Roles of Nutraceuticals and Functional Food in Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

The chapter provides an overview of cardiovascular disease, a major cause of mortality worldwide. It relates economic and social impacts to the disease, especially in developing countries. One of the approaches to addressing this challenge is increasing awareness within society, through implementation of education programs. It is important for society to understand the types and roles of the risk factors leading to cardiovascular disease. Emphasis is on the role of functional food and nutraceuticals as dietary sources that could prevent development of cardiovascular disease. The chapter highlights roles of nutraceuticals and functional food sources from medical plants, seeds, berries, and tropical fruits in lowering risk factors. Key findings from trials conducted in Asia, China, Europe, and America provide supporting evidence for the importance of functional food to health, and its potential for modifying the level of risk factors related to cardiovascular diseases.

Incidence, Abundance and Damage of Papaya Mealybug In Southern Part of Bangladesh And Its Management

The papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus Williams and Granara de Willink, is a small hemipteran that attacks several genera of host plants, including economically important tropical fruits and ornamentals. A study was carried out at farmers’ papaya garden and homestead areas of 8 locations viz., Dumki, Bouphal, Dashmina, Patuakhali, Mirjagonj, Amtali, Kalapara and Kuakata of Patuakhali and Barguna districts of Bangladesh to observe the incidence, abundance, and damage potential of papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus (Williams and Granara de Willink) from March to June 2019. An experiment consisting of seven treatments following randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications was conducted for controlling papaya mealybugs at Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU) campus during March to June 2019. Results revealed that among 8 locations, the highest incidence of P. marginatus was recorded in June, and the lowest was in April. The maximum abundance of P. marginatus on leaves and fruits of the papaya plant was observed at Kolapara, and the lowest was at Amtali. The highest percent infested plants (65%) per location, infested leaves/plant (97%), and infested fruits/plant (47%) was recorded in Kolapara, and the lowest percent infestations (31, 18, and 11%, respectively) were in Amtali. Among all treatments, the removal of infested leaves with petioles and application of Nitro 505EC @ 1 ml/L of water (T1) was the best approach for the management of papaya mealybugs. The removal of infested leaves with petioles + Biotap plus extra 95EC @ 0.2 g/L of water (T3) could be used as 2nd choice for controlling papaya mealybugs. The results concluded that removal of infested leaves and the application of Nitro 505 EC at the rate of 1 ml/L of water might be used to control the papaya mealybug. J. Asiat. Soc. Bangladesh, Sci. 47(2): 109-120, December 2021

Pharmacological potentials and Nutritional values of Tropical and Sub-tropical Fruits of India: Emphasis on their anticancer bioactive components

Background: Fruits are an important dietary component, which supply vitamins, minerals, as well as dietary fiber. In addition, they are rich sources of various biological and pharmacologically active compounds. Among these, temperate fruits are well studied for their pharmacological potentials, whereas tropical/subtropical fruits are less explored for their health impacts. In India, most of the consumed fruits are either tropical or subtropical. Objectives: The present review aims to provide a health impact of major tropical and sub-tropical fruits of India, emphasizing their anticancer efficacy. In addition, the identified bioactive components from these fruits exhibiting anticancer efficacy are also discussed along with the patent literature published. Methods: The literature was collected from various repositories, including NCBI, ScienceDirect, Eurekaselect, and Web of Science; literature from predatory journals was omitted during the process. Patent literature was collected from google patents and similar patent databases. Results: Tropical fruits are rich sources of various nutrients and bioactive components including polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanin, etc. By virtue of these biomolecules, tropical fruits have been shown to interfere with various steps in carcinogenesis, metastasis, and drug resistance. Their mode of action is either by activation of apoptosis, regulation of cell cycle, inhibition of cell survival and proliferation pathways, increased lipid trafficking or inhibiting inflammatory pathways. Several molecules and combinations have been patented for their anticancer and chemoprotective properties. Conclusion: Overall, the present concludes that Indian tropical/ subtropical fruits are nutritionally and pharmacologically active and may serve as a source of novel anticancer agents in the future.

