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The purpose of the paper was to assess the functional properties vegetable gourds & the validated health claims so as to help the future researchers to locate the gaps. However, emphasizing on the scientifically available reports was required to make information available in a nutshell to the health-conscious consumers, as well as the researcher from the area of functional foods and nutrition.

The paper is a mini-review of scientific findings in different studies on gourd vegetables. The approach to information collection was finding the research gaps and potential areas for future work with a nutritional perspective.

Ash gourd, bitter gourd and bottle gourd have been extensively studied, and several health benefits and functional components have been reported, while ridge gourd, snake gourd and pointed gourd have been sparsely studied for their therapeutic benefits and the validation thereof; hence, there lies a scope for researchers.

The scarcity of scientific reports compared to the traditional usage and folkloric beliefs was a limitation.

Understanding the nutritional potential of gourd vegetables from scientific reports may influence both the work areas and consumers in the appropriate direction.

This study aims to analyze iodine content in various foods and water.

Food and water samples were collected from rural and urban areas of different agroclimatic zones of Haryana State, India, and analyzed for iodine content by a standard method.

A wide variation was observed in the iodine content of cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits and milk. The iodine content in water samples varied from source to source and from zone to zone.

The investigators could not obtain sufficient samples of pulses and fruits for analysis from rural areas as they are not grown by farmers in their fields.

The study is original and innovative. The values of iodine for various foods are not available in the literature, and thus data of the present study will be useful to researchers, nutritionists, food scientists and dieticians.

Mixed fruit nectars present a combination of different tastes and flavors with combined nutritional attributes. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop and optimize the process variables for blended nectar based upon papaya (Carica papaya) and bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria).

The nectar based upon papaya and bottle gourd was prepared with varying levels of papaya/bottle gourd juice concentration (1.5:1‐ 4:1), sugar concentration (12‐21 per cent), citric acid concentration (0.30‐0.50 per cent) and optimized using response surface methodology. A central composite rotatable design (CCRD) with three levels for three independent variables was used for optimization studies. The responses measured were pH, TA, TSS, flavor and taste of the developed nectar. Responses were numerically optimized in combination with design expert software.

The models developed for all responses were significant without significant lack of fit. Papaya/bottle gourd juice concentration ratio, sugar concentration and citric acid level were optimized at 2.47:1, 20.95 and 0.30 per cent, respectively, in order to obtain a pH, titrable acidity and TSS of 3.99, 0.348 and 20.80, respectively, with hedonic scale sensory ratings of 7.43 and 7.18 for flavor and taste, respectively, of the nectar.

The commercial production of such nectar using these optimized conditions may add new dimension to the health beverage industry.

Development of such health‐promoting mixed fruit nectars will boost demand of healthy beverage foods in society.

The product can be developed successfully using these optimized conditions. Since both papaya and bottle gourd have beneficial nutritional and medicinal properties, the development of nectar using these fruits with high sensory acceptance can prove a boon for market promoting health foods.

The present study was aimed to enhance the nutritional quality of veg bottle gourd balls by incorporating boiled mashed egg replacing bottle guard in the formulation of batter.

Three different levels, viz. 50, 60 and 70 per cent of boiled mashed whole egg were taken to optimize the level of egg in veg balls by replacing the bottle gourd. The developed products were evaluated for physico-chemical, proximate analysis and sensory evaluation on Day 0, 3, 6 and 9 of storage, whereas microbiological studies of the product were conducted on Day 1, 4, 7 and 10.

The pH, cooking yield and weight gain were non significantly higher in egg-incorporated balls as compared to control. Similar trends were observed for mean Thio Barbituric Acid (TBA) and free fatty acid (FFA) values, however, the estimated values remained within the acceptable limit throughout the storage period. Mean protein and fat content were significantly (p < 0.05) higher and the moisture content was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in egg-incorporated balls. There was no significant difference for mean Total Plate Count, Yeast and mould count and Psychrophillic count between the treatments and control during storage except at later stage on Day 7 and 10. The mean sensory scores were found to be the highest for egg balls, with 60 per cent boiled mashed whole egg for all sensory attributes and the flavor was very much liked by the sensory panelists.

The trials can be further carried out for some color and properties, with the addition of various antioxidants and antimicrobial agents.

Veg bottle gourd balls are a very much relished delicacy of Indian culinary practices. The incorporation of egg not only enhanced the nutritional properties, also improved the flavor and consumer acceptance. It can be a very good alternative to cope up with malnutrition and hunger.

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the local-level initiatives through coastal afforestation, the natural and socio-economic context of the study area (Hatiya Upazila of Noakhali District, Bangladesh) and the adaptation and DRR strategies generated through coastal afforestation in coastal Bangladesh.

