Yellow corn (Zea mays) kernels were packaged in unilamellar polypropylene (PP), bilamellar PP/PET (polyethylene terephthalate), and trilamellar PP/PET/Al (aluminium foil) composite and stored at ambient conditions (23 ± 2 °C, 80% RH) for the extension of their shelf‐lives. Lutein content, aflatoxin content, sensory, physicochemical, phytochemical, and nutritional properties were adjudged. X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric‐differential thermal analyses, differential scanning calorimetry, and percentage opacity of the three packaging composites revealed that among the three combinations investigated, PP/PET/Al composite possessed highest crystallinity, thermal stability, and percentage opacity, thereby exhibiting improved barrier properties against moisture, gas, and light. These attributes led to enhanced carotenogenesis and minimal aflatoxin content, conferring highest shelf‐life of 90 days to the trilamellate packaged corn kernels, compared to PP‐ and PP/PET‐packaged samples (60 days). Sensory, physicochemical, phytochemical, and nutritional profiles were also best retained in the same compared to PP‐ and PP/PET‐packaged and control corn grits. Practical applications Corn is one of the major cereal crops consumed worldwide. Besides its nutritive value, it is also a good source of the nutraceutical “lutein.” Therefore, to meet the demand of the food processing industries and consumers, the grains must be preserved well. The current approach of application of non‐thermal preservation technology viz. “packaging” (using commercially viable, flexible packaging materials) could well preserve lutein as well as sensory attributes, phytochemical properties and nutritional constituents of the corn grits, when stored at ambient conditions (23 ± 2 °C, 80% RH).

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People routinely cooperate with each other, even when cooperation is costly. To further encourage such pro-social behaviors, recipients often respond by providing additional incentives, for example by offering rewards. Although such incentives facilitate cooperation, the question remains how these incentivizing behaviors themselves evolve, and whether they would always be used responsibly. Herein, we consider a simple model to systematically study the co-evolution of cooperation and different rewarding policies. In our model, both social and antisocial behaviors can be rewarded, but individuals gain a reputation for how they reward others. By characterizing the game’s equilibria and by simulating evolutionary learning processes, we find that reputation effects systematically favor cooperation and social rewarding. While our baseline model applies to pairwise interactions in well-mixed populations, we obtain similar conclusions under assortment, or when individuals interact in larger groups. According to our model, rewards are most effective when they sway others to cooperate. This view is consistent with empirical observations suggesting that people reward others to ultimately benefit themselves.

Yellow maize kernels were subjected to supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO) extraction to obtain a lutein-rich extract with potential nutraceutical properties. SC-CO extraction parameters (pressure and temperature) were optimized by employing a full-factorial (3) design of experiments and response surface methodology, based on yield of lutein, antioxidant activity, and ω-6/ω-3 fatty acid ratio of the extracts. A Chrastil equation was also developed for predicting the solubility of lutein in SC-CO under different extraction conditions. The optimized extraction condition was obtained at 500 bar, 70 °C for 90 min, at which the extract was found to possess a unique combination of the highest lutein yield (275.00 ± 3.50 μg/g of dry weight), along with a well-balanced ω-6/ω-3 fatty acid ratio (3:1). Moreover, the total phenol content and antioxidant activity were also found to be the highest at this condition. This lutein-rich extract is a promising nutraceutical or dietary supplement in the food industry.

LDPE pack was the best design among the ten package designs, in preserving lutein content of marigold flowers and extending their shelf lives. This economically viable packaging can not only boost the export potential of this ornamental flower, but also allow utilization of nutraceutical potency of lutein.