About

Bhimanagouda (Bhimu) Patil, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Horticultural Sciences and the director of the Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center at Texas A&M University. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Agriculture from the University of Agricultural Sciences-Bangalore and Dharwad in 1984 and 1986, respectively, and earned his Ph.D. in Horticulture from Texas A&M University in 1994. Dr. Patil has served as Associate Director from 2002-2004 and has been the Director of the Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center since 2005. He has been a member of the graduate faculty in the Department of Horticulture since 1997 and is also affiliated with the Intercollegiate Faculty of Nutrition and Molecular and Environment Plant Sciences. His research emphasizes ‘foods for health,’ focusing on the isolation and characterization of naturally occurring compounds in vegetables and fruits, which has begun to provide proof of the role of these foods in human health. Additionally, his work investigates pre- and postharvest effects on bioactive compounds in citrus, pepper, onion, melons, and pomegranate. Dr. Patil has developed innovative multidisciplinary courses such as “Science of Foods for Health” and “Phytochemicals in Fruits and Vegetables to Improve Human Health,” which are offered at several universities. He advocates for a systems-wide, multidisciplinary approach to ‘foods for health’ research, emphasizing the importance of integrating consumer to farm strategies to enhance global food and nutritional security.

Research topics

• Biology
• Horticulture
• Food science
• Agronomy
• Botany
• Biochemistry
• Chemistry
• Bioinformatics

Selected publications

• Collagen and Gelatin

  Elsevier eBooks · 2026-01-01 · 1 citations

  book-chapterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Myeloid GHSR Deficiency Protects Against Thermogenic Impairment in Aging Through Immune Remodeling of Brown Adipose Tissue

  Cells · 2026-02-09

  articleOpen access

  Thermoregulatory dysfunction is a major pathophysiological consequence of aging, affecting many elderly individuals. Growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) regulates energy homeostasis and immune function. We previously showed that global GHSR deletion improves thermogenic adaptation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) in aging, but the responsible cell type remained unclear. GHSR is expressed in macrophages, and its expression in macrophages increases with aging. Here, we studied myeloid-specific Ghsr-deleted male mice (LysM-Cre; Ghsrf/f denoted as “KO”) to assess their metabolic and immune responses to cold stress at young and old ages. Old mice showed impaired thermogenesis, marked by reduced core body temperature under 4 °C cold exposure, a blunted cold-induced increase in glucose levels, reduced BAT mass, and increased infiltration of pro-inflammatory CD38+ macrophages in BAT. In contrast, KO mice exhibited enhanced cold tolerance in both young and old mice. Notably, aged KO mice showed preserved BAT mass and a pronounced shift in resident macrophages toward an anti-inflammatory state. Consistently, aged KO mice showed reduced pro-inflammatory markers (Ccl2, Nos2) and increased expression of the thermogenic gene Ppargc1a and UCP1 protein under cold exposure. Together, these findings demonstrate that macrophage GHSR drives age-associated pro-inflammatory remodeling of BAT, and that its deletion promotes an immune environment favorable for thermogenic activation. Thus, targeting macrophage GHSR may offer a new therapeutic strategy to restore thermogenesis and enhance thermal resilience in aging.

  PublisherDOI

• Abiotic stress hormesis in tomato fruit: Determining hormetic doses from stress dose - Ripening response relationships

  Postharvest Biology and Technology · 2026-05-21

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• List of contributors

  Elsevier eBooks · 2026-01-01

  book-chapter
  PublisherDOI

• Identification and quantification of hormones produced during the interaction of melon plants (Cucumis Melo L.) with the pathogen Monosporascus Cannonballus

  Discover Plants. · 2026-03-03

  articleOpen access

  The fungus Monosporascus cannonballus is a pathogen that causes a severe disease called vine decline, which is found in areas where melons and watermelons are cultivated worldwide. Nevertheless, few studies have examined the hormones involved in host-pathogen interactions. Thus, this study was conducted to identify and quantify these metabolites. The varieties USA PI 124,104 (resistant) and TAM-Uvalde (susceptible) were inoculated with the pathogen, and the hormones were quantified before inoculation (0 h) and 24, 48, and 72 h after inoculation employing ultra-performance liquid chromatography analysis. The hormone levels varied over time. Peculiarly, gibberellic acid and kinetin were detected 24 and 48 h after inoculation, which may be indicative of their synthesis by the fungus. Likewise, methyl jasmonate was detected 48 h after inoculation, a time at which the pathogen could also have produced it. Additionally, salicylic and jasmonic acids were detected, and their concentrations varied antagonistically over time. Interestingly, jasmonic acid could also have been synthesized by the fungus, suggesting a hemibiotrophic lifestyle. Hence, further studies are needed to identify the origins of kinetin, methyl jasmonate, gibberellic and jasmonic acids.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Dose-dependent effects of supplemental ultraviolet-B and blue light on nutritional quality–yield trade-offs in red lettuce

