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.
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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