The article was published under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. | In this study, starches were isolated from rhizomes and seeds of water lily (Nymphaea lotus) using cold distilled water. The structural and physicochemical properties of the isolated starches were compared with potato, rice, and maize starches. The amylose content (g/100 g) of rhizome, seed, potato, rice, and maize was 23.03, 24.5. 25.17, 21.26, and 19.83, respectively. The SEM granule size (µm) of rhizome, seed, potato, and maize starches were 11.19±3.69, 3.56±0.92, 30.63±11.09, and 7.97±1.48, respectively. The X-ray diffraction polymorph of rhizome, seed, rice, and maize demonstrated type A, whereas potato exhibited B-type. The deconvoluted ATR-FTIR indicates low level of ordered structure in the external region of rhizome starch. The RVA pasting temperature (71.9 °C) and setback viscosity (1292.5 cP) of rhizome was lower than seed (78.3 °C and 3228.5 cP, respectively). However, peak viscosity (7201 cP) of rhizome was higher than seed (4105 cP). Rhizome and seed starches can be used where high viscosifying than rice and maize starches and better shear breakdown resistance than potato starches are required. This study indicated starches of N. lotus have medium amylose%, small granular size, hydrophillic nature, and high peak viscosity of potential to promote for development of products in food and non-food industries.

This comprehensive work explores the multifaceted field of electrolyzed water (EW) and its crucial role in altering the textural characteristics of various food categories. The analysis begins by providing a clear explanation of EW and its different types, including slightly acidic (AC) EW, plasma-activated EW, neutralized EW, alkaline EW, and weakly ACEW. The review highlights the novelty of EW in preserving food quality, making it a significant alternative to various cleaning and disinfecting methods. The focus then shifts to the applications of EW, examining the impact of different EW types on the textural compositions of various food categories. The examination of the textural profile of foods, which is a crucial determinant of consumer preference, is comprehensively conducted across various categories, encompassing baked goods, meat and poultry, marine foods, fruits and vegetables, as well as ready-to-cook items like noodles. Furthermore, the review investigates the combined effects of EW, when utilized in conjunction with other technologies. The integration of EW with ultrasound, high-pressure processing, plasma activation, slurry ice, and other technologies, assessing their collective impact on textural attributes, was explored. As a consequence, this paper examines the present uses and impacts of electrolyzed water on the texture of food and also investigates its potential synergies with other technologies. The thorough analysis presented here establishes a basis for future research directions in this rapidly developing area, facilitating the exploration of inventive methods for food processing and preservation.

This narrative review was aimed at collecting updated knowledge on the risk factors, illnesses caused, and measures for the prevention of protozoan infections transmitted by food and drinking water. Reports screened dated from 2019 to the present and regarded global prevalence in food handlers, occurrence in food and drinking water, impact on human health, and recently reported outbreaks and cases of severe infections attributable to the dietary route. <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp., <i>Cyclospora cayetanensis</i>, <i>Entamoeba histolytica</i>, and <i>Cystoisospora belli</i> were the protozoans most frequently involved in recently reported waterborne and foodborne outbreaks and cases. <i>Blastocystis hominis</i> was reported to be the most widespread intestinal protozoan in humans, and two case reports indicated its pathogenic potential. <i>Dientamoeba fragilis</i>, <i>Endolimax nana</i>, and <i>Pentatrichomonas hominis</i> are also frequent but still require further investigation on their ability to cause illness. A progressive improvement in surveillance of protozoan infections and infection sources took place in developed countries where the implementation of reporting systems and the application of molecular diagnostic methods led to an enhanced capacity to identify epidemiological links and improve the prevention of foodborne and waterborne protozoan infections.

The WEF Nexus Index’s quantitative perspective provides a way to evaluate the trade-offs that need to be taken into account for sustainable development. Morocco’s natural resources are being impacted by climate change, and the demand for energy, water, and food are increasing the pressure on these resources. Academics are becoming more interested in measuring the synergies and trade-offs between this resource. The purpose of this paper is to offer an interpretation of how the Morocco WEF Nexus Index has changed over the course of 5 years, as determined by open databases. The index’s value decreased and Morocco’s ranking deteriorated during this period, as evidenced by the results. The results are useful for evaluating Morocco’s progress in managing integrated resources and aiding in decision-making and policy development. On an interactive website, A group of visual representations linked to WEF Nexus Index has been put together.

The study reviewed the applications of the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus for knowledge generation and decision-making in the Global South. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol identified 336 studies from the Web of Science and Scopus datasets. One hundred eighty-five articles applied WEF nexus tools to improve the understanding of WEF nexus interactions and to show the potential of nexus applications. The other articles (151) focused on nexus applications to guide planning and decision support for resource allocation and policy formulation. Environment, climate, ecosystems, land, and socioeconomics were other popular nexus dimensions, while waste and economy were considered to a lesser extent. Limitations associated with nexus applications included unavailability of data, uncertainties from data sources, scale mismatch and bias. The inability of nexus tools to capture the complex realities of WEF interactions is hindering adoption, especially for policy formulations and investment planning. Data limitations could be solved using a sound scientific basis to correct uncertainties and substitute unavailable data. Data gaps can be bridged by engaging stakeholders, who can provide local and indigenous knowledge. Despite the limitations, applying nexus tools could be useful in guiding resource management. Limitations associated with nexus applications included – investment planning. Plausible pathways for operationalising the WEF nexus are discussed.

