Post-harvest losses relate to the degradation in the quantity and quality of the crop’s products from harvesting to consumer usage. In many developing countries, like Pakistan, the post-harvest loss is a problem of food security and is of concern to everyone. Inappropriate handling of agricultural products after harvest may cause quality and quantity losses. It also accounts for the increasing prices of agricultural products in Pakistan. The total production of vegetables and fruits in Pakistan is nearly 13.764 million tons, and it is estimated that 35% to 40% of vegetables and fruits were wasted after harvesting. Severe losses and deterioration of vegetables and fruits occurred mainly during harvesting, along with distribution, transportation, and storage. The important reasons for post-harvest losses include mechanical damage, poor handling, microorganisms (bacteria, fungi), unawareness and lack of modern technologies, time management, insects, and mites. Reduction of post-harvest losses is the main goal of the agricultural sector. Training and educational initiatives could be one of the best strategies for minimizing post-harvest losses. The main objective of this review is, to explain the major production, quality deteriorations of vegetables and fruits, and the causes of post-harvest losses in Pakistan. It can be applied as a positive indication because all bodies involved will strive to implement efficient and effective approaches and policies to address the existing problems.

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Background Exploration of marine macroalgae poly-saccharide-based nanomaterials is emerging in the nanotechnology field, such as wound dressing, water treatment, environmental engineering, biosensor, and food technology. Main body In this article, the current innovation and encroachments of marine macroalgae polysaccharide-based nanoparticles (NPs), and their promising opportunities, for future prospect in different industries are briefly reviewed. The extraction and advancement of various natural sources from marine polysaccharides, including carrageenan, agarose, fucoidan, and ulvan, are highlighted in order to provide a wide range of impacts on the nanofood technology. Further, seaweed or marine macroalgae is an unexploited natural source of polysaccharides, which involves numerous different phytonutrients in the outermost layer of the cell and is rich in sulphated polysaccharides (SP), SP-based nanomaterial which has an enhanced potential value in the nanotechnology field. Conclusion At the end of this article, the promising prospect of SP-based NPs and their applications in the food sector is briefly addressed.

α-amylase is the key digestive enzyme that has been used widely in food, paper, detergent and textile industries for starch degradation. This study was conducted for the optimization and characterization of α-amylase production from Aspergillus niger SAIB-4. The study further assessed the effect of metal nanowires (NWs) on starch hydrolysis by α-amylase enzyme from A. niger. Copper oxide (CuO) and iron oxide (FeO) NWs were fabricated in anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed the diameter and composition of NWs. Different culture conditions were optimized for the production of α-amylase , where optimum production was obtained at incubation time of 60 h, 5% inoculum size, 1% of banana peel, 0.5% ammonium chloride, pH 8 and 30 °C temperature. It was observed that CuO NWs significantly enhanced α-amylase activity at 40 ppm whereas inhibitory affect was observed for FeO NWs at all concentrations. Maximum starch hydrolysis (0.54 µg/ml) was noticed for CuO NWs at 10 ppm concentration while Minimum activity (0.19 µg/ml) was observed at 70 ppm for FeO NWs. Further, molecular docking analysis was performed to endorse the interaction of NWs with α-amylase with improved enzymatic activity for starch hydrolysis. The combination of α-amylase and CuO NWs could be used as better and efficient source for starch hydrolysis with extraordinary industrial applications, particularly in the sugar and detergent industries.

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Background Non-synchronized pods shattering in the Brassicaceae family bring upon huge yield losses around the world. The shattering process was validated to be controlled by eight genes in Arabidopsis, including SHP1, SHP2, FUL, IND, ALC, NAC, RPL, and PG. We performed genome-wide identification, characterization, and expression analysis of shattering genes in B.napus and B. juncea to gain understanding into this gene family and to explain their expression patterns in fresh and mature siliques. Results A comprehensive genome investigation of B.napus and B.juncea revealed 32 shattering genes, which were identified and categorized using protein motif structure, exon-intron organization, and phylogeny. The phylogenetic study revealed that these shattering genes contain little duplications, determined with a distinct chromosome number. Motifs of 32 shattering proteins were observed where motifs1 and 2 were found to be more conserved. A single motif was observed for other genes like Br-nS7, Br-nS9, Br-nS10, Br-jS21, Br-jS23, Br-jS24, Br-jS25, and Br-jS26. Synteny analysis was performed that validated a conserved pattern of blocks among these cultivars. RT-PCR based expressions profiles showed higher expression of shattering genes in B. juncea as compared to B.napus. SHP1, SHP2, and FUL gene were expressed more in mature silique. ALC gene was upregulated in fresh silique of B. napus but downregulation of ALC were observed in fresh silique of B. juncea. Conclusion This study authenticates the presence of shattering genes in the local cultivars of Brassica. It has been validated that the expression of shattering genes were more in B. juncea as compared to B.napus. The outcomes of this study contribute to the screening of more candidate genes for further investigation.

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