Waseem Ahmed

By Waseem Ahmed and Rafia Azmat

Citrus is a group of fruit species, comprise an impressive list of additional vital nutrients, quite heterogeneous in many aspects and ancient times used to prevent and cure different diseases of the human body. It has a range of bioactive chemicals which is suitable for balanced diet and health. Citrus is one of the most important fruit in the world for health-related elements. Some species of the citrus act as a source of potential antioxidant showed prevention against heart diseases, anticancer, inflammation, antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal activity. Citrus fruit contained a higher level of flavonoids, terpenes, phytonutrients and range of phenolic compounds, vitamins C and carotenoids. These biochemicals are present in fruit rag, juice, seed and peel. The biocompounds present in citrus depend upon production, species to species. The aims and objectives of this chapter are to highlight the primary bioactive compounds in citrus and their role in controlling of diseases of a human.

Part of the book: Citrus

By Sami Ullah Khan, Zulfiqar Ali Gurmani, Waseem Ahmed, Shahzad Ahmed and Alvina Gul

Fodder beet (Beta vulgaris L. ssp. maritima) belongs to the Amaranthaceae family. It was introduced first in the Europe and then to USA in 1800 and is currently being grown under cool environmental conditions of the world. It can be cultivated at temperature ranging from 8°C to 25°C. Both shoots and roots of fodder beet can be used as a feed for livestock. In the face of changing climate, there is a dire need to find out climate-resilient crops in new niches that can fulfill the growing needs of farming communities. In this context, fodder beet could be a good option for growers having sizable marginal as well as salt-affected soils. The chapter discusses in detail the efficient salinity-tolerance mechanism of fodder beet that enables it to survive under moderate salinity. Selective ion uptake mechanism, efficient antioxidant defensive mechanism and osmoregulation by accumulation of compatible solutes enable it to thrive well under saline environment. Hence, fodder beet is a relatively salt-tolerant crop that can be successfully grown on normal, marginal as well as salt-affected soils to fulfill the fodder requirements of livestock in fodder-scarce times and salinity amelioration.

Part of the book: Plant Stress Physiology

By Huma Qureshi Quarshi, Waseem Ahmed, Rafia Azmant, Nabila Chendouh-Brahmi, Abdul Quyyum and Asad Abbas

Strawberry is a fruit with a short season of harvest. Strawberry is well-known among people all over the world for its distinct flavour, nutritional value, and delicacy. While on the other hand, preserving strawberry and shelf life extension has been a huge difficulty due to their perishable nature. Making effective and sustainable use of already available food processing and preservation technology needs time. Researchers must use advanced techniques like a cool store, modified atmospheric packaging (MAP), cool store, controlled atmospheric storage (CA), various packaging methods, and a variety of chemical and physical treatments to retain commodities for a longer period due to strategic market sales following harvest. Except for the preserving techniques, there is some polysaccharide-based edible coating which has a crucial role in delaying fruit softening, fruit decay, maintaining the increased levels of ascorbic acid and phenols, enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes, and reducing membrane damage. During the postharvest stages, there are numerous threats to keep in view regarding the safety and quality of strawberries. In this chapter, we will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of some of the various preservation technologies, as well as how they might be utilised to preserve and a prolonged period of freshly harvested strawberries.

Part of the book: Recent Studies on Strawberries