Allelopathy, a complex phenomenon has unveiled both stimulatory and inhibitory effects in plant processes that are mediated by the release of certain chemical compounds commonly known as allelochemicals. Allelochemicals, a form of bioactive secondary metabolites are produced by a diverse group of plants and microbes in response to biotic and abiotic stress. It ranges from a simple hydrocarbon to complex polycyclic aromatic compounds like phenol, flavonoids, tannins, steroids, amino acids, alkaloids and quinones. These plant bioactive compounds are released into the environment via decomposition, exudation, leaching and volatilization that play a significant role in regulating the intra-specific or inter-specific relations with counterparts. A wide variety of methods has been proposed for analyzing the basic mechanism and overall effect of allelochemicals. However, the lack of a reliable and effective method to identify their molecular mode of action and their modulation in the metabolic pathway still remains as a great challenge. From a commercial perspective, these allelochemicals are deemed to be better candidates for green natural herbicides and weedicides that are proven to be environment friendly, unlike synthetic chemicals. In order to pave a way for the economic viability of these chemicals, a basic understanding of their chemistry is inevitable. This review article is focused to give an in-depth understanding of metabolic pathways genes responsible for the elicitation/secretion and the adoption of a suitable downstream process and analytical techniques that can intensify the process.

Treatment or processing of starch with organic acids (citric, stearic, succinic, and malic acids) can be used to obtain starch properties like low retrogradation, desirable viscosity, shear resistance, and high resistant starch. Esterification, cross linking, and hydrolysis of starch may occur after modification with organic acids (citric, succinic acid, malic acid) whereas a complex between starch and stearic acid may be formed on use of stearic acid. The conditions of reactions namely duration, starch acid concentration ratio, and temperature may influence physicochemical and structural properties of starch. Citric acid, succinic acid, stearic acid, and malic acid are regarded as "GRAS" and thus the starch citrate, starch succinate, starch stearate, and starch maleate are widely used in manufacturing of starch films, blends, nanoparticles, fat replacer, viscosity enhancer, and many other products. This review paper discusses the reaction conditions of organic acid modification of starches along with their influence on physicochemical and structural characteristics.

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Edible oil industries are shifting to the increased production of cold pressed oils in order to preserve some of the vital nutrients the oil. Consequently, the seed cake residue would lack signi cant nutrients that are otherwise retained in the oils, thus making the quality of residue inferior when applying as cattle feed. MethodsIn this study, mustard oil seed cake (MOSC) was employed as the substrate and the nutritive and feed quality were enhanced using Koji strains viz., Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger, separately and suitable process parameters such as Solid: Liquid, pH, incubation time and inoculum quantity were optimized for the maximum nutritive enhancement of cold pressed MOSC. Changes in physico-chemical properties were analyzed by SEM, EDS, FTIR along with feed functional properties to analyze the quality. Briquetting of MOSC was employed for enhanced microbial encroachment. ResultFree amino acid (FAA) and reducing sugar (RS) were chosen as critical indicators of enrichment. A. oryzae resulted in 20.74 fold and 19.07 fold increase in FAA and RS respectively, whereas, A. niger resulted 13.24 fold and 3.04 fold increase. Critical parameters such as solid:liquid, pH, time and inoculum volume were selected. Briquetting resulted in e cient mycelia coverage as evident from SEM images and EDS analysis indicated enhancement in essential elements in the MOSC. Functional properties after fermentation indicated an effective transformation of MOSC. ConclusionUtilizing these seed cakes as cattle feed not only provide the required nutrition, but also helps in the e cient utilization of the residual waste oilseed cakes. NoveltyRecently, to enhance the nutritive factors, edible oil industries are switching from hot pressed to cold pressed oils to retain heat labile compounds like vitamins and carotenoids in the oils, on the other hand, it results in lesser nutritional content in the cake residue. Therefore an inferior quality and presence of antinutritional factor restricts the use of this cold pressed mustard oil seedcake as feed. Supplementing Koji fermented oilseed briquettes as feed obtained through our research may alter the rate of nutrient digestion in the lactating cows that consequently bene cial to the dairy industries. Utilizing these seed cakes as cattle feed not only provide the required nutrition, but also helps in the e cient utilization of the residual waste oilseed cakes.