Dr. U.C. Lohani

Biography

Dr. Umesh Chandra Lohani is a Junior Research Officer in the Department of Post Harvest Process and Food Engineering, College of Technology, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUA&T), Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India. He obtained his B.Tech. in Agricultural Engineering and M.Tech. in Process and Food Engineering from GBPUA&T and earned his Ph.D. in Agricultural, Biosystems and Mechanical Engineering from South Dakota State University, USA. He also served as a Research Associate at the Advanced Post Harvest Technology Centre, Lethbridge College, Canada.

Dr. Lohani has more than 20 years of teaching, research, and extension experience in food processing and post-harvest engineering. His research focuses on novel food processing technologies, extrusion processing, non-thermal processing, hyperspectral imaging and machine vision, grain and potato storage, smart food systems, millet processing, value addition of agricultural by-products, and development of plant-based functional foods and mock meat.

He has successfully led and collaborated on numerous externally funded research projects supported by agencies including the Department of Science and Technology (DST), ICAR, Ministry of Rural Development, and industry partners. His research output includes 120+ research publications, books, book chapters, patents, and technologies, with publications in leading international journals. He has guided several M.Tech. and Ph.D. scholars, serves on editorial boards of international journals, and regularly reviews manuscripts for reputed journals in food engineering and food science.

Dr. Lohani is actively involved in professional societies, academic administration, curriculum development, and outreach activities, and is committed to advancing sustainable, technology-driven solutions for post-harvest management and food processing.

Major Extramural Research Funding

Successfully secured competitive research funding as Principal Investigator for two major projects from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India:

• DST Consortium Project: Development of Millet-derived Specialty Ingredients for Smart Protein Products through Novel Approaches (₹2.45 Crore; 2026–2028).
• DST STI Hub Project: Society-Centric Participatory Approach for Efficient Resources Management through Science & Technology Hub (SPARSH) (₹3.84 Crore; 2026–2029).

Emerging Research Areas

Current research activities are focused on the following frontier areas:

• Artificial intelligence, image processing and precision food quality assessment
• Smart protein and alternative protein technologies
• Circular bioeconomy and agro-industrial waste valorization