Genomic Approaches for Improvement of Tropical Fruits: Fruit Quality, Shelf Life and Nutrient Content

The breeding of tropical fruit trees for improving fruit traits is complicated, due to the long juvenile phase, generation cycle, parthenocarpy, polyploidy, polyembryony, heterozygosity and biotic and abiotic factors, as well as a lack of good genomic resources. Many molecular techniques have recently evolved to assist and hasten conventional breeding efforts. Molecular markers linked to fruit development and fruit quality traits such as fruit shape, size, texture, aroma, peel and pulp colour were identified in tropical fruit crops, facilitating Marker-assisted breeding (MAB). An increase in the availability of genome sequences of tropical fruits further aided in the discovery of SNP variants/Indels, QTLs and genes that can ascertain the genetic determinants of fruit characters. Through multi-omics approaches such as genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and proteomics, the identification and quantification of transcripts, including non-coding RNAs, involved in sugar metabolism, fruit development and ripening, shelf life, and the biotic and abiotic stress that impacts fruit quality were made possible. Utilizing genomic assisted breeding methods such as genome wide association (GWAS), genomic selection (GS) and genetic modifications using CRISPR/Cas9 and transgenics has paved the way to studying gene function and developing cultivars with desirable fruit traits by overcoming long breeding cycles. Such comprehensive multi-omics approaches related to fruit characters in tropical fruits and their applications in breeding strategies and crop improvement are reviewed, discussed and presented here.

Characterisation of virus-related red tip disease in pineapple (Ananas comosus)

Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is one of the tropical fruits that is cultivated in Malaysia for export as well as domestic use. Unfortunately, the production is heavily affected by the red tip disease which was detected in the southern part of Malaysia 3 decades ago. Despite the identification of this disease, causal agent receives less attention from researchers. Nevertheless, symptoms associated with this infection and the mode of transference inside the plantations indicate viral-like disease. RNA extracted from the pineapple infected leaves introduced to Nicotiana tabacum cv. Coker by kneading the plant leaves to extract fresh sap. Yellowish necrosis was detected three weeks after artificial inoculation. The staining of the fresh diseased sample and inoculated Nicotiana tabacum cv. Coker showed the existence of round particles with an average diameter of 94.25nm under the transmission electron microscope. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed proteins bands similar to those of tospovirus at 25, 55 and 128 kDa. Further protein identification and validation suggested for molecular confirmation of the disease causative agent.

Determination of the Best Method of Dehydration of Tropical Fruits to be Incorporated in Gelatin-based Dessert with Unaltered Sensory Qualities

Background: Jelly based desserts are very popular among millions of people worldwide. The main gel forming ingredient used in these products is ‘Gelatin’, which is a complex polysaccharide in their chemical structure. This research study focusses on incorporation of fruit pieces in to the dessert jelly in order to give a novel experience to the consumers. Methods: To determine the best way of incorporating fruit pieces in a commercially available jelly mixture (which is made up of fruit flavour, acid, water, sugar and pectin as the jelling agent), fruit pieces were treated in two ways and compared for the best textural and sensory qualities. First sample constituted unblanched, oven dried fruit pieces in a commercially available jelly mixture and its was compared with a jelly sample with blanched (fruit pieces were pretreated to minimize any possible discolorations and textural changes), osmo air dehydrated and oven dried fruit pieces. Sensory qualities such as texture, mouth feel and flavour of two different samples were gauged through a sensory test. Result: From a sensory test carries out by a panel of 09 sensory panelists it was found that the jelly mixture when incorporated with osmo air dehydrate fruit pieces it did not degrade the texture of the final product as opposed to unblanched dried fruit pieces does. The osmo air dehydrated fruit pieces in the prepared jelly has a texture and an acceptable mouth feel which is closer in texturally to the natural mouth feel and the taste, when they are reconstituted inside the jelly mixture by absorbing the water from the mixture.

Marketing Constraints Faced by the Banana Growers in Theni District

Banana is one of the most important commercial tropical fruits traded. Eve was said to have used Banana leaves to cover modesty in the Garden of Paradise as revealed from antiquity. Banana is thus called “Apple of Paradise”. It is also known as “Adam Fig”. Theni district was purposively selected for the present study in the first stage since it occupied the first position in area under Banana in the state of Tamil Nadu. The villages of selected four blocks were noted and three villages were selected at random from each block. Altogether twelve villages were selected for the study. From each selected blocks fifteen banana growers were selected by random sampling technique. Thus the total sample size arrived was 90. Findings of the study showed that the constraints expressed by Banana growers are inadequate transport facility was the major problem faced by farmers with a mean score of 61.40 per cent.