  Scientia Horticulturae · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen access

  • End-of-production UVB and blue light supplementation enhanced pigmentation and antioxidant accumulation in red leaf lettuce. • Nutritional quality–yield trade-offs were dose-dependent and more pronounced under UVB than blue light. • UVB was more effective for enhancing anthocyanins and phenolics, while blue light promoted higher vitamin C content. • Short-term spectral treatments near harvest can effectively improve lettuce quality with relatively low yield penalties. End-of-production (EOP) supplemental lighting can effectively enhance crop nutritional and visual quality in controlled environment agriculture (CEA), as beneficial phytochemicals such as phenolic compounds (including anthocyanins) and ascorbic acid can accumulate within hours to days in response to environmental cues. Narrow waveband ultraviolet-B (UVB; 280–320 nm) and blue light (400–500 nm) are especially effective in improving nutritional quality but may reduce yield even when applied over short durations. This study quantified the dose-dependent effects of EOP UVB and blue light on nutritional quality–yield trade-offs in red lettuce ‘Rouxai’ and ‘Red Salad Bowl’. UVB was applied at 0.5, 1.5, or 2.5 µmol m -2 s -1 (UVB 0.5 , UVB 1.5 , or UVB 2.5 ) and blue light was applied at 30, 60, or 90 µmol m -2 s -1 (B 30 , B 60 , or B 90 ) for 16 h day -1 during the final six days of production. Plant biomass and nutritional parameters were measured at 3 and 6 days after treatment (DAT). All six EOP treatments significantly enhanced anthocyanin accumulation in both cultivars, with the strongest effect observed under the highest-intensity UVB treatment applied for 6 days. Cultivar ‘Rouxai’ was generally more responsive; under UVB 2.5 at 6 DAT, extraction-based anthocyanin content increased by 468 % in ‘Rouxai’ and 154 % in ‘Red Salad Bowl’ compared to controls. Total phenolic concentration showed similar response trends to anthocyanins. Total ascorbic acid concentrations were less affected by the EOP treatments, with levels generally remaining similar to controls at 3 DAT but increasing at 6 DAT; the largest increase occurred under B 90 at 6 DAT (27 % increase in ‘Rouxai’ and 21 % increase in ‘Red Salad Bowl’). However, EOP treatments generally reduced leaf expansion and biomass, with greater reductions at higher supplemental light intensities, longer exposure duration, and under UVB compared to blue light. These results highlight clear dose-dependent quality–yield trade-offs under EOP UVB and blue light treatments. Blue light provided a more favorable balance between maintaining marketable yield and enhancing nutritional quality, whereas UVB more strongly enhanced anthocyanin and phenolic accumulation at the cost of moderate yield reductions.

  PublisherDOI

• Metabolomic profiling of novel muskmelon cultigens reveals regional variation in fruit composition across four U.S. growing locations

  Journal of Food Composition and Analysis · 2025-03-13

  articleSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• From ultraviolet-B to red photons: Effects of end-of-production supplemental light on anthocyanins, phenolics, ascorbic acid, and biomass production in red leaf lettuce

  PLoS ONE · 2025-07-30 · 6 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  Plants possess an array of photoreceptors, such as UVR8, cryptochromes, and phytochromes, that perceive the spectral quality of light and regulate plant morphology, growth, and physiology. The use of light-emitting diodes enables the application of targeted light spectra to elicit specific plant responses during cultivation. However, there is a lack of comparative studies evaluating the effects of different spectral regions within the same crop. We comprehensively quantified how various light spectra, ranging from ultraviolet-B to red, affect plant growth and the accumulation of beneficial phytochemicals, including anthocyanins, phenolics, and ascorbic acid, in red leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa) cv. Red Salad Bowl and Rouxai. Plants were grown under a background white LED light of 200 µmol m-2 s-1 for 16 hours per day (control), and supplemented with red (peak at 659 nm), blue (444 nm), violet (404 nm), ultraviolet-A (UVA; 368 nm) radiation at 60 µmol m-2 s-1, or ultraviolet-B (UVB; 309 nm) radiation at 3 µmol m-2 s-1 during the last 7 days of a 28-day production period (end-of-production stage, EOP). For both lettuce cultivars, red, blue and UVB treatments significantly enhanced leaf anthocyanin content compared to the control, with UVB being the most effective despite its low application dosage, followed by the blue and red light treatments. UVB radiation significantly increased total phenolic content in both cultivars (by 80%-99.1% compared to the control), while blue light treatment increased total phenolics by 31.4% in 'Red Salad Bowl' only. However, supplemental UVB radiation did not affect total ascorbic acid in either cultivar; the other EOP treatments (red to UVA) increased total ascorbic acid by 19%-35% in 'Red Salad Bowl' but had no significant effects in 'Rouxai'. Notably, crop yield under the UVB treatment was the lowest in both cultivars, with 8.9%-49% lower shoot fresh weight compared to other treatments. In contrast, the violet light treatment resulted in the highest leaf area and shoot biomass in both lettuce cultivars, although it was not effective in enhancing anthocyanins and total phenolics. Our result indicated that there is often a tradeoff between nutritional quality and crop yield, and specific light spectra can be strategically used to enhance nutritional quality or biomass. Low-intensity UVB was the most effective at maximizing anthocyanins and total phenolics, followed by blue light, while supplemental violet light most significantly enhanced lettuce leaf expansion and biomass compared to other light spectra.