Field observations, focus group discussions (FGDs), semi-structured interviews, and transects were accomplished in both the dry and wet season. Spatial database generated and land use mapping integrated social and technical investigation. Five FDG sessions with participants from different livelihood options (fishermen, farmers and social representatives) were organised and, on average, 15~18 participants participated in each participatory session.

Mangrove plantation can be used to access new land and create alternative livelihoods, which are important for local community adaptation and to reduce disaster risks. Mangrove plantations provide chances for new land management options to be developed for use in Bangladesh.

This study was conducted only at the south-central coastal district of Bangladesh. Data collection to summarise all the socio-economic issues is limited.

This paper can be used for the integration of geospatial and social research techniques to understand the community approach to fight against climate change-induced impacts.

The research is solely conducted by the authors. The conducted approach is a blend of social and technical knowledge and techniques in generating community resilience at the south-central coast of Bangladesh.

Gourd fibres (GF) are a natural biodegradable fibre material with excellent mechanical properties and high tensile strength. The use of natural fibres in composite materials has gained popularity in recent years due to their various advantages, including renewability, low cost, low density and biodegradability. Gourd fibre is one such natural fibre that has been identified as a potential reinforcement material for composites. However, it has low surface energy and hydrophobic nature, which makes it difficult to bond with matrix materials such as polyester. To overcome this problem, chemically adapted gourd fibre has been proposed as a solution. Chemical treatment is one of the most widely used methods to improve the properties of natural fibres. This research evaluates the feasibility and effectiveness of incorporating chemically adapted gourd fibre into polyester composites for industrial fabrication. The purpose of this study is to examine the application of chemically modified GF in the production of polyester composite engineering materials.

This work aims to evaluate the effectiveness of chemically adapted gourd fibre in improving the adhesion of gourd fibre with polyester resin in composite fabrication by varying the GF from 5 to 20 wt.%. The study involves the preparation of chemically treated gourd fibre through surface modification using sodium hydroxide (NaOH), permanganate (KMnO₄) and acetic acid (CH₃COOH) coupling agents. The mechanical properties of the modified fibre and composites were investigated. It was then characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to determine the changes in surface morphology and functional groups.

FTIR characterization showed that NaOH treatment caused cellulose depolymerization and caused a significant increase in the hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, showing improved surface functional groups; KMnO₄ treatment oxidized the fibre surface and caused the formation of surface oxide groups; and acetic acid treatment induced changes that primarily affected the ester and hydroxyl groups. SEM study showed that NaOH treatment changed the surface morphology of the gourd fibre, introduced voids and reduced hydrophilic tendencies. The tensile strength of the modified gourd fibres increased progressively as the concentration of the modification chemicals increased compared to the untreated fibres.

This work presents the designed composite with density, mechanical properties and microstructure, showing remarkable improvements in the engineering properties. An 181.5% improvement in tensile strength and a 56.63% increase in flexural strength were got over that of the unreinforced polyester. The findings from this work will contribute to the understanding of the potential of chemically adapted gourd fibre as a reinforcement material for composites and provide insights into the development of sustainable composite materials.

The purpose of the paper is to emphasize on contamination sources of freshly cultivated vegetables commonly consumed by the Bangladeshi people. Several local studies have been conducted to detect the microbial contamination within fresh vegetables, plantation lands and the irrigation waters separately; however, the correlation of microbial contamination between the fresh produces and the surrounding environment has not been clarified.

Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria), pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo), radish (Raphanus sativus) and eggplant (Solanum melongena); their plantations soils and the fertilizers applied across the agricultural lands; and, finally, the irrigation waters used were analyzed from nine districts of Bangladesh using conventional microbiological and biochemical methods.

Almost all vegetable samples studied were found to be immensely contaminated with bacteria and fungi. Among the pathogens, Klebsiella spp., Staphylococcus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. were found to be dominant. Besides, massive microbial growth was also observed in the plantation soils and fertilizers, including Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas spp., Bacillus spp., Listeria spp., Escherichia coli and Vibrio spp. Existence of the fecal coliforms, E. coli, Klebsiella spp., Salmonella spp. and Listeria spp., was noticed in the irrigation waters.

Although the present study revealed the combined results connecting the vegetable contamination aspect with the knowledge on microbiology ultimately in the food chain, implementation of molecular studies detecting the virulence genes both in the fresh produces and the plantation soils, fertilizers and the irrigation waters would further clarify the microbial dissemination mechanism.

Earlier studies demonstrated the ability of water bodies to disseminate numerous microorganisms into the plantation soils, and to some extent unraveled the ability of organic fertilizers to propagate pathogenic bacteria into the vegetation objects. These microorganisms may pose as a threat to vegetables, particularly by limiting crop production as well as the shelf life of the fresh produces.

