This review provides a detailed overview of rice carbohydrate-related endogenous enzymes and their roles in milled japonica-type non-glutinous rice. Rice contains various endogenous enzymes that act during cooking and have important effects on the properties of cooked rice. Although endogenous enzyme activities differ among raw rice varieties, the enzymic reaction can be optimized by controlling the cooking conditions, including the heating temperature, heating time, and the amount of water during rice cooking to obtain cooked rice with desirable properties. Added enzymes allow for reactions that are not possible with the endogenous enzymes in the rice during cooking and change its physical properties. Understanding the localization of carbohydrate-related endogenous enzymes and their function in the ‘Takiboshi’ method used to cook japonica-type non-glutinous rice provides insight into the control of starch structure and its function.

The aquaculture industry has been growing rapidly over the last decades and has become one of the main producers of aquatic organisms. There has been an increasing interest in using biotic supplements, such as prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics, and parabiotics, as alternatives to antibiotics and chemical treatments in aquaculture. These biotic agents hold promise for improving the gut health, growth performance, reproductive system, immune response, and disease resistance of aquatic organisms. This review delves into the mechanisms, benefits, and applications of biotic supplements in aquaculture systems. It highlights the growing interest in postbiotics and parabiotics, which, unlike probiotics, do not require live bacteria to deliver health benefits. However, despite their potential, postbiotics and parabiotics are still rarely used in aquaculture. Growth enhancement is often linked to an increase in digestive enzyme activity or the stimulation of host appetite-regulating hormones. Additionally, biotic supplementation can also act as ammonia-oxidizing and nitrite-oxidizing agents to maintain appropriate water quality. They also improve reproductive performance in aquatic species, aiding in broodstock maintenance and enhancement. Moreover, biotic supplements boost innate and adaptive immune responses, helping to combat bacterial diseases in the aquatic environment. Furthermore, the review addresses the safety and challenges of integrating.

Paddies contribute significantly to global emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), particularly methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O), and conventional mitigation strategies, such as fertilizer management and water regulation, often fail to address the complex microbial interactions that are the major drivers of these emissions. Thus, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have been explored as innovative bioelectrochemical technologies for mitigating CH₄ and N₂O emissions. MFCs mitigate GHG emissions by modifying soil redox potential, fostering microbial competition, and enhancing electron transfer (the oxidation–reduction state of the soil). This systematic literature review, which assesses the findings of 24 relevant studies, is aimed at evaluating the mitigation effects of MFCs on CH₄ and N₂O emissions from paddy fields. The findings indicate that electron competition consistently suppresses CH₄ emission by diverting microbial electron donors from methanogenesis. Conversely, N₂O reduction proceeds through a more complex mechanism, relying on the inhibition of the NO₃⁻ to NO₂⁻ or NO pathway and the activation of the nosZ pathway, which ensures the complete reduction of N₂O to N₂ without accumulating GHGs as intermediate products, thereby suppressing N₂O emission. A follow-up comparative analysis reveals that the mitigation of CH₄ emission is more straightforward, whereas that of N₂O requires the precise adjustments of the redox–microbial balance. Among the various MFC configurations assessed, that integrating constructed wetlands with MFCs (CW-MFCs) is the most promising owing to its scalability, efficiency, and mitigation effects on CH₄ and N₂O emissions. Despite these advantages, CW–MFCs still suffer from electrode longevity, energy efficiency, and large-scale implementability issues. Thus, future related studies must explore hybrid bioelectrochemical strategies incorporating CW-MFCs to enhance GHG mitigation and promote sustainable rice farming.

Contemporary agriculture faces a crisis of eco-friendliness and sustainability caused by the false dichotomy between organic (OA) and conventional agriculture (CA). While some forms of OA, such as non-certified Japanese natural farming, prioritize ecological balance, others, such as profit-driven certified OA, often harm the environment due to monocultures and excessive organic inputs. On the other hand, modern CA has adopted eco-conscious techniques, such as conservation tillage, integrated nutrient and pest management, as well as precision fertilization and irrigation, but remains stigmatized as inherently unsustainable and not eco-friendly. This review critiques the binary OA-CA approach and proposes permaculture (PC) as a more flexible, context-based alternative for evaluating agricultural eco-friendliness and sustainability. Rooted in the ethics of Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share, permaculture transcends rigid classifications by focusing on context and outcomes, rather than inputs and standards. For instance, Japan’s special cultivation (Tokubetsu Saibai) synergizes CA’s targeted chemical reductions with OA’s biodiversity principles, maintaining yields while minimizing the environmental impact. Additionally, permaculture extends its eco-friendly principles to non-traditional systems, such as urban vertical farms and post-disaster soilless cultivation in Fukushima. Despite their high energy consumption, these systems address localized needs while aligning with permaculture’s core ethics. Ultimately, permaculture offers an outcome-oriented and context-based approach to eco-friendliness, challenging the conventional focus on global standards and encouraging a rethinking of what works best here for both people and the environment.

Okara, a by-product of soymilk and tofu production, offers potential as a functional feed ingredient in broiler chicken diets. This review explores okara’s nutritional composition, benefits, challenges, and processing techniques relevant to poultry nutrition. Rich in crude protein, insoluble fiber, and essential amino acids, okara can partially replace conventional protein sources. However, fresh okara’s high moisture content and anti-nutritional factors (e.g., phytic acid, trypsin inhibitors, and lectins) can limit its direct use in poultry feed. Processing methods such as drying, fermentation, or enzymatic treatment are essential to improve nutrient availability and stability. Inclusion of up to 10% dried or fermented okara in broiler diets supports growth performance, feed efficiency, carcass yield, and gut morphology. Additionally, its bioactive compounds, such as isoflavones and phenolics, exhibit antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties, contributing to oxidative balance and immune function in broilers. Overall, okara shows strong potential as a nutritional and functional ingredient for enhancing broiler performance when properly processed and formulated.