Search Results (6)

Enhancing the productivity and bioactivity of high-functional foods holds great significance. Carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) have a recognized capacity for boosting both plant growth and the efficacy of primary and secondary metabolites. Furthermore, while salinity diminishes plant growth, it concurrently amplifies the production of phytomolecules. To ensure the robust and sustainable production of nutritious food, it becomes essential to elevate biomolecule yield without compromising plant growth. Here, we assessed the CNPs priming on plant performance and metabolites of the glycophyte amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) sprouts at the threshold salinity (25 mM NaCl; i.e., salinity that does not reduce growth but enhances the metabolites of that plant). We measured growth parameters, pigment levels, and primary (carbohydrates, amino acids, organic acids, fatty acids) and secondary metabolites (phenolics, flavonoids, tocopherols). CNP priming significantly improved biomass accumulation (fresh and dry weight) and primary and secondary metabolites of amaranth sprouts. Increased photosynthetic pigments can explain these increases in photosynthesis. Enhanced photosynthesis induced carbohydrate production, providing a C source for producing bioactive primary and secondary metabolites. The priming effect of CNPs further enhanced the accumulation of essential amino acids, organic acids, unsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols, and phenolics at threshold salinity. The increase in bioactive metabolites under threshold salinity can explain the CNP priming impact on boosting the antioxidant activities (FRAP, DPPH, anti-lipid peroxidation, superoxide-anion-scavenger, hydroxyl-radical-scavenger, Fe-chelating and chain-breaking activity in aqueous and lipid phases) and antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. Overall, this study suggested that threshold salinity and CNP priming could be useful for enhancing amaranth sprouts’ growth and nutritional quality. Full article

Brassica species show varying levels of resistance to salt stress. To understand the genetics underlying these differential stress tolerance patterns in Brassicas, we exposed two widely cultivated amphidiploid Brassica species having different genomes, Brassica juncea (AABB, n = 18) and Brassica napus (AACC, n = 19), to elevated levels of NaCl concentration (300 mM, half the salinity of seawater). B. juncea produced more biomass, an increased chlorophyll content, and fewer accumulated sodium (Na⁺) and chloride (Cl⁻) ions in its photosynthesizing tissues. Chlorophyll fluorescence assays revealed that the reaction centers of PSII of B. juncea were more photoprotected and hence more active than those of B. napus under NaCl stress, which, in turn, resulted in a better PSII quantum efficiency, better utilization of photochemical energy with significantly reduced energy loss, and higher electron transport rates, even under stressful conditions. The expression of key genes responsible for salt tolerance (NHX1 and AVP1, which are nuclear-encoded) and photosynthesis (psbA, psaA, petB, and rbcL, which are chloroplast-encoded) were monitored for their genetic differences underlying stress tolerance. Under NaCl stress, the expression of NHX1, D1, and Rubisco increased several folds in B. juncea plants compared to B. napus, highlighting differences in genetics between these two Brassicas. The higher photosynthetic potential under stress suggests that B. juncea is a promising candidate for genetic modifications and its cultivation on marginal lands. Full article

Background: The expansion of oil palm agriculture across the nations, especially in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia, is growing at exacerbated levels. However, there is still a lack of awareness of the environmental, social, and economic challenges among the sector, ranging from the combination of ecological, economic, and ecosystem sustainability to the livelihoods of plantation workers and small holder communities. Small holders struggle to attain the primary standards on market governance, debt-free livelihood enhancements, certification norms, proper land rights and usage, outsourcing quality seeds, harvesting technologies, labor usage, etc. Method: There is a need to systematize the existing literature toward one that addresses the most fundamental and urgent questions that govern the palm oil small holder sustainability in the palm oil supply chain. The objective of this article is two-fold. One approach was to undertake an integrated systematic review and thematic scientific mapping of the last 10 years of research effort (2009–2020) on the specified research agenda, using data from the Web of Science (WoS) core collection database. Another objective was to gain insights and research direction. Results: The defined gaps and insights from the study helped to form the basis for developing a conceptual framework for achieving the sustainability and livelihood of small holders in the palm oil sector. Conclusions: There is a stringent need to focus on the sustainability factors of small holders in the palm oil upstream logistics to address and improve the overall efficiency of the supply chain. Full article

Background: As the Internet of Things (IoT) has become more prevalent in recent years, digital twins have attracted a lot of attention. A digital twin is a virtual representation that replicates a physical object or process over a period of time. These tools directly assist in reducing the manufacturing and supply chain lead time to produce a lean, flexible, and smart production and supply chain setting. Recently, reinforced machine learning has been introduced in production and logistics systems to build prescriptive decision support platforms to create a combination of lean, smart, and agile production setup. Therefore, there is a need to cumulatively arrange and systematize the past research done in this area to get a better understanding of the current trend and future research directions from the perspective of Industry 4.0. Methods: Strict keyword selection, search strategy, and exclusion criteria were applied in the Scopus database (2010 to 2021) to systematize the literature. Results: The findings are snowballed as a systematic review and later the final data set has been conducted to understand the intensity and relevance of research work done in different subsections related to the context of the research agenda proposed. Conclusion: A framework for data-driven digital twin generation and reinforced learning has been proposed at the end of the paper along with a research paradigm. Full article

Background: Digital and smart supply chains are reforming the food chain to help eliminate waste, improve food safety, and reduce the possibility of a global food catastrophe. The globe currently faces numerous food-related issues, ranging from a lack of biodiversity to excessive waste, and from ill health caused by excessive consumption to widespread food insecurity. It is time to look back at how technology has tackled food supply-chain challenges related to quality, safety, and sustainability over the last decade. Moreover, continuous transformations of the food supply chain into a more sustainable business model with utmost resilience is the need of the hour due to COVID-19 disruptions. Method: This study aimed to systematize literature (2010–2021) in the described context and propose a future research direction, with the assistance of a systematic review and bibliometric analysis on the research agenda proposed above. Results: The findings reveal that technological Industry 4.0 (IR 4.0) tools face specific barriers due to the scope and objective of the application. Conclusion: The Internet of Things has received more attention than any other IR 4.0 tool. More integration between the specialized tools is needed to address this issue. Furthermore, the authors have proposed a food supply chain-based operational framework on technological inclusion to facilitate the roadmap for food supply chain 4.0 for more resilience and food supply chain viability. Full article

The recent technological inclusions in supply chains are encouraging practitioners to continuously rethink and redesign these supply chains. Organizations are trying to implement sustainable manufacturing and supply chain practices to utilize their resources to the full extent in order to gain a competitive advantage. Circular supply chain management acts as the main pathway to achieve optimal circular business models; however, research in this area is still in its infancy and there is a need to study and analyze how the benefits of technology can be leveraged in conventional models to impact circular supply chains and build smart, sustainable, circular business models. To gain better familiarity with the future research paradigms, a detailed systematic literature review was conducted on this topic to identify the dynamics of this field and domains deserving further academic attention. A holistic and unique review technique was used by the authors to capture maximal insights. A total of 96 publications from 2010 to 2021 were selected from the Web of Science core collection database through strict keyword search codes and exclusion criteria, with neat integration of systematic and bibliometric analyses. The findings of this study highlight the knowledge gaps and future research directions, which are presented at the end of this paper. Full article