Research Publications

1. U. Lohani, T. Senthilkumar, D. Singla, Shubham Subrot Panigrahi, Chandra B. Singh. 2026. Evaluation of pasting and gelling properties of chickpea-corn flour blends. Food Hydrocolloids, 173: 112238, Doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.112238 (IF:12.4)
2. Diksha Choubey, N. C. Shahi, A. K. Verma, U. C. Lohani, Arshi Siddiqui, Ashutosh Tiwari, Sanjay Kumar, Waseem Ahmad, Afzal Hussain, and Shikha Pandey. 2026. Formulation, Optimization, and Quality Evaluation of Value‑Added Finger Millet–Jaggery Chocolate. Sugar Tech, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12355-026-01798-0 (IF: 1.9)
3. Reetika Joshi, Umesh C. Lohani, Anupama Singh, A.K. Verma, Saloni Joshi, Sanjay Kumar, Afzal Hussain, Bon Heun Koo, and Anjuli Agarwal.2026. Sustainable valorization of pomegranate peel via ultrasound-assisted process optimization and its application in edible coatings for shelf-life extension of pomegranate arils. Journal of Stored Products Research, 119:103113, Doi: 10.1016/j.jspr.2026.103113 (IF:2.8)
4. Anjali Sahal, Afzal Hussain, Ankita Dobhal, Umesh Chandra Lohani, Abhinav Mishra, N.C. Joshi, Jerin James, Sanjay Kumar. 2026. Integrated sustainable optimisation, bioactivity evaluation, and LC-MS profiling of microwave-assisted guava leaf (Psidium guajava L.) extracts obtained using response surface methodology. Microchemical Journal, 225: 117865, Doi: 10.1016/j.microc.2026.117865 (IF: 5.1)
5. Umesh C Lohani, L.G. Divyanth, Diksha Singla, T. Senthilkumar, and C.B. Singh. 2026. Comparative study of Digital and Hyperspectral Imaging for Varietal Discrimination of Dill (Anethum Graveolens L.) Seeds. European Food Research and Technology. 252 (41), Doi: 10.1007/s00217-025-05024-1 (IF:3.2)
6. Charul Lalwani, Umesh C Lohani, Navin C Shahi, and Ravi Saxena. 2026. Automated paddy drying in a smart DCS bin: drying behaviour, energy efficiency, and economic feasibility. Journal of Stored Products Research, 116: 102995, Doi: 10.1016/j.jspr.2026.102995 (IF:2.8)
7. Annu, Umesh C Lohani, Navin C Shahi, and Anil Kumar. 2026. Microwave‑assisted hydration of barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea): process standardization based on soaking characterization and energy utilization. Journal of Food Science & Technology, Doi: 10.1007/s13197-026-06672-1 (IF:3.3)
8. Riya Joshi, Umesh C Lohani, Navin Chandra Shahi, Ashok K Verma, Atul Singh, Iqbal Hussain, and Sanjay Kumar. 2026. Transglutaminase-assisted development of millet-legume-based mock meat. Food and Humanity, 6:101070, Doi: 10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101070 (IF:0.0)
9. R K Anushree, Archana Kushwaha, Ravindra Kumar Panwar, Umesh Chandra Lohani, Okram Ricky Devi, Manoj Tukaram Kamble, Nopadon Pirarat, and Seema Vijay Medhe. 2025. Effect of lentil flour incorporation on the sensory, nutritional, and functional properties of noodles. Discover Food, 5:390, Doi: 10.1007/s44187-025-00669-z (IF:3.7)
10. Umesh Chandra Lohani, Rajpreet Kaur Goraya, Saipriya Ramalingam, Thiruppathi Senthilkumara, and Chandra B Singh. 2025. Potato post-dormancy sprouting: a problem during storage and its control by essential oils as alternatives to artifact chemicals – a review. J Sci Food Agric, Doi: 10.1002/jsfa.14419 (IF:3.5)
11. Samiksha Sharma, Pankaj Gautam, Arun Kumar, Harish Chandra Joshi, Ankita Dobhal, Umesh Chandra Lohani, Waseem Ahmad, Sanjay Kumar. 2025. Effect of storage conditions on the proximate composition, mineral retention, and phenolic contents of millet and chicken-based nutri-cereal mix. Food and Humanity, 5, e100718, doi: 10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100718 (IF:0.0)
12. Anjali Sahal, Afzal Hussain, Ritesh Mishra, Sakshi Pandey, Ankita Dobhal, Waseem Ahmad, Vinod Kumar, Umesh Chandra Lohani & Sanjay Kumar. 2025. Microwave-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from Urtica dioica using solvent-based process optimization and characterization. Scientific Reports, 15, e25375, doi:10.1038/s41598-025-09855-6 (IF:3.9)
13. Anjali Sahala, Afzal Hussainb, Sanjay Kumara, Ankita Dobhala, Waseem Ahmadd, Khan Chand, Rishi Richaf, and Umesh Chandra Lohani. 2025. Nettle (Urtica dioica) leaves as a novel food: Nutritional, phytochemical profiles,and bioactivities. Food Chemistry:X, 28: 102607 doi: 10.1016/j.fochx.2025.102607 (IF:8.2)
14. Ankita Dobhal, Pratima Awasthi, Abul Hasan Ahmad, Sarita Srivastava, Anuradha Dutta, Afzl Hussain, Umesh Chandra Lohani, and Sanjay Kumar. 2025. Lipidemic and glycemic effects of wheat-barley buns enriched with liquid whey in albino rat models. Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization, doi: 10.1007/s11694-025-03208-7 (IF:3.5)
15. Shabnum Showkat, Aasima Rafiq, Rishi Richa, Qayoom Sidique, Afzal Hussain, Umesh Chandra Lohani, Oroofa Bhat, and Sanjay Kumar. 2025. Stability enhancement of betalain pigment extracted from Celosia cristata L. flower through copigmentation and degradation kinetics during storage. Food Chemistry:X, 26: 102312, doi: 10.1016/ j.fochx.2025.102312 (IF:8.2)
16. Shubham Patidar, Purnima Kumari, Anupama Singh, N C Shahi, Khan Chand, Afzal Hussain, Waseem Ahmad, U C Lohani and Sanjay Kumar. 2025. Formulation and Optimization of Plant-based Organic Coating with Citrus Peel Extract for Enhancing Shelf Life and Quality of Postharvest Litchi Fruit. Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization,19:2350-2365, doi:0.1007/s11694-025-03115-x. (IF:3.5)
17. Bhat, M.I., Shahi, N.C., Lohani, U.C., Kumar, A., Singh, S., Nasir, G. and Aman, J. 2025. Optimizing Crystallinity and Particle Size of Cellulose Nanocrystals from Rice Straw Biomass: An Integrated Sonication-Assisted Acid Hydrolysis Approach. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 15, 25889–25900. DOI: 10.1007/s13399-023-05195-5 (IF:4.1)
18. Sanganamoni Shivashankar, N. C. Shahi, B. Dayakar Rao, Kancherla Suresh, U. C. Lohani, Thota Niranjan, Pankaj B. Pathare, and Naveen Kumar Mahanti. 2024. Development of Polisher and Process Optimization for Polishing of Foxtail Millet. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, DOI: 10.1155/2024/5202552 (IF:2.5)
19. R. K. Anushree, Archana Kushwaha, R. K. Panwar, U. C. Lohani and Okram Ricky Devi. 2024. Examining the sensory and cooking qualities of noodles enriched with lentils and investigating the physical and functional attributes of composite flours. Annals of Phytomedicine: An International Journal, 13(1): 916-923 (IF:0.13)
20. Bhumika Kabdal, Archana Kushwaha, Anuradha Dutta, Satish Kumar Sharma, Umesh Chandra Lohani and Navin Chand Shahi. 2024. Comparative study of physical and nutritional characteristics of rice and barnyard millet: Assessing barnyard millet as an alternative to rice. International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research, 8(9):11-15 (IF: 0.0)
21. Pallavi Keshri, Umesh C Lohani, Navin C Shahi and Anil Kumar. 2024. Process Optimization for Developing Ultrasound assisted and Microwave Dried encapsulated Flaxseed Oil and its Storability. Journal of Food Process Engineering, 47(6), e14666, DOI:10.1111/jfpe.14666. (IF:2.9)
22. Bhawna Bisht, Umesh Chandra Lohani, Manisha Nanda, Sanjay Kumar, Mikhail Vlaskin, Anna Dsouza, Saloni Joshi, and Vinod Kumar. 2024. Synergistic interaction between hydrocolloids and kinnow peel biowaste for the development of edible fillers using response surface methodology. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 31: 2595-2613 (IF: 0.0)
23. Bhat, M.I., Shahi, N.C., Lohani, U.C., Pathania S., Malik, S., Singh, S. and Amin, T. 2023. Cellulose nanocrystals reinforced chitosan/titanium dioxide bionanocomposite with enhanced interfacial compatibility: Fabrication, characterization, and application in fresh-cut apple slices. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 253 (7), DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127498 (IF:8.5)
24. Gond, P., Lohani, U. C., Shahi, N. C. and Aman, J. 2023. Process standardization of infrared assisted pulsed microwave baked biscuits and its comparison with conventionally baked biscuits. Journal of Food Process Engineering, 46(11), e14432, DOI:10.1111/jfpe.14432 (IF:2.9)
25. Singh, S., Shahi, N. C., Lohani, U. C., Bhat, M. I., Sirohi, R. and Singh, S. 2023. Process optimization for the extraction of bioactive compounds from defatted flaxseed cake (Linum usitatissimu) using ultrasound-assisted extraction method and its characterization. Journal of Food Process Engineering, 46 (6) e14217, DOI: 10.1111/jfpe.14217 (IF:2.9)

