JACKFRUIT (ATROCARPUS HETEROPHYLLUS LAM.) AS A SUSTAINABLE FOOD RESOURCE: ZERO-WASTE VALORIZATION, VALUE ADDITION, FUNCTIONAL FOOD DEVELOPMENT, AND THE EMERGING ROLE OF CRISPR CAS GENOME EDITING IN OVERCOMING FUNGAL DISEASES – REVIEW

Abstract

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) is a large, underutilized tropical fruit crop with substantial potential to contribute to sustainable food security, circular bioeconomy development, and functional-food innovation. The fruit is nutritionally valuable, providing starch, dietary fibre, resistant starch, protein, minerals, and diverse phenolic phytochemicals. However, approximately 50-70% of fruit mass may be discarded during processing, creating an environmental burden while simultaneously representing a substantial opportunity for biorefinery based valorisation. This review examines the nutritional and functional food properties of jackfruit and evaluates the potential of its processing by-products, including jackfruit flour, starch, pectin, bioactive extracts, biochar, bioethanol, and biodegradable packaging materials, for the development of zero-waste value chains. The major biotic constraints limiting jackfruit productivity are also reviewed, with particular emphasis on fungal diseases such as Rhizopus fruit rot, anthracnose, and dieback, which can collectively contribute to substantial pre-harvest losses, with Rhizopus fruit rot alone reported to cause losses of approximately 15–32% in affected orchards. The review then explores CRISPR–Cas9 genome editing and its emerging derivatives, including base editing, prime editing, and CRISPR activation, as precision approaches for developing durable disease resistance in jackfruit. Validated examples from related tropical and subtropical crops, including banana, citrus, cassava, and cacao, as well as major crops such as wheat and tomato, demonstrate the potential of genome editing to target susceptibility (S) genes and defence-related pathways and to generate resistance to fungal and fungal-like pathogens. The availability of draft jackfruit genome sequences now provides an important foundation for identifying homologous targets and developing a precision-breeding framework for disease resistance. However, successful implementation will require advances in jackfruit-specific tissue culture and regeneration systems, functional validation of candidate genes, delivery technologies, field evaluation, and careful consideration of regulatory, ethical, and socioeconomic factors. Overall, the evidence reviewed supports an integrated strategy combining genome-edited disease resistance with zero-waste circular valorisation and improved post-harvest management as a promising pathway for transforming jackfruit into a more sustainable, economically viable, and climate-resilient food crop.