Study on ancient green materials and technology used in Udaipur palace, India: an input to abate climate changes in modern construction.

The characteristics and potential for carbon dioxide capture and storage of the fifteenth-century lime mortar samples from City Palace, Udaipur, India, were studied. Physiochemical analysis followed by XRD, FTIR, TGA-DSC, and FE-SEM was performed. The findings demonstrate that calcium-rich eminently hydraulic mortars were used with a binder/aggregate (B/Ag) ratio of about 1:2.8±0.42. Mineralogy identified load-bearing phases: aragonite, vaterite, and calcite with 45±5% clay minerals. Absorption and stretching bands detected by FTIR at 1631 cm-1 and 2954 cm-1 corroborate the inclusion of plant organics. All samples showed aragonite around 870 cm-1, which can be traced back to bonded CO2 and the subsequent carbonation throughout the age of the structure. TGA-DSC validated XRD and FE-SEM analysis exhibited 18.66±3.40% weight loss at >600 °C, indicating calcite decomposition and CO2 release with CO2/H2O ratio of 3.31 to 3.66. From the historic example, a debate has been sparked about using lime mortars in contemporary construction to mitigate the carbon footprint with inherent attributes.

Advances in apple packaging: a review.

Apple (Malus domestica) belongs to the family Rosaceae. It is one of the most commonly cultivated fruit in all temperate zones of the world and holds an equally important place in the global economy. Apple is a climacteric fruit and undergoes metabolic changes even after the harvest and thus prone to post-harvest losses. The packaging of apples plays an important role in extending the shelf life of the apples and also maintains the quality during distribution and transport. The prime role of packaging is to contain the food commodity and protect the enclosed product from external damage. But other functions such as traceability, convenience and temper evidence are of secondary importance. Different packaging techniques are employed for the packaging of apples which include both conventional (wooden boxes, corrugated fiber boxes, crates) and non-conventional packaging like modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), active packaging, edible coatings, etc.

Role of probiotics and prebiotics in mitigation of different diseases.

Probiotics and their food sources, prebiotics, are known to have qualities that help with gastrointestinal issues along with overall improvement in health and well-being. Pro- and prebiotics play a key role in neuroimmune processes. Their beneficial effects on health are linked to interactions of the gastrointestinal tract, immune system, and neurologic systems. The interaction between the microflora-gut-brain axis has a profound effect on brain function, thereby influencing the overall well-being of an individual. Nutritionists, researchers, regulatory bodies (World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization), pharmaceutical, and food manufacturers are currently engaged in enhancing the potential of nutrition in health maintenance and disease prevention. Nutrition has the potential to increase psychological well-being and could be used much as are psychiatric drugs. Probiotics and prebiotics have evolved as promising therapeutic techniques to treat several disease conditions associated with the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this review was to provide useful information about the use of probiotics and prebiotics in mitigation of various diseases such as COVID-19, congenital heart disease, diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, hypertension, genitourinary tract infection, colon cancer, immune system defense, mineral absorption, allergic disorders, and atopic dermatitis.

ß-Glucan: A dual regulator of apoptosis and cell proliferation.

ß-Glucans are polysaccharides generally obtained from the cell wall of bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and aleurone layer of cereals. ß-Glucans are polymers, with ß-1,3 glucose as core linear structure, but they differ in their main branch length, linkages and branching patterns, giving rise to high and low-molecular-weight ß-glucans. They are well-known cell response modifiers with immune-modulating, nutraceutical and health beneficial effects, including anticancer and pro-apoptotic properties. ß-Glucan extracts have shown positive responses in controlling tumor cell proliferation and activation of the immune system. The immunomodulatory action of ß-glucans enhances the host's antitumor defense against cancer. In consonance with the above, many studies have shown that ß-glucan treatment leads to the induction of apoptotic death of cancer cells. The ability of ß-glucans to stimulate apoptotic pathways or the proteins involved in apoptosis prompting a new domain in cancer therapy. ß-glucan can be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of cancer. However, there is a need to legitimize the ß-glucan type, as most of the studies include ß-glucan from different sources having different physicochemical properties. The body of literature presented here focuses on the effects of ß-glucan on immunomodulation, proliferation, cell death and the possible mechanisms and pathways involved in these processes.