Book Chapters

1. Umesh Lohani and Annu. 2025. Small Equipment for Large Impacts: Mechanisation in Millet Processing. In: Small Grains-Big Impact: the Power of Millets, Ocean Publication, ISBN: 9789391664329.
2. Ravina Parmar, Nikhilesh A, Navneet Kumar, Umesh Lohani and Brijesh Khanpara. 2025. Preservatives and Antioxidants: Innovative Solutions for Shelf-Life Extension. In: Dietary, Sensory and Gastronomic Applications: Exploring Unconventional Food Sources vol. 2, Academia Press, eBook ISBN: 9780443333460, DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-443-33345-3.00010-9
3. Annu, Umesh Lohani, Deepak Gupta, Shreejaya Sivadas, Priya Gond, Deepak Kumar, Kanwal Preet Singh Attwal, Vikas Misra. 2025. Harnessing the Internet of Behavior (IoB) for Food Safety and Quality: A Conceptual Approach. In: Mapping Human Data and Behavior With the Internet of Behavior (IoB). IGI Global Scientific Publishing, pp: 271-300, ISBN13 9798369375457, DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3693-7545-7.ch011

Patents Filed / Granted

1. N C Shahi, Stuti Gupta, U C Lohani, S Srivastava, A Siddiqui, and S Singh. A Process for Preparation of Protein Rich Jaggery Instant Cake Mix. Application no. 202511010912, dated 10/02/2025. Filed
2. N C Shahi, D Chaubey, A Ashok, U C Lohani, A K Verma, S Singh, and A Siddiqui. A Process for Development of Nutrient Rich Jaggery Chocolate. Application no. 202511010913, dated 10/02/2025. Filed
3. S Singh, N C Shahi, S Sangeeta, U C Lohani, S Kumar, A Siddiqui, S Singh, and A Tiwari. Process for Development of Effervescent Green Tea Tablets for Beverage Preparation. Application no. 202511006522, dated 27/01/2025. Published
4. Mohd Ishfaq Bhat, Navin Chandra Shahi, Anupama Singh, Adinath Kate, and Umesh Chand Lohani. Solar Powered Dryer (With Temperature Maintaining System). G B Pant Univ. of Agril. & Tech., Pantnagar (India). Design No. 398425-001, dated 25/10/2023. Granted
5. Sumit Kumar, Khan Chand, N. C. Shahi and U. C. Lohani. Edible Coating Machine. G B Pant Univ. of Agril. & Tech., Pantnagar (India). Application No. 202011054125, dated 12/12/2020. Filed
6. A. E. Kate, U. C. Lohani, N. C. Shahi and J. P. Pandey. Pant-ICAR Apricot Pit Decorticator. G B Pant Univ. of Agril. & Tech., Pantnagar (India). Application No. 4003/DEL/2015A, dated 12/09/2015. Published

Research-based Awards (Last Five Years)

• ISAE Distinguished Service Award (Oct 2022) conferred by the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers (ISAE) in recognition of outstanding contributions to Agricultural Engineering.
• SAAR Young Scientist Award in Agricultural Engineering & Technology (Dec 2021) conferred by the Society of Agriculture & Allied Research (SAAR) for significant research contributions in Food and Agricultural Engineering.