In vitro bioassays have a long tradition for hazard assessment of chemicals as well as for water quality monitoring. Here we apply these tools to mixtures extracted from pooled samples covering the continuum of environment to human, including water, fish, milk and human serum. We developed a test battery of 22 in vitro bioassays that broadly covered developmental neurotoxicity, thyroid hormone system disruption, reproductive toxicity, genotoxicity and adaptive stress responses. Putative adverse outcome pathways synthesized from diverse literature sources served as a starting point for the selection of the bioassays. Most assays responded to wastewater with effecs and cytotoxicity decreasing from wastewater over surface water to drinking water. Serum samples pooled from diverse population groups in Australia and Europe were extracted with solid-phase extraction yielding broad-spectrum extracts of chemicals of a medium hydrophobicity range including neutral and charged organic chemicals. 50-60 % of the bioassays responded to the dosed serum extracts. All groups of mode of action were affected with the exception of genotoxicity. High specificity was observed for disruption on thyroid hormone system and neurotoxicity. Through a global profiling approach (suspect screening), 24 endogenous chemicals and environmental pollutants were identified with high confidence and were quantified, among many more qualitatively confirmed. Mixture modelling using detected concentrations and bioassay data for single chemicals demonstrated that little of the effect could be explained by the quantified chemicals. Endogenous compounds also contributed to mixture effects and future work will need to establish a baseline of effects caused by endogenous compounds and differentiate those from the effects triggered by environmental pollutants. Bioassays are a promising tool to identify bioactive chemical mixtures in environmental and human biomonitoring.

Water, energy and food (WEF) are important strategic resources for economic development in arid agriculture-based regions. Analyzing development indicators in the management of limited resources to achieve sustainability on a time scale is one of the basic goals of this research. Therefore, a system dynamics model was developed to analyze the WEF system resource flow relationship to achieve sustainable resource development. First, the subsystems of WEF resources were created and their dynamic relationship was formed in the form of a logical loop in a 10-year time frame. The evolution of 7 years (from 2015 to 2022) was taken into consideration to predict the 3-year period (from 2023 to 2025). The results showed that the reduction of water resources exploitation rate in China in interaction with agricultural productivity has automatically improved energy consumption and the nexus index. In China, a dynamic balance between WEF with a focus on water is recommended for planning. HIGHLIGHTS A dynamic relationship is evaluated for the water, agriculture and economy nexus.; The role of water and energy productivity in food security and industrial development has been analyzed.;

Sustainable and integrated management of water, energy, food, and ecosystems requires a coordinated and cross-sectoral approach to manage trade-offs and maximize synergies among these deeply interconnected resources. This line of thinking and action is called the water-energy-food-ecosystem (WEFE) nexus approach. This academic course provides an overview of WEFE nexus concepts, issues, and approaches to develop the capacities of graduate students studying in any WEFE or WEFE-adjacent sector. The aim is to prepare future leaders in this area to foster the integrated, equitable, and sustainable management of WEFE resources. This course was co-developed under the umbrella of the CGIAR Initiative on NEXUS Gains by the Center for Water Resources Studies (CWRS), Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, in partnership with the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). It includes theory as well as practical applications and interactive elements.

The agro-export boom is threatening the sustainability of water resources in many regions around the world. This is the case of the Ica valley in Peru, where in the last decades traditional agriculture has been replaced by big agricultural businesses to meet the growing international food demand. This has led to increasing land concentration by large exporting farms jointly with an increase in groundwater exploitation for irrigation. In this paper, we analyze the effect of land concentration, exporting crop specialization and irrigation intensity on groundwater sustainability using an econometric approach. Our findings highlighted an inverse relation between groundwater sustainability in terms of water withdrawal in the Ica Valley and the intensity of irrigation (drip technology), commodity specialization and concentration of large farms. More research is needed to fully understand the impacts of this very important economic activity on Peru’s natural resources, to ensure its sustainability in the long term. | This research was funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) through the NEXT-AG project (Nexus thinking for sustainable agricultural development in Andean countries) (NE/R015759/1).

The excessive use of energy from fossil fuels, which corresponds to population, industrialisation, and unsustainable economic growth, is the cause of carbon dioxide production and climate change. The Water–Energy–Food (WEF) nexus is an applicable conceptual framework that helps manage the balance between human development and natural resource constraints, and it becomes a valuable tool to address the challenges of resource depletion and clean energy. This article aims to analyse the relationship between the WEF nexus and clean energy through a statistical analysis and a systematic review of knowledge on energy sustainability. The methodology involves the selection of bibliographic information databases such as Scopus and Web of Science (WoS), a statistical analysis, specifically the Scientometrics applied to the information obtained, and the identification of 179 scientific publications related to the study variables through a screening process called Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The interaction of green energy and sustainability with the WEF nexus has been approached mainly by developed countries such as China (10%), the United States (9.49%), India (7.26%), and Brazil (5.02%). The review of 55 scientific papers identified strategies that balance economic growth and environmental impact, applying clean energy systems (e.g., solar and wind), and the importance of adaptation to the subsystems of the WEF nexus. This study also highlights adaptability to climate change in rural and urban communities. Therefore, it is consistent with the four pillars of sustainable development (Economic: 7 papers, Environmental: 22, Social: 18, and Cultural: 8). This study highlights the following: (a) the importance of the use of renewable energy either in mixed systems and consumption, energy storage, and seeking energy efficiency in systems adapted to diverse environments and (b) the relevance of community participation in the decision-making process for the use of clean energy, such as a strategy for climate change adaptation.