  PublisherDOI

• Examining the Role of Digital Marketing in Transforming Recent Consumer Purchase Trends

  International Scientific Journal of Engineering and Management · 2025-08-04

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Digital marketing has transformed how consumers discover, evaluate, and purchase products and services. This study examines the role of digital marketing in shifting recent consumer purchase trends, focusing on the influence of social media, personalized advertising, e-commerce platforms, and emerging technologies like AI and influencer marketing. The research explores how digital strategies such as targeted ads, SEO, email campaigns, and shoppable content have altered traditional buying behaviours—making shopping more convenient, interactive, and data-driven. This study uses a mixed-methods approach, analysing secondary data from industry reports, case studies, and consumer surveys to identify key trends. It also investigates how factors like mobile shopping, social commerce, and AI-driven recommendations contribute to both impulsive and informed purchasing decisions. Additionally, the research highlights challenges such as privacy concerns, ad fatigue, and the credibility of online reviews in shaping consumer trust. Findings suggest that digital marketing has significantly accelerated the shift toward online shopping, with consumers increasingly relying on social media recommendations, influencer endorsements, and personalized promotions. The convenience of one-click purchases, same-day delivery, and virtual try-ons has further reinforced this trend. However, concerns over data security and the authenticity of digital promotions remain critical issues affecting buyer behaviour. This study provides valuable insights for marketers, businesses, and policymakers seeking to adapt to evolving consumer preferences. By understanding these shifts, companies can optimize their digital strategies to enhance engagement, build trust, and drive sales in an increasingly competitive online marketplace. The research also suggests future directions for exploring the long-term effects of digital marketing on brand loyalty and sustainable consumption. Keywords: Marketing, SEO, SEM, SMM, AI, Quick Commerce, Fast Delivery, Digital Strategies

  PublisherDOI

• UV-B and blue light supplementation improves tomato quality and antioxidant dynamics: A novel approach for sustainable greenhouse production

  Journal of Agriculture and Food Research · 2025-05-26 · 6 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Light plays a crucial role in influencing crop yield and the accumulation of bioactive compounds, which potentially enhance human health benefits through their antioxidant properties. However, the effect of supplementing blue (B) and ultraviolet-B (UV-B) light on ascorbic acid (AsA), hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs), total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity (AA), along with fruit firmness and yield attributes in tomatoes, has not yet been fully explored. This study assessed how exposure to supplemental blue, UV-B, or combined B+UV-B light affects greenhouse tomato yield, firmness, and antioxidant compounds in two varieties. Additionally, this study is the first to employ a mathematical modeling approach to understand the AA kinetics in tomatoes under different supplemental lights. We found that blue light alone significantly enhanced the yield and firmness in both varieties. Similarly, UV-B light alone also showed an increase in yield, AsA, and most of the HCAs. The combined B+UV-B light treatment resulted in firmer fruits with high HCAs without compromising the yield. AA kinetics best fitted to an exponential rise to the maxima model, with the B+UV-B treatment exhibiting the highest slope value, suggesting a substantially higher accumulation of fast-acting antioxidants. Therefore, the use of blue and UV-B light, alone or in combination, in greenhouse tomato production offers significant potential for application in the fresh tomato market (yielding firmer, nutrient-dense fruits) as well as for the processed tomato industry (ensuring the stability of antioxidant compounds for an extended duration). • Modeled antioxidant kinetics in tomatoes grown under supplemental UV-B & blue light. • Blue + UV-B light enhances tomato firmness and antioxidants while maintaining yield. • Blue light exposure enhances the yield and firmness of greenhouse-grown tomatoes.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R01CA168312

  NIH · $1.6M · 2017

Frequent coauthors

• G.K. Jayaprakasha

  Texas A&M University

  237 shared

• S. Kaan Kurtural

  98 shared

• Jashbir Singh

  Texas A&M University

  65 shared

• Kevin M. Crosby

  Texas A&M University

  56 shared

• M. B. Chetti

  University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad

  54 shared

• Kotamballi N. Chidambara Murthy

  Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research

  50 shared

• Janet C. Cole

  49 shared

• Elpidio Peña-Beltrán

  The Ohio State University

  49 shared

Education

• B.S.

  University of Agricultural Sciences-Bangalore

• M.S.

  University of Agricultural Sciences - Dharwad

• Ph.D., Horticulture

  Texas A&M University