NATURAL ANTIMICROBIALS FOR THE MINIMAL PROCESSING OF FOODS

By ANDREW THOMAS

VOLUME 1, EDITION 1 VALUE ADDED PRODUCTS FROM MUSHROOM: NEED FOR THE HOUR A MOLECULAR APPROACH OF SIGNALING MOLECULES, ITS RECEPTORS, AND THEIR RESPONSES BIOPLASTICS: A BOON OR CURSE PHYTOCHEMICALS AND THEIR FUNCTIONAL ASPECTS NANO-BIO PESTICIDES IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE MOLECULAR DOCKING STUDIES ON THE INTERACTION OF PHYTOCOMPOUNDS EXPLORING THE ANTIFUNGAL POTENCY AGAINST ROLE OF DIET AND NUTRITION IN ENHANCING SPORTING PERFORMANCE ENHANCING THE SUSTAINABILITY AND PERFORMANCE OF BIO-CONCRETE: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF MICROBIAL-BASED CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IMMUNOTHERAPY BREAKTHROUGH IN CANCER TREATMENT: BENEFITS AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS DETECTION OF HEAVY METALS IN PLANTS AND ITS IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT EXPANDING TREATMENT FRONTIERS: THE CONVERGENCE OF CAR-T CELL THERAPY AND IMMUNE CHECKPOINT INHIBITORS MEDICINAL POTENTIAL OF FABACEAE FAMILY MEMBERS APPLICATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN BIOCHEMISTRY ## VALUE ADDED PRODUCTS FROM MUSHROOM: NEED FOR THE HOUR MUSHROOMS ARE BELL-SHAPED, FLESHY, SPORE-BEARING MACROFUNGI THAT GROW ON THE SURFACE OF THE SOIL THEY USUALLY GROW AT TEMPERATURES RANGING AROUND 23°C MUSHROOMS ARE DIFFERENTIATED BY THE PRESENCE OF MYCELIUM, STEM (OTHERWISE KNOWN AS STALK), A FLESHY AND DELICATE ROUND CAP, AND GILLS PRESENT UNDERNEATH THE CAP MUSHROOMS ARE CLASSIFIED INTO THE FUNGAL KINGDOM, AS THEY ARE NEITHER PLANT-LIKE NOR ANIMAL-LIKE HOWEVER, MANY INDIVIDUALS CONSIDER MUSHROOMS AS PLANTS DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY LACK CHLOROPHYLL, WHICH PLANTS USE TO MANUFACTURE FOOD AND ENERGY UNLIKE PLANTS, THE CELL WALL OF MUSHROOMS IS RIGID AND IS MADE UP OF COMPLEX POLYSACCHARIDES SUCH AS CHITIN, GLUCAN, AND GLYCOPROTEINS LIKE FUNGI, ANIMALS LACK A CELL WALL MUSHROOMS ARE SAPROPHYTIC, OBTAINING THEIR NUTRITION BY METABOLIZING ORGANIC COMPOUNDS SUCH AS STRAW, WOOD, MANURE, ETC, AS THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE A WIDE RANGE OF ENZYMES THAT HELP BREAK DOWN COMPLEX SUBSTRATES AND ABSORB NUTRIENTS OBTAINED DURING DEGRADATION MUSHROOMS ARE PERISHABLE AND HIGHLY NUTRITIOUS AND ARE CONSIDERED HEALTHY FOOD DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF HIGH PROTEIN, DIETARY FIBRE, VITAMINS, MINERALS, AND ANTIOXIDANTS THIS NUTRIENT-DENSE FOOD CAN BE PREFERRED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR MEAT, FISH, FRUITS, AND VEGETABLES MUSHROOMS CONTAIN A COMPOUND CALLED ERGOSTEROL, WHOSE STRUCTURE IS SIMILAR TO THAT OF ANIMAL CHOLESTEROL ERGOSTEROL CAN BE CONVERTED TO VITAMIN D ON EXPOSURE TO ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION THEREFORE, MUSHROOMS ARE CONSIDERED A MAGNIFICENT SOURCE OF FOOD TO REDUCE MALNUTRITION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF MUSHROOMS, NAMELY EDIBLE MUSHROOMS AND NON-EDIBLE MUSHROOMS APPROXIMATELY 3,000 EDIBLE