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Current lifestyle, eating habits, stress, environmental factors and intensive use of synthetic chemicals in food processing and agriculture have radically increased the progression of several human diseases. Globally, researchers have been looking for natural therapeutic substances that can be used to treat or delay the onset of these lifestyle-related disorders. Numerous types of medicinal plants have shown the potential to be frequently used in the therapeutics due to the presence of several bioactive compounds. Among these, fenugreek is an important herb which has been recognized as an imperative medicinal plant by various scientists around the world. This herb has been widely reported as beneficial against numerous diseases such as cancer, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes and inflammation. Due to its medicinal value, the extracts/powders from different parts of fenugreek have been effectively utilized in food and pharmaceutical industries. Accordingly, the present review is an attempt to highlight the important nutritional benefits and curative applications of fenugreek as an effectual therapeutic agent against different diseases.

Quinoa is a climate-resilient food grain crop that has gained significant importance in the last few years due to its nutritional composition, phytochemical properties and associated health benefits. Quinoa grain is enriched in amino acids, fiber, minerals, phenolics, saponins, phytosterols and vitamins. Quinoa possesses different human-health promoting biological substances and nutraceutical molecules. This review synthesizes and summarizes recent findings regarding the nutrition and phytochemical properties of quinoa grains and discusses the associated biological mechanisms. Quinoa grains and grain-based supplements are useful in treating different biological disorders of the human body. Quinoa is being promoted as an exceptionally healthy food and a gluten-free super grain. Quinoa could be used as a biomedicine due to the presence of functional compounds that may help to prevent various chronic diseases. Future research needs to explore the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical aspects of quinoa that might help to control different chronic diseases and to promote human health.

Development of various novel thermal and nonthermal techniques has shown potential applications in meat processing and preservation. Consumer's demand of meat products with esteemed quality, wholesomeness, and superior safety has led to the commercial introduction of these innovative methods. Accordingly, this treatise outlines the potential of several advanced thermal and nonthermal methods like super‐chilling, ultrarapid freezing, immersion vacuum cooling, hydrofluidization freezing, impingement freezing, electrostatic‐assisted freezing, pressure‐shift freezing, acidic electrolyzed water coupled with high hydrostatic pressure, and nonthermal plasma technique for preserving meat quality and prolongation of shelf stability. This article also highlights the advancements in the packaging technology like use of linear low‐density polyethylene‐based active clay nanocomposite films and resulted benefits for the meat sector. Additionally, consumer responses to various meat products preserved with these technologies are also discussed in this critique. The focal objective of the current discourse is to reconnoiter the aptitude of these novel techniques in meat preservation so that these methods can be adopted at commercial scale in a much broader sense.Practical applicationsFor decades, several methods have been adopted for preservation of meat. With technological advancements, meat industry is looking for some modern and economic preservation methods for meat and meat‐based products. In this regard, several nonconventional techniques like super‐chilling, hydrofluidization freezing, impingement freezing, electrostatic‐assisted freezing, and pressure‐shift freezing have shown their potential for effective meat preservation. Therefore, this article will be helpful for the meat industrialists to consider these techniques for commercial preservation of meat and meat products in a more effectual manner.

The current review focused on the effect of different thermal and nonthermal processing techniques on the structural and functional modifications of milk proteins. In thermal processing, denaturation in whey proteins takes place at the temperature range of 60-100°C. High temperature short time (HTST) treatment caused denaturation with the loss of secondary structure of proteins at temperature of 72°C for 15 minutes. Ultra-high temperature (UHT) treatment damaged β-lactoglobulins at higher temperature range of 135-140°C for 2 seconds. High-pressure processing (HP) (≤200-400 MPa) caused denaturation and aggregation of casein micelles with large molecular size. High-pressure homogenization with 350-400 MPa caused modification in structure of milk proteins and enhanced the solubility of whey proteins. Gamma irradiation with the dose of 3 kGy and 10 kGy crosslinked bands from α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulins respectively. At the dose of 32-64 kGy, crosslinking among caseinates appeared and molecular size of whey proteins increased. Dose of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation (254 nm) caused stability and improvement in the structure of whey proteins. Sonication treatment (20 W for 60 minutes) caused reduction in the size of casein micelles up to 1-4 nm.