In present study of finger millet malt flour and its quality evaluation was done. The drying characteristics were studied by the convective hot air drying method at the temperature of 45°C. The Physico-chemical properties of finger millet malt and finger millet flour like moisture, protein, fat, ash, fiber, carbohydrate, bulk density, water absorption capacity, wettability ranged from 5.6 ± 0.10 to 5.4±0.01, 6.43 ± 0.26 to 6.16±0.04, 1.18 ± 0.05 to 0.07±0.03, 1.5 ± 0.03 to 1.15±0.06, 3.75 ± 0.01 to 3.1±0.30, 81.57 ± 0.42 to 83.12±0.28, 0.606 ± 0.0 to 0.588±0.0, 2.94 ± 0.02 to 2.08±0.14, 41 ± 1.00 to 39±1.00 respectively. The study will help in decision making of using finger millet flour or malt in various cookies, biscuits, and functional foods preparation.

Dehydration is the most precious method for preservation of green leafy vegetables. Dehydration is the best option to preserve the green leafy vegetable during abundant production. In the present investigation Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) were dried in a convective hot air dryer at 45oC, 55oC and 65oC. The air velocity inside the dryer was 2-3 m/s, the drying process completed within 5 hrs to 8.5 hrs, drying rate increased with increase in air temperature and thus reducing the drying time. The experimental drying data of spinach were applied to three moisture ratio models, namely, Newton, Page and Henderson and Pabis models. Among all the models, the page model was found to be the best for explaining the drying characteristics of spinach leaves. The effective moisture diffusivity varied from 1.77578×10-9, 2.66367×10-9 and 3.60649×10-9 over the temperature range studied, with activation energy was 31.677 kJ/mol for spinach leaves. The nutritional values like protein decreased from 10.73 to 10.10 %, fiber decreased from 14.33 to 11.21%, ash is deceased from 6.70 to 6.31%, fat is increased from 3.04 to 3.11% as the temperature of drying increases from 450C to 650C the carbohydrate increases from 58.53 to 63.03 % with respect to increase in drying temperature, the functional properties i.e. wettability

decreases from 82 to 42 sec and water absorption capacity increases from 7.57 to 8.77 g/ml with respect to the temperature of drying increases.

Drying characteristics of beetroot slices was investigated by open air sun drying method of 4 mm thickness beetroot slices, beetroot slices dried from 650.750 % (db) moisture content to 7.035 % (db) in open air sun dryer in 50 hr. Seven drying model fitted to experimental data i.e. Newton model, Page model, Exponential, Modified page, Thompson, Midilli, modified page equation II etc. Among the models fitted to the experimental data to open sun drying, the Midilli drying model was well fitted to the experimental data with r2 = 0.9896; MSE = 0.00036 and chi square (χ2) = 0.0414 to experimental moisture ratio with respect to time. Effective Diffusivity (Deff) at time (t) for Beetroot slices drying by open air sundrying was 1.62278 × 10-8 m2/s. Variation in ambient air temperature was in the range 29 - 51.7°C, The product temperature varied from 20 to 49.4°C and the average relative humidity (%) for the ambient air inside the dryer was 48.64±10.21%, and varied from 30 to 65%. Effect of quality parameter i.e. acidity, TSS, pH, reducing sugar, total sugar, moisture, hardness and colour (L, a and b value) on fresh beetroot slices and dried beetroot slices after drying at open air sun drying were determined and discussed at p≤0.05. Total soluble solid of fresh beetroot slices was 10 ± 2.00 °B and open air sun drying total soluble solid content beetroot slices was 58.33±0.58 °B, the pH of beetroot slices before drying was 7.27±0.24 and then after open air sun drying pH of beetroot slices was 5.83±0.25, titratable acidity of beetroot slices before drying was 0.31 ± 0.21 % and it increases up to 0.83±0.14 %, the reducing sugar content of beetroot slices before drying was 0.29±0.03 % and then after open air sun drying reducing sugar content of beetroot slices was 3.12±0.14 %, the total sugar content of beetroot slices before drying was 18.80±0.56 % and then after open air sun drying total sugar content of beetroot slices was 42.01±0.62%,

The L, a, b value of beetroot slices before drying was 33.69 ± 0.12, 31.50±0.85 and 9.10±0.16 respectively, then after open air sun drying L, a, b value of beetroot slices was 34.37±0.46, 23.66±0.07 and 16.19±0.002 respectively.  

