Bread is a food that is commonly recognized as a very convenient type of food, but it is also easily prone to microbial attack. As a result of bread spoilage, a significant economic loss occurs to both consumers and producers. For years, the bakery industry has sought to identify treatments that make bread safe and with an extended shelf-life to address this economic and safety concern, including replacing harmful chemical preservatives. New frontiers, on the other hand, have recently been explored. Alternative methods of bread preservation, such as microbial fermentation, utilization of plant and animal derivatives, nanofibers, and other innovative technologies, have yielded promising results. This review summarizes numerous research findings regarding the bio-preservation of bread and suggests potential applications of these techniques. Among these techniques, microbial fermentation using lactic acid bacteria strains and yeast has drawn significant interest nowadays because of their outstanding antifungal activity and shelf-life extending capacity. For example, bread slices with Lactobacillus plantarum LB1 and Lactobacillus rossiae LB5 inhibited fungal development for up to 21 days with the lowest contamination score. Moreover, various essential oils and plant extracts, such as lemongrass oil and garlic extracts, demonstrated promising results in reducing fungal growth on bread and other bakery products. In addition, different emerging bio-preservation strategies such as the utilization of whey, nanofibers, active packaging, and modified atmospheric packaging have gained considerable interest in recent days.

Plasma-activated water (PAW) has received a lot of attention lately because of its antibacterial efficacy and eco-friendly nature. Compared to traditional disinfectants, this novel and intriguing option has a high disinfectant capacity while causing little to no modifications to the foodstuffs. Until now, PAW has successfully demonstrated its effectiveness against a broad range of microorganisms on a wide variety of food items. Though the efficacy of PAW in microbial reduction has been extensively reviewed, a relatively significant issue of food quality has been largely overlooked. This review aims to summarize the current studies on the physicochemical characteristics and antimicrobial potential of PAW, with an in-depth focus on food quality and safety. According to recent studies, PAW can be a potential microbial disinfectant that extends the shelf life of various food products, such as meat and fish products, fruits and vegetables, cereal products, etc. However, the efficacy varies with treatment conditions and the food ingredients applied. There is a mixed opinion about the effect of PAW on food quality. Based on the available literature, it can be concluded that there has been no substantial change in the biochemical properties of most of the tested food products. However, some fruits and vegetables had a higher value for the enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) after PAW treatment, while only a few demonstrated a decrease in the Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value. Sensory properties also showed no significant difference, with some exceptions in meat and fish products.

Lung cancer is a malignant tumor that attacks the lungs generated by carcinogenic free radicals such as cigarette smoke. Seaweed contains bioactive compounds that have the potential to reduce cancer-causing free radicals. This study aimed to determine the phytochemical content and cytotoxic activity of Halimeda tuna seaweed extract against lung cancer cells (A549). The H. tuna sample was macerated using methanol for 24 h. Cytotoxic test of H. tuna crude extract used the MTT test against A549. The crude extract was phytochemically tested and analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that the H. tuna crude extract had cytotoxic activity against A549 with an IC50 value of 2771 µg/mL. The phytochemical test showed that H. tuna crude extract contained flavonoids and steroids. showed the presence of fatty acid compounds including palmitic acid, oleic acid, myristic acid, palmitoleic acid and stearic acid. Based on the results can be concluded that H. tuna extract had cytotoxic activity against A549 with low cytotoxicity to be used as a chemo-preventive agent.

Generally, the white and red water lily cultivars' stems are consumed as vegetables in Bangladesh. However, data on the nutritional benefits and antioxidant properties of these aquatic plant’s stem are scant. Considering the aforementioned possibilities, the goal of this study was to evaluate the nutritional value, anti-nutritional factors, and antioxidant activity of two common Nymphaea species such as Nymphaea nouchali (white variety), and Nymphaea rubra (red variety) grown in Bangladesh. The proximate analysis and mineral content were determined by following AOAC methods. Crude fiber content was significantly higher in the white lily (19.56±0.68%) compared to the red cultivar (16.24±1.05%). Conversely, the red lily showed a higher value (18.52±1.01%) for ash content than the white species (15.44±0.79%). However, the varieties had no significant differences in moisture, protein, fat, and carbohydrate content. Both stems were rich in essential minerals, whereas Na and Cu were significantly higher in white water lily (WWL); however, the red water lily (RWL) stem possessed significantly copious amounts of K and P. On the other hand, there was no significant difference between two species in the case of Ca, Mg, Fe, and Zn content. The assay showed that the total phenolic contents (mg GAE/g) and total flavonoid contents (mg QE/g) were 16.51±0.05 and 15.48±02, 476±0.1 and 7.846±0.1 in white and red water lily stems respectively. In addition, the anti-nutrient screening revealed that both species were positive for saponin and tannin. Furthermore, the extract of RWL stem showed more antioxidant activity (IC50 value 28.48±0.12µg/ml) against DPPH than WWL (IC50 value 36.67±0.09 µg/ml). Thus, water lily stems can be incorporated into our diet as a potential natural source of antioxidants and vital elements.

This study was conducted to investigate the Total bacterial load, fungal load, sensory evaluation, and techno-economic feasibility from processing to the storage of guava jelly. Fresh guava (Psidium guajava) jelly were prepared with 0.15%, 0.2%, and 0.25% pectin and with 1.1%, 1.15%, and 1.2% citric acid as a preservative. The bacterial count was determined through the Standard Plate Count (SPC) technique. The fungal analysis was done using a selective Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) medium. Lastly, the Inventory Theory’s model III was applied for the Techno-economic feasibility of guava jelly production. There was no yeast and mold growth detectable till day 90 of the storage period. However, the total bacterial load in jelly (acceptable limit ≤105cfu/ml) is satisfactory for consumption after 90 days of pectin and citric acid treatment. Furthermore, the production cost was approximately 65 Tk a bottle of 500g, which is considered economical compared to other local brands. Therefore, this formulation could be practiced for escalating the country’s development in the agriculture and food industries.