Salinity has caused significant negative effects on agricultural production. This research is focused on the vulnerabilities of soil and water salinities on crop, fish, and livestock production across the Kalapara coastal belt of Bangladesh. Several parameters were measured as indicators of salinity. The electrical conductivity of water was found to be significant with TDS, F−, Cl−, SO42-, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, NO2-, and PO43-. Chloride was found to be identical with SO42-, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Br−, and PO43-. Electrical conductivity, F−, Cl−, SO42-, Na+, K+, and Mg2+ were all found to be higher than the recommended values. Similarly, soil conductivity was found significant with TDS, Cl−, SO42-, Na+, F−, NO2-, NO3-, and PO43-. Chloride in soil samples was found statistically identical with SO42-, Na+, NO3-, and PO43-. About 200 ha fodder crops areas are affected each year due to salinity. Ninety-two percent of the areas were found to be salinity affected in the 36 current cropping patterns. Twelve percent of marine fish and 25 percent of shrimp species have disappeared as a result of salinity. The negative impact of soil and water salinity on crops, fish, and livestock has been increasing in this coastal belt.

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Fruits ofSonneratia apetala (Buch.-Ham.) are widely used as food and in treatingvarious diseases in the tropical coastal areas. This study evaluated nutrient compositions in pericarp and seed of this fruit. Each of pericarp and seed was successively fractionated into n-hexane, diethyl ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol. Polyphenols contents and antioxidant activities of different pericarp and seed fractions were measured in different in vitro methods and phenolic compounds were determined by HPLC. Carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and ash contents were 29.6, 8.8, 2.8 and 25.5% of dry weight (d.w.) in pericarp whereas 28.3, 11.5, 4.2 and 22.7% in seed, respectively. Among the mineral macro-elements, K content was the highest (pericarp: 1.81%, seed: 0.88% of d.w.) followed by Na, Ca, Mg, P and S while in micro-elements, Fe was at the largest (pericarp: 132.5 ppm, seed: 107.3 ppm of d.w.) followed by Mn, Zn and Cu.A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t 2 Methanol fraction of seed (MS) showed the highest polyphenols content (221.9 mg GAE (gallic acid equivalent)/g fraction), DPPH (IC 50 = 2.1 μg/mL) and NO (IC 50 = 490.8 μg/mL) free radical scavenging. Similarly, MS also attained very strong reducing power (OD = 1.67 at 100 µg/mL), Fe 2+ chelating and total antioxidant capacity. When subjected to HPLC analysis of MS, six polyphenols namely caffeic acid, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, ellagic acid, gallic acid and quercetin were detected and quantified as 88.1, 1459.3, 310.1, 616.9, 416.7 and 71.8 mg/100g of MS, respectively. Therefore, the fruit of S. apetala, especially its seeds could be of great use in preparation of functional foods and dietary supplements.

Abstract:The pollution of river water and sediments by heavy metals has assumed serious problems due to their toxicity and accumulative behavior. The present study has been undertaken to assess the levels of heavy metals and the extent of pollution in the surface water and sediments from the Meghna river. Water and sediment samples were collected by the Standard Methods and, processed and analyzed for heavy metals using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (FAAS). The mean concentrations of heavy metal found in the river water were in the order of: ). Pb and Ni were found below detection limit in river water. Based on the findings, the Meghna river water can be considered as unpolluted with respect to Cd, Cr, Mn and Zn, whereas concentration of Fe was above the standard value according to recommended standard guidelines. According to Sediment Quality Guideline (USEPA, 1989), sediments were not polluted for Cd, Pb and Zn; moderately polluted for Cr and Mn and heavily polluted for Ni. The sediment geo-accumulation index (I geo ) values showed no pollution for most of sampling sites for all studied heavy metals. Pollution Load Index (PLI) values showed that all the studied sampling sites were not polluted and on the other hand mean Contamination Factor (CF) values showed low pollution for all measured heavy metals except Ni which indicated moderate pollution. This study can be used as reference to monitor the quality of water and sediments of the Meghna river.

This study evaluated the physicochemical, nutritional, antioxidant, and phenolic properties of ten honey samples from the Sundarbans mangrove forest, Bangladesh. The average pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solid, ash, moisture, hydroxymethyl furfural, titrable acidity, and absorbance were 4.3, 0.38 mS/cm, 187.5 ppm, 0.14%, 17.88%, 4.4 mg/kg, 37.7 meq/kg, and 483 mAU, respectively. In the honeys, the average contents of Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, and Na were 95.5, 0.19, 6.4, 302, 39.9, 3.4, and 597 ppm, respectively, whereas Cd, Cr, Pb, and Ni were not found. The average contents of total sugar, protein, lipid, vitamin C, polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins in the honeys were 69.3%, 0.8%, 0.29%, 107.3 mg/kg, 757.2 mg gallic acid equivalent/kg, 43.1 mg chatechin equivalent/kg, and 5.4 mg/kg, respectively. The honeys had strong 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity, reducing power and total antioxidant capacity. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the honey fractions revealed the quantification of six polyphenols namely, (+)-catechin, (−)-epicatechin, p-caumeric acid, syringic acid, trans-cinnamic acid, and vanillic acid at 194.98, 330.34, 74.64, 218.97, 49.55, and 118.84 mg/kg, respectively. Therefore, the honeys in the Sundarbans are of excellent quality and a prospective source of polyphenols, and antioxidants.