Erythritol is a natural, zero-calorie sweetener that can be used as a sugar substitute and humectant for different products such as confectionaries, tablets, etc. Methods such as extraction and chemical synthesis for erythritol synthesis are not feasible or sustainable due to lower yield and higher operating costs. In the present study, erythritol is produced through the submerged fermentation of cane molasses, a by-product of the cane sugar industry, in the presence of the osmophilic yeast Candida magnoliae. Erythrose reductase enzyme assay was used for quantifying erythritol yield. Plackett–Burman’s design screened the three most influential factors viz. molasses, yeast extract, and KH2PO4 out of 12 contributing factors. Further, the concentration of molasses (200–300 g/L), yeast extract (9–12 g/L), and KH2PO4 (2–5 g/L) were optimized using response surface methodology coupled with numerical optimization. The optimized erythritol yield (99.54 g·L−1) was obtained when the media consisted of 273.96 g·L−1 molasses, 10.25 g·L−1 yeast extract, and 3.28 g·L−1 KH2PO4 in the medium. After purification, the liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis of erythritol crystals from this optimized fermentation condition showed 94% purity. Glycerol was produced as the side product (5.4%) followed by a trace amount of sucrose and mannitol. The molecular masses of the erythritol were determined through mass spectrometry by comparing [M + Na] + ions. Analysis in electrospray (ES) positive mode gave (m/z) of 145.12 [M + 23]. This study has reported a higher erythritol yield from molasses and used osmotolerant yeast Candida magnoliae to assimilate the sucrose from molasses.

W ho are we leaving behind as we move further into a digital world? In the information age, digital technology is ubiquitous in nearly all aspects of human life. Can we truly walk together into the future? In the 1900s Mead posited that a healed femur is the first sign of civilization. In that vein, health is at the foundation of all human pursuit. Where do the ubiquitous and fundamental meet? "Digital health" lies at the intersection.This study examines digital health -accessing health care services digitally -in three aspects: its potential in India, extant public health infrastructure, and its need in marginalized communities. The study explores the major challenges in the field and offers recommendations for conceptual solutions to professionals working in digital health, students, physicians, and policy makers."Digital health" is the use of information and communication technologies in medicine and other health professions to manage illnesses and health risks and to promote wellness [1]. Amongst other digital technologies, mobile phone technology would form the base of a Maslowian pyramid, a theory of motivation which states that five categories of human needs dictate an individual's behaviour. The demand for mobile phone technology as reported by the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), states that people in rural regions spend almost the same percentage of their household budget (25%) on mobile phones as urban residents (26%) [2]. Significantly, the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA), the Indian government's largest rural digital access program, states on its website their aim to make at least one person in every family digitally literate, with a goal to train 60 million rural resident adults by 2020.