Chickweed (Stellaria media) member of the family Caryophyllaceae. This plant is extensively cultivated globally and is inherent to Africa, Asia, China, Europe, and North America. Nutritional studies have revealed the presence of protein, especially 16 amino acids, and minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc. The current study aimed to determine the nutritional composition (moisture, ash, fat, protein, carbohydrate, and crude fiber), mineral composition (iron, calcium, and zinc) of dry Chickweed leaves powder and develop nutrient-dense khakhra by incorporating leaves powder (2%, 4%, and 6%) respectively. Thereafter, assess the developed food product nutritional composition and sensory acceptability. For experiments, the nutritional composition was done according to the Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC) standard procedures. The mineral composition was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Triangle difference test was used for panel member selection that had better sensory attributes. Sensory acceptability was done with the help of a 9-point hedonic rating scale. All the results were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD) of triplicates. Leaves of Chickweed were recorded to have a protein (g) (29.5±0.34), crude fiber (g) (9.7±0.31), fat (g) (4.4±0.02), ash (g) (3.8±0.03), and carbohydrate (g) (39.0±0.02). The mineral composition of Chickweed leaves showed a higher amount of calcium (mg) (1780.4±0.07), iron (mg) (12.2±0.02), and zinc (mg) (1.3±0.04). Furthermore, the sensory acceptability test revealed that khakhra containing 6% of Chickweed powder received better scores as compared with control and other formulations for most of the sensorial attributes judged. Chickweed leaves powder can be used as a cheap natural source of nutrients for supplementing food products. 

Quarg-type cheese incorporated with encapsulated Terminalia arjuna was stored at 5 ± 1 °C to analyse the storage stability of the product. During the period of storage, the samples were analysed for its physico - chemical properties like moisture, pH, instrumental colour characteristics. As the storage period proceeded an increase in the acidity and reduction in moisture was observed. During the storage period colour L* values decreased and both a* and b* values increased. The antioxidant activity was estimated by % DPPH inhibition activity and during storage period the activity gradually decreased from 95.49 ± 3.46% to 86.13 ± 1.49%. The total phenolic content also decreased as the days of storage increased. The proteolysis analysed by tyrosine value indicated that in optimized sample the proteolysis was rapidly occurring as compared to control sample. At the end of storage period control sample had tyrosine value of 27.40 ± 0.14 whereas optimized sample had a value of 40.30 ± 0.09. An increase in the total viable count and yeast and mold count was observed in the microbial analysis conducted for both control and optimized samples during the storage period. The textural properties were analysed during the storage period which indicated a reduction in hardness in optimized samples. The adhesiveness increased in the optimized samples when compared to control samples. All the analysis carried out indicated positive and negative results in terms of storage stability.

β-glucan is a naturally occurring non-starch polysaccharide formed by β-glycoside linkages between D-glucose monomers. Beta-glucan is found in significant quantities in various sources such as grains, fruits, fungi, algae, yeast, and bacteria. The recent emergence of beta-glucan has garnered considerable interest due to its beneficial impact on human health. This article provides a systematic overview of the sources, structure, technological functions, and practical applications of β-glucan in fermented dairy products. Gel formation, high moisture-binding capacity, enhanced yield of completed goods, texture formation, and original sensory indicators are just some of its pronounced technological roles in the composition of dairy products. The utilization of β-glucan derived from yeast and mushrooms has been found to be advantageous in providing biologically active compounds that contribute to the functional properties of the final product.

This review article discusses the technologies for mass producing cyanobacterial biofertilizers as well as their applications in industrial and agricultural contexts. The agriculture sector is always looking for novel approaches to boost crop yields without sacrificing environmental sustainability. In this review paper, it is suggested that banana trash and cyanobacteria that have been isolated from banana plantations be combined to create a unique biofertilizer. This review paper’s objective is to use agricultural waste and naturally occurring microorganisms to create a sustainable alternative for crop fertilisation. Banana waste, which is plentiful in banana-growing areas, a supply of nutrients that the cyanobacteria can use, which will then give the soil nitrogen fixation and other advantageous qualities. The soil from a banana plantation will be used to separate the cyanobacteria, which will then be examined for their capacity to stimulate plant development. A suitable substrate for the cyanobacteria to grow and reproduce will be created from the processing of the banana trash. The efficacy of the resultant biofertilizer in enhancing plant development and yield will be evaluated on a range of crops. The goal of the study is to show how this strategy might support sustainable agricultural practises while also offering an economically viable method for handling banana trash. Overall, this work gives a viable plan for creating a unique biofertilizer that may

completely transform the agricultural sector.