Background: Even though iodine is not an essential micronutrient for the plant, it is very much needed for a person&#39;s mental and physical development. Due to the presence of negative charge on iodine it is highly susceptible to leaching. Further iodine is also highly prone to volatilization loss due to biochemical and physiochemical properties of soil leading to iodine deficiency. Agronomic biofortification of iodine is one of the ways to address iodine deficiency globally. Numerous studies have focused on the process by which plants absorb iodine from the soil, but there is still paucity of knowledge on stability of biofortified iodine in fruits.

Methods: In our work, we assessed iodine bioavailability (Cooking, soaking and digestion) in tomato fruit from different sources of chitosan and potassium iodate alone and combinations using main and residual crop trials. The field experiment was carried out in Thondamuthur block of Viraliyur village at Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu in 2021. Potassium iodate and chitosan were applied in the form of soil, foliar, and chitosan iodate complex at different stages of plant growth. &nbsp;

Results: The results suggested that combination and potassium iodate and chitosan complex has increased the iodine stability in fruits of main crop and also retained the iodine in residual crop. As electrostatic interaction between chitosan and iodate prevents volatilization and gradually stabilizes the bioavailability of iodine in fruits. Our findings offer more details on iodine mobility and behaviour in fruits when it is used alone and combination with chitosan at different rates.

Impact of Iodine Biofortification on Tomato Bioaccessibility through Cooking, Soaking and Simulated Digestion

Background: Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is recognized for its high nutritional value and potential as a staple food source across various regions. However, its widespread adoption is limited due to the presence of antinutritional factors which inhibits nutrient absorption.&nbsp; This study investigates the effect of sonication as an innovative processing technique on the finger millet malt&rsquo;s nutritional profile, antioxidant components and micronutrient bioaccessibility.&nbsp; 
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Methods: During the hydration process, finger millet grains were subjected to different sonication treatments and optimized with the help of central composite design in design expert software. Parameters like Angle of Repose, water activity, water holding capacity, moisture content, color, calcium, iron and % of bioaccessibility of calcium and iron were analyzed using standard protocols. 
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Result: Sonication treatment significantly improved the physical, nutritional and functional properties of finger millet malt. The angle of repose increased from 27.45&plusmn;0.95 to 35.52&plusmn;0.82, while water activity, water holding capacity (%) and moisture content (%) enhanced from 0.544&plusmn;0.00 to 0.596&plusmn;0.00, 201.36&plusmn;0.95 to 218.36&plusmn;1.96 and 7.27&plusmn;0.56 to 7.88&plusmn;0.48, respectively. Nutrient content showed remarkable enhancement, like calcium (mg/100 g) and iron (mg/100 g) from 323&plusmn;0.13 to 341&plusmn;0.45 and 3.73&plusmn;0.54 to 7.12&plusmn;0.22. Concurrently, antinutritional factors such as phenols (mg/100 g) and tannins (mg/100 g) decreased from 126.22 to 50.11 and 107.91 to 50.64, respectively, boosting mineral bioaccessibility. Calcium and iron bioaccessibility (%) improved from 0.51 to 36.54 and 1.92 to 58.26. Optimal conditions were observed at 18 min, 30&deg;C and 100% amplitude, making finger millet malt a superior and palatable food ingredient. 
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Physico-chemical Characterisation of Ultrasound Processed Finger Millet Malt&nbsp;

Beetroot is known for the common varieties which are the red beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.var Rubra L.), characterized by a dark red&nbsp; tuber and the white beetroot/cut beetroot (Beta vulgaris&nbsp; L. var&nbsp; Cicla&nbsp; L.) with a whitish red tuber. Beetroot is also known for its potential bioactive content, such as nitrate, phenolics, betalains, ascorbic acid, carotenoids and saponins, which are processed into various functional foods of high nutritional value. This article aims to review role of the nitrate as a bioactive compound in red beetroot, its benefits as a functional food ingredient and its benefits for health. The research was conducted at Brawijaya University Malang, Indonesia during 2024. Nitrate is a major potential component in beetroot that&nbsp; has&nbsp; been&nbsp; widely&nbsp; studied&nbsp; as&nbsp; an implementation&nbsp; in&nbsp; health&nbsp; improvement&nbsp; such&nbsp; as&nbsp; metabolic disorders. Nitrate is naturally formed in plants and subsequently converted to nitric oxide (NO) in the human body which is known to have beneficial effects for clinical application. NO could regulate&nbsp; metabolic disorder-induced metabolic diseases, such as reduced blood pressure, increased oxygen, nutrient delivery to the active muscle and mediator for neurotransmission, vasodilatation, nerve function and also as immune defense. Beetroot can have added value if it is converted into a functional product. Beetroot can be formulated as a fresh product, fermented, bread, powder, chips, gel and cereal bar. Functional beetroot production can be a new strategy for increasing the nutritional content with high bioaccessibility such as nitrate, potassium and antioxidants which have the potential to improve heart health and sports performance. 
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Impact of Iodine Biofortification on Tomato Bioaccessibility through Cooking, Soaking and Simulated Digestion

Physico-chemical Characterisation of Ultrasound Processed Finger Millet Malt

Red Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L. var rubra L.) is a Potential Source of Nitrate as a Functional Food: A Review