Food waste, a by-product of various industrial, agricultural, household and other food sector activities, is rising continuously due to increase in such activities. Various studies have indicated that different kind of food wastes obtained from fruits, vegetables, cereal and other food processing industries can be used as potential source of bioactive compounds and nutraceuticals which has significant application in treating various ailments. Different secondary metabolites, minerals and vitamins have been extracted from food waste, using various extraction approaches. In the next few years these approaches could provide an innovative approach to increase the production of specific compounds for use as nutraceuticals or as ingredients in the design of functional foods. In this review a comprehensive study of various techniques for extraction of bioactive components citing successful research work have been discussed. Further, their efficient utilization in development of nutraceutical products, health benefits, bioprocess development and value addition of food waste resources has also been discussed.

Background: Siddha Medicine is a valuable therapeutic choice which is classically used for treating viral respiratory infections, this principle of medicine is proven to contain antiviral compounds. Objective: The study is aimed to execute the In Silico computational studies of phytoconstituents of Siddha official formulation Kabasura Kudineer and novel herbal preparation -JACOM which are commonly used in treating viral fever and respiratory infectious diseases and could be affective against the ongoing pandemic novel corona virus disease SARS-CoV-2. Method: Cresset Flare software was used for molecular docking studies against the spike protein SARS-CoV-2 (PDB ID: 6VSB). Further, we also conducted in silico prediction studies on the pharmacokinetics (ADME) properties and the safety profile in order to identify the best drug candidates by using online pkCSM and SwissADME web servers. Results: Totally 37 compounds were screened, of these 9 compounds showed high binding affinity against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. All the phytoconstituents were free from carcinogenic and tumorigenic properties. Based on these, we proposed the new formulation called as "SNACKeV" Conclusion: Based on further experiments and clinical trials, these formulations could be used for effective treatment of COVID-19.

Proteins are naturally occurring biopolymers that exhibit a wide range of functional applications. Meticulous knowledge about biomolecular interactions between polymeric biomaterials and body fluids or proteins is essential for designing biospecific surfaces and understanding protein−polymer interactions beyond existing limitations. In this regard, we studied the comparative effect of heme proteins such as cytochrome c, myoglobin, and hemoglobin on the phase behavior of poly(N-vinyl caprolactam) (PVCL) aqueous solution and demonstrated various biomolecular interactions in the polymer−protein complex with the aid of various biophysical techniques. Absorption spectroscopy, steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering studies, laser Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were carried out at room temperature to examine the changes in absorbance, fluorescence intensity, molecular interactions, particle size, agglomeration behavior, and surface morphologies. Furthermore, differential scanning calorimetry studies were also performed to analyze conformational changes, coil to globule transition, and phase behavior in the presence of proteins. With the addition of heme proteins, the lower critical solution temperature of PVCL increases toward higher temperature. The present study may help in designing smart biomaterials and stimulate more novel concepts in polymer−protein interactions. It also helps in the development of a biomimetic polymer for "smart" applications such as pulsatile drug release systems and controlled bioadhesion by temperature-mediated hydrophilic/hydrophobic switching.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are recognized as a "green" alternative to conventional ionic liquids and organic solvents owing to their specific properties. In this study, the influence of DESs containing choline chloride (ChCl) as a hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and urea, ethylene glycol (EG), and lactic acid (LA) as hydrogen bond donors (HBD) on the thermoresponsive behavior of poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PVCL) is investigated using various techniques. Spectroscopic investigations indicate biased interactions of the HBD group present in the DESs with a hydration layer of PVCL. Dynamic light scattering and temperature-dependent fluorescence spectroscopy results clearly show a decrease in the lower critical solution temperature of PVCL in the presence of the DESs. The hydrophobic collapse of PVCL in the presence of the DESs follows the order ChCl:urea > ChCl:EG > ChCl:LA. It is proposed that the presence of DESs does not interfere with the functional groups present in PVCL; however, it ruptures the hydrogen bonding between PVCL and the water molecules and destabilizes the water gradient around PVCL. The DESs have provided an alternative platform for low-temperature dehydration of PVCL, which can be useful as a drug carrier agent.

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