The scenario of microbial divergence not only in the vegetables but also within the surroundings is gradually being heightened in Bangladesh principally due to the malpractice of sanitation, dumping the agricultural lands with feces, improperly controlled septic systems, waste water runoff across the agricultural lands, etc. Therefore, the preliminary and replicable experimental approach described in the current study would be feasible for all other developing countries to maintain the public health safety.

Growth and proliferation of microorganisms both in the vegetable samples and the environmental samples nearly to a similar extent indeed projected for the first time in Bangladesh, the agricultural perspective of the contamination sources of vegetables. Such knowledge would aid in the existing knowledge on the hygienic processing during crop production and harvesting for the sake of better consumer safety management.

The purpose of this paper is to study nutritional composition of HM‐4 variety of baby corn.

Baby corn was analysed for proximate composition, available carbohydrates, dietary fiber constituents, in vitro digestibility, minerals, anti‐nutrients, vitamin and amino acids.

Baby corn contained 90.03, 17.96, 2.13, 5.30 and 5.89 percent moisture, protein, fat, ash and crude fibre, respectively. Total soluble sugars content was 23.43 g/100 gm and reducing sugars was 1.96 g/100 g. It contained 8.10 g/100 g of cellulose and 5.41 g/100 g of lignin. In vitro starch and protein digestibility was 28.80 mg maltose released per gram and 72.18 percent, respectively. Baby corn contained 5.43 mg/100 g of ascorbic acid and 670 μg/100 g of β‐carotene. Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus content of baby corn was 95.00, 345.00 and 898.62 mg/100 g, respectively, baby corn contained 0.05, 2.85 and 0.675μg/g of methionine, isoleucine and leucine, respectively.

The study indicated that baby corn is good source of various nutrients like protein, crude fibre, carbohydrates and dietary fibres and its nutritional quality is at par or even superior to many other commonly used vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables, being good source of energy, health promoting and protecting compounds with unique taste and flavor, are attracting consumers since ages. These horticultural produces start deterioration just after harvest; therefore, their proper storage is must during transportation and storage to retain maximum quality parameters and for good market value. Best storage conditions are required to prevent growth of micro flora and to maintain the nutritional values of harvested produce. Retailers and processors in every corner of world want to move toward the cheaper ways to increase the shelf life and texture of horticultural crops for better consumer preference. The purpose of this paper is to make consumers and researchers aware about different post harvest malpractices in fresh fruits and vegetables.

Lot of chemicals like colors, artificial ripening agents, sweeteners and waxes are applied on surface of horticulture produce to siphon off money from consumers, and these have adverse health effects directly or indirectly. Various regulatory agencies have launched various programs, acts and laws for monitoring and avoiding such unhealthy ways. Regulatory bodies launched training programs also for the food handlers and consumers to ensure the food safety from farm to fork.

This paper will throw light on different malpractices followed by retailers to manipulate the quality which causes adverse health effects and to create consumer awareness regarding such malpractices.

The paper emphasizes on current malpractices followed by retailers to mislead the consumers about fruits’ and vegetable’ quality by using sweeteners, colors and other chemical. On prolonged consumption, such substances lead to major health issues such as attention disorder.

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential of Aloe vera as a novel source of natural antioxidant and preservative in the muscle foods and to evaluate the effect of Aloe vera on the storage quality of aerobically packaged chicken nuggets.

The Aloe vera pulp was incorporated at various levels, namely, 0, 5, 10 and 15 per cent, replacing lean meat in the formulation. The products were analyzed for proximate composition, physicochemical and sensory parameters. Chicken nuggets incorporated with optimum level of Aloe vera (10 per cent) along with control nuggets (0 per cent Aloe vera) were aerobically packaged and assessed for lipid oxidation, physicochemical and microbiological characteristics under refrigerated (4°C) conditions.

pH, crude protein, ether extract and ash content of the nuggets showed significant (p < 0.05) decreasing trend with increasing levels of Aloe vera; however, there was a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the moisture content, emulsion stability and cooking yield. Aloe vera-enriched nuggets showed significantly (p < 0.05) lower values than control nuggets for almost all the lipid oxidation and microbiological parameters, i.e. free fatty acid, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances value, total plate count, psychrophillic count and yeast and mould count. No significant (p > 0.05) difference was observed in the sensory parameters of the Aloe vera-enriched nuggets and the control samples throughout the period of storage.

The paper has demonstrated the use of Aloe vera as a potential natural antioxidant without any marginal decline in the sensorial characteristics and nutritive value of the muscle foods.