MUSHROOMS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, OUT OF WHICH NEARLY 200 SPECIES ARE CONSUMED BY HUMANS AND AROUND 700 SPECIES ARE CONSIDERED HEALTHY THERAPEUTIC MUSHROOMS SOME OF THE EDIBLE MUSHROOMS COMMONLY USED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD ARE: * BUTTON MUSHROOM (*AGARICUS BISPORUS*) * OYSTER MUSHROOM (*PLEUROTUS OSTREATUS*) * SHIITAKE MUSHROOM (*LENTINULA EDODES*) * PADDY STRAW MUSHROOM (*VOLVARIELLA VOLVACEA*) * MILKY MUSHROOM (*CALOCYBE INDICA*) WHITE OR BUTTON MUSHROOM (*AGARICUS BISPORUS*) CONTRIBUTES MORE THAN 90% OF TOTAL MUSHROOM PRODUCTION IN INDIA OTHER MUSHROOMS LIKE REISHI MUSHROOM (*GANODERMA LINGZHI*) ARE USED FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES, AS THEY ARE TOUGH TO EAT AND DIGEST, WHEREAS A FEW ARE POISONOUS, SUCH AS AMANITA MUSHROOMS (*AMANITA PHALLOIDES*) LATELY, THE DEMAND FOR MUSHROOMS HAS INCREASED TREMENDOUSLY DUE TO THEIR HIGH PROTEIN CONTENT MUSHROOMS CANNOT BE STORED FOR MORE THAN 24 HOURS UNDER AMBIENT CONDITIONS BECAUSE OF THEIR HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT STORAGE BEYOND SHELF LIFE LEADS TO MICROBIAL SPOILAGE DUE TO THE PERISHABLE NATURE OF MUSHROOMS, DRYING, PRESERVATION TECHNIQUES, AND VALUE ADDITION BECOME IMPORTANT IN ORDER TO STORE THEM, RETAIN NUTRIENTS, AND ENHANCE PRODUCT QUALITY VALUE ADDITION OF MUSHROOMS HELPS INTENSIFY THE SAVOURY NATURE OF PRODUCTS WHILE MAINTAINING NUTRIENT CONTENT VALUE CAN BE ADDED TO PRODUCTS RANGING FROM READY-MADE SNACKS TO MAIN COURSES THE MOST FAMOUS VALUE-ADDED MUSHROOM PRODUCT IN INDIA IS MUSHROOM SOUP POWDER OTHER VALUE-ADDED MUSHROOM PRODUCTS INCLUDE BISCUITS, NUGGETS, CHUTNEY POWDER, CANDIES, PICKLES, AND READY-TO-MAKE CURRIES, THOUGH THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT YET WIDELY POPULARIZED CHINA, THE USA, AND INDIA ARE AMONG THE TOP COUNTRIES IN MUSHROOM PRODUCTION AND CULTIVATION ## NUTRACEUTICAL ASPECTS OF MUSHROOM THE PRACTICE OF EATING MUSHROOMS IS CALLED *MYCOPHAGY* NEARLY 14,000 SPECIES OF BASIDIOMYCETES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY RESEARCHERS APPROXIMATELY 2,000 SPECIES ARE CONSIDERED HIGH-VALUE EDIBLE MUSHROOMS, AND AROUND 700 SPECIES POSSESS PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES THE ENERGY PRODUCED BY MUSHROOMS IS APPROXIMATELY 250–300 CAL/KG THE FRUITING BODY OF MUSHROOMS CONSISTS OF ABOUT 90% WATER, WHILE THE REMAINING PORTION CONTAINS SECONDARY METABOLITES WITH BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE COMPOUNDS THAT ARE CRUCIAL FOR HUMAN HEALTHCARE MUSHROOMS FACE VARIOUS BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC STRESSES DUE TO CHANGES IN ACIDITY, HUMIDITY, OR INVASION OF MICROORGANISMS TO WITHSTAND THESE SITUATIONS, MUSHROOMS RELEASE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SECONDARY METABOLITES THAT PREVENT THE ENTRY OF PARASITES AND PREDATORS AND HELP PREVENT DISEASES, THEREBY SUPPORTING THE PRODUCTION OF MUSHROOMS WITH HIGH YIELD AND QUALITY THE NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF MUSHROOMS COMPRISES HIGH PROTEIN AND CARBOHYDRATES WITH LOW FAT CONTENT