactivate oxidative enzymes like peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) rapidly and retain a higher amount of water-soluble nutrients, like ascorbic acid. This study compared the MW-based dry blanching of potato slices of various thicknesses (5, 8, and 10 mm) with conventional methods (water and steam blanching). The time required for water and steam blanching was longer than that required for MW blanching. Potato slices of 10 mm thickness required a longer blanching duration compared with slices of a lesser thickness (5 and 8 mm). The MW-blanched samples (77.37–83.5%) retained a higher content of ascorbic acid, followed by steam-blanched (69.15–74.92%) and water-blanched (67.18–71.54%) samples. The Page, modified Page, Midilli–Kucuk, and Hii, Law, and Cloke models predicted the thin layer drying of potato slices (5 mm thickness) better with a higher coefficient of determination values (0.9607–0.9976) compared to Fick’s and Exponential models (0.8942–0.9444).

Sequential ultrasound‐ and microwave‐assisted natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) were used for the extraction of pectin from mango peels in this study. The two different NADES composed of proline: malonic acid (Pro: MA) and choline chloride: tartaric acid (ChCl: TA) which resulted in higher pectin yield were selected for further optimization studies. The processing conditions such as sonication duration, microwave intensity, microwave processing duration, and liquid–solid ratio were optimized using Box–Behnken design. The optimized conditions are sonication duration (7.5 min), microwave intensity (40 W/g), microwave processing duration (5 min), and liquid–solid ratio (65%). The physicochemical and technofunctional properties of pectin extracted using NADES were compared with conventional acid–extracted pectin. The moisture and ash content of NADES‐extracted pectin were within the specified limit provided by the International Pectin Producers Association. The NADES‐based extracted pectin contains galacturonic acid content higher than 65%, as mentioned by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and the European Commission. The higher anhydrouronic acid content of pectin (88.8 ± 0.21%–90.82 ± 0.11%) represents the superior purity of pectin. The higher degree of esterification (> 50%) indicates the extracted pectin is a high ester pectin. The similarity of FT‐IR spectra at 800–1300 cm⁻¹ with the “fingerprint zone” of carbohydrates indicates that extracted pectin is functional pectin. The results showed that ultrasound‐ and microwave‐assisted NADES are efficient systems for extracting pectin with a high degree of esterification from mango peels.