With the rapid increase in cardiovascular diseases, health-conscious consumers are increasingly showing more interest in foods that provide health benefits beyond the provision of essential nutrients. Watermelon contains phytochemicals such as lycopene, vitamin C, β-carotene, and Total polyphenolic content that possess anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antioxidant properties. Dietary intake of these products with antioxidants properties is important in maintaining human health and well-being. These reduces incidence of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and some coronary heart diseases, through inhibiting formation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species. The presence of these phytochemicals enhances its potential use as a functional ingredient in food application. This paper aims to characterize the phytochemicals found in watermelon, and emphasis is directed toward the role of natural antioxidants in reducing the risk of chronic diseases to discourage the use of synthetic antioxidants. Moreover, another focus is on seeking the recognition of watermelon as a potential snack and to support its traditional consumption. Abbreviations: WJC: Watermelon juice concentrate; ROS: Reactive oxygen species; DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid; CVD: Cardiovascular diseases; BHA: Butylated hydroxyanisole; BHT: Butylated hydroxytoluene; WHO: World Health Organization; SVCT: Sodium-dependent vitamin C transporters; LDL: Low-density lipoprotein; HDL: High-density lipoprotein; HPPPEF: High-pressure processing and pulse electric field; TS: thermosonication

Topical consumer interest in natural, healthier, safer and nutritional juice, has inspired the search for innovative technologies that can minimize product degradation. In this regard, thermosonication has been proposed as a potential processing technology that can preserve and produce “fresh” products. Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) juice is a nutrient-rich fruit juice that is desired by consumers due to its appealing color, pleasant odor, sweet taste and low-calorie content. This fruit juice is, however, highly perishable and prone to microorganisms, because of its neutral pH value and high amount of water activity. In addition, it is thermo-sensitive and therefore degrades quickly under thermal processing. This study aimed to identify the optimal thermosonication processing conditions for retaining the critical quality parameters (lycopene, β-carotene, ascorbic acid and total polyphenolic content) of watermelon juice. Response surface methodology, employing a central composite design, was used to determine the effects of temperature (18–52 °C), processing time (2–13 min) and amplitude level (24–73 μm) at a constant frequency of 25 kHz. The highest quality parameters were obtained at 25 °C, 2 min, and 24 µm at a constant frequency of 25 kHz, which resulted in lycopene of 8.10 mg/100 g, β-carotene of 0.19 mg/100 g, ascorbic acid of 3.11 mg/100 g and total polyphenolic content of 23.96 mg/GAE/g with a desirability of 0.81. The proposed model was adequate (p < 0.0001), with a satisfactory determination coefficient (R²) of less than 0.8 for all phytochemicals. Thermosonicated watermelon juice samples showed minimal changes in their phytochemical properties, when compared to fresh juices; the lycopene content showed a significant increase after thermosonication, and a significant retention of β-carotene, ascorbic acid and total polyphenolic acid was observed. According to the findings, thermosonication could be a viable method for preserving watermelon juice, with minimal quality loss and improved functional attributes.

The topical consumer interest for natural, healthier, safer and nutritinal juice, has intrigued the search for innovative technologies that can minimize product degradation. In this regard, thermosonication has been proposed as a potential processing technology that can inactivate microorganisms, and enzymes and produce fresh-like products. In line with this, watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) juice is one of the common fruit juices that is desired by consumers due to its desirable color, pleasant odor, sweet taste and low calories. However, this fruit juice is highly perishable and is thermo-sensitive, it degrades quickly under thermal processing. Therefore, this study aimed to identify optimal thermosonication processing conditions to retain the critical quality parameters of watermelon juice. Response surface methodology (RSM) employing a central composite design was used to determine the effects of temperature (25–52^ºC), processing time (2–10 min) and amplitude level (24–60 µm) to retain the quality parameters (total polyphenolic content, lycopene, β-carotene and ascorbic acid) of watermelon juice. The optimum conditions obtained were 125^ºC, 2 min, and 24 µm and were experimentally validated. These conditions resulted in lycopene of 7.4 mg/100 g, β-carotene of 0.15 mg/100 g, ascorbic acid of 2.86 mg/100 g and total polyphenolic content of 21.32 mg/100 mg/ GAE with desirability of 0.81. The proposed model was adequate (p < 0.0001) with a satisfactory determination coefficient (R²) less than 0.8 for all phytochemicals. The proposed conditions provided better preservation of the quality characteristics of watermelon juice.

Edible insects can be converted into flours, defatted powders, protein concentrates, isolates, hydrolysates, lipid fractions and chitin-rich ingredients. This targeted narrative review of 45 cited sources, including 18 original studies in the core processing-outcome synthesis, examines how processing affects the safety, nutrient retention, digestibility, techno-functionality, sensory quality, cost and sustainability of these ingredients; it is not an exhaustive or systematic review. Nutritional contribution, techno-functional performance and substantiated physiological or health-related functionality are distinguished and potential bioactivity is not treated as proof of a human health benefit. Blanching, boiling, roasting, convective drying, milling, pressing, defatting, extraction, hydrolysis and fermentation are classified as established operations; freeze-drying as an established low-temperature process; and microwave and infrared heating, ultrasound, pulsed electric fields, high-pressure processing and cold plasma as emerging or intensification technologies. Moderate heating may improve microbial control and protease accessibility, whereas excessive heat may reduce amino-acid availability, solubility, foaming and emulsification. Reductions in total counts are distinguished from validated pathogen lethality, and food safety includes biological, chemical, physical and allergenic hazards. In the European Union, market access depends on novel food authorisations that are specific to species, life stage, process and product. The review proposes a conceptual species–process–product framework that links process selection to product application, safety validation, sensory acceptance, industrial feasibility and regulatory compliance; this framework is informed by, but has not been validated against, the reviewed evidence.