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Coconut is cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas across the globe because of its diverse applications, particularly in terms of its nutritional and therapeutic benefits. In order to enhance the shelf life of coconut meat while maintaining its quality, it must be pre-processed. The research aimed to determine the physicochemical constituents, antioxidant properties, and sensory attributes of BARI-1 coconut meat preserved in various sugar solutions (40–80)% by thermal processing (boiling and microwave) during refrigeration storage (3 ± 1 °C) for 45 days. Based on the results of physicochemical characteristics (lightness L*, chroma C*, hue H*, ash, moisture, pH, TSS, fat, and fiber), antioxidant capabilities (DPPH and TPC) and sensory analysis, there were significant (p < 0.05) variations among the treatments. The coconut meat preserved in 80 % sugar solution with microwave treatment had significantly (p < 0.05) higher retention of the quality parameters compared to other treatments during storage. After being treated with 80 °Brix solution in a 900 W microwave for 5 mins, the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the coconut meat were shown to be 106.96 mg GAE/100 g and 5.88 %, respectively. Based on multivariate statistical analyses, the quality of coconut meat is mostly influenced by thermal processing and storage period.There was a considerable rise in the bioactive compounds and a significant decrease in the moisture content observed during storage. Pearson's correlation analysis further validated the findings. After 45 days of storage, the microwave treated sample (M80) also had significantly (p < 0.05) higher scores (7.9) and boiling treated sample (B40) showed (6.5) least in overall acceptance in sensory analysis. Therefore, microwave treatment with an 80 % sugar solution was suggested for coconut meat preservation, which exhibited excellent nutritional and aesthetic stability during refrigeration storage. The findings are essential for producers, processors, and consumers looking to optimize the quality and functionality of coconut meat when utilized for multiple purposes.

With rapid industrialization and urbanization, persistent potential toxic elements in the human food chain have become a burning concern to international communities. The present study investigates the potential of an underutilized orphan root crop, Taro (Colocasia esculenta), as a possible source of bioactive compounds –phenolics (180.56–17.66 mg GAE/100 g sample) and flavonoids (50.37–21.93 mg QE/100 g sample)–, antioxidants and minerals (Mg: 183.33–75, P: 203–73, Ca: 740–46 and Na: 393–133.33 mg kg-1) to promote its utilization in food industries. In addition, this study estimated the levels of potential toxic metals in corm samples collected from industrially active: Jute industry sites (JTS), Textile sites (TXS), Tannery sites (TNS), Chemical industry sites (CMS), Feed industry sites (FDS), and inactive: Residential site (RDS) regions of Jashore, Bangladesh and assessed the associated human health risks. ICP-OES was used to analyze the samples, and the probable human health risk was evaluated using the estimated Hazard Index (HI) and Lifetime cancer risk (LcR). The concentration of the studied toxic metals, such as Cr, Cd, and Pb, and potentially toxic metals, such as Zn, Ni, Fe, Cu, and Mn, ranged as 1.8–19.33, ND, ND-6.33, 3.23–146.67, ND-29.16, 5.43–3583.33, 4.43–266.67, and 0.45–7.3 in taro corm samples and 2.76–42.33, ND-1.26, ND-153.33, 3.27–163.33, 32.67–55.67, 436.67–7666.67, 1.47–9.47, and 4.16–213.33 mg kg-1, respectively, in the associated soil samples. HI values greater than unity in RDS, JTS, FDS, TNS, and CMS indicated the associated non-carcinogenic risk to adults. In addition, LcR showed that all the samples pose an associated cancer risk. Furthermore, multivariate analysis revealed three principal components explaining 86.69 % of the total variance, while there were two significant clusters of the taro samples. Overall, this study demonstrated the potential of taro corms as a valuable source of advantageous phytochemicals while confirming the effect of industrialization on the accumulation of potentially toxic metals and their phytochemicals. This study underscores the necessity of continuous monitoring by regulatory authorities to prevent metal deposition in farmlands from industrialization and urbanization through sewage, agrochemicals, and industrial wastewater to avoid adverse health consequences.