The global food industry is expected to increase more than US $ 7 trillion by 2014. This rise in processed food sector shows that more and more people are diverging towards modern processed foods. As modern diets are largely heat processed, they are more prone to contain high levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). AGEs are a group of complex and heterogeneous compounds which are known as brown and fluorescent cross-linking substances such as pentosidine, non-fluorescent cross-linking products such as methylglyoxal-lysine dimers (MOLD), or non-fluorescent, non-cross linking adducts such as carboxymethyllysine (CML) and pyrraline (a pyrrole aldehyde). The chemistry of the AGEs formation, absorption and bioavailability and their patho-biochemistry particularly in relation to different complications like diabetes and ageing discussed. The concept of AGEs receptor -RAGE is mentioned. AGEs contribute to a variety of microvascular and macrovascular complications through the formation of cross-links between molecules in the basement membrane of the extracellular matrix and by engaging the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). Different methods of detection and quantification along with types of agents used for the treatment of AGEs are reviewed. Generally, ELISA or LC-MS methods are used for analysis of foods and body fluids, however lack of universally established method highlighted. The inhibitory effect of bioactive components on AGEs by trapping variety of chemical moieties discussed. The emerging evidence about the adverse effects of AGEs makes it necessary to investigate the different therapies to inhibit AGEs.

Due to the nutritional importance and the sustained popularity of meat as a foodstuff, the livestock production sector has been expanding incessantly. This exponential growth of livestock meat sector poses a gigantic challenge to the sustainability of food production system. A new technological breakthrough is being contemplated to develop a substitute for livestock meat. The idea is to grow meat in a culture in the lab and manipulate its composition selectively. This paper aims to discuss the concept of In Vitro Meat production system, articulate the underlying technology and analyse the context of its implications, as proposed by several scientists and stakeholders. The challenges facing this emerging technology have also been discussed.

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The favoured temperature range for soyabean seed germination is 25 -30 8C and the crop is sensitive to water stress. In northern India, the crop is sown in the hot-dry months of May -June. Straw mulching can alter the soil's hydrothermal regime by lowering the temperature and reducing evaporation losses. A field experiment was conducted from 1999 to 2002 at the Research Farm of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana on a loamy sand soil to evaluate the effect of wheat straw mulch on soil temperature, soyabean seed yield and crop growth. Maximum soil temperatures at sowing depth, recorded during the 1-month period after sowing (seed germination to seedling establishment stage), were high under no-mulch, ranging from 30.6 to 48.6 8C, while mulching substantially reduced these temperatures by 1.4 to 12.7 8C. Mulching increased soyabean seed yield by 4.4 to 68.3% in different cropping seasons; it also increased plant biomass by 17 to 122% and nodule mass by 8 to 220%. Leaf area index, chlorophyll content of leaves and number of pods per plant were all increased. Seed yield improvement under mulch was negatively correlated with rainfall distribution (number of rainy days) and amount during the whole cropping season. The percentage increase in seed yield with mulching was regressed against the total number of rainy days and total rainfall in millimetres in the cropping season. Thereby 93% of the variation in response to mulching in different cropping seasons was explained by the distribution and amount of rainfall.