Ultrasound (UAE) and microwave (MAE) are green technologies to assist in the extraction of polyphenols. The goals were to study the application of sonication temperature (40–60°C), time (15–60 min), microwave power (250–750 W) at 30–120 s; and to combine the principal factors of each method for the maximum recovery of total phenolics from avocado peel employing a response surface methodology. The phytochemical, biological, and feasibility characteristics of the hydroethanolic extracts were analyzed. The combination of 15 min of sonication followed by 95.1 s of microwaving were the optimal parameters to recover 166.3 ± 4.9 mg GAE/g dry matter, which was 1.3, 1.2, and 1.1 times higher than UAE, MAE, and maceration, respectively. Likewise, the U‐MAE was upper in yield (25.3 ± 0.6%), TPC (281.4 ± 0.2 mg GAE), TFC (62.0 ± 0.4 mg QuE), and TAC (4.8 ± 0.1 mg cyanidin‐3‐O‐glucoside) and DPPH, FRAP and LPO (779.1 ± 0.6, 167.0 ± 2.3 μg TEAC, 70.03 ± 0.62%, respectively) per gram of dry extract. All the extracts displayed antibacterial activity. The economic feasibility analysis indicated MAE to be highly effective when energy is less affordable, whereas, if the cost associated with the raw material is high, the U‐MAE is suitable. Practical Applications The extraction industry is moving fast into sustainable processes based on the implementation of ecologically friendly methods of extraction and the utilization of by‐products to obtain bioactive metabolites to be used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The results here presented were meant to design efficiently extracting procedures. Hence, the correct selection of factors that affect the extraction such as sonication temperature as well as microwave power is vital to reduce the resource consumption; especially raw material and time. Moreover, the exploitation of by‐products as the avocado peel will reduce the negative impact on the environment and enhance the value chain of avocado production.

The importance of balanced dietary habits, which include appropriate amounts of antioxidants to maintain the immune system, has become increasingly relevant during the current SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic, because viral infections are characterized by high oxidative stress. Furthermore, the measures taken by governments to control the pandemic have led to increased anxiety, stress, and depression, which affect physical and mental health, all of which are influenced by nutritional status, diet, and lifestyle. The Mediterranean diet (MD), Atlantic diet (AD), and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans all provide the essential vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds needed to activate enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant responses. However, viral pandemics such as the current COVID-19 crisis entail high oxidative damage caused by both the infection and the resultant social stresses within populations, which increases the probability and severity of infection. Balanced dietary patterns such as the MD and the AD are characterized by the consumption of fruit, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, and whole grains with low intakes of processed foods and red meat. For a healthy lifestyle in young adults, the MD in particular provides the required amount of antioxidants per day for vitamins D (0.3–3.8 μg), E (17.0 mg), C (137.2–269.8 mg), A (1273.3 μg), B-12 (1.5–2.0 μg), and folate (455.1–561.3 μg), the minerals Se (120.0 μg), Zn (11.0 mg), Fe (15.0–18.8 mg), and Mn (5.2–12.5 mg), and polyphenols (1171.00 mg) needed to maintain an active immune response. However, all of these diets are deficient in the recommended amount of vitamin D (20 μg/d). Therefore, vulnerable populations such as elders and obese individuals could benefit from antioxidant supplementation to improve their antioxidant response. Although evidence remains scarce, there is some indication that a healthy diet, along with supplemental antioxidant intake, is beneficial to COVID-19 patients.

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Avocado byproducts are a rich source of health-promoting biomolecules. The purpose of this work is to study three groups of statistically different avocado fruit sizes (Persea americana Mill.) (small (S), medium (M), and large (L)), and their relationship with total phenolic and flavonoid contents (TPC and TFC, respectively), DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging capacity and individual phenolics, and the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), chalcone synthase (CHS), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in avocado peel extract (APE). The results indicated that TPC, TFC, and antioxidant and enzymatic activities were higher in the APE of the S group (p < 0.05). The flavonoids (flavanols and flavonols) and phenolic acids were also significatively concentrated in S group’s APE. Overall, the phenolic content was significantly lower in the L group. Positive correlations (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.05) were observed between TPC, TPF, DPPH, and enzymatic activity, and negative correlations resulted for avocado weight and volume. The outstanding phenolic content and enzymatic activity of avocado peels from low-cost avocado byproducts are ideal for biorefinery applications, thereby increasing the bioeconomy of the avocado industry.

Hydrogels can absorb and/or retain components in the interstitial spaces due to the 3D cross-linked polymer network, and thus, these matrices can be used in different engineering applications. This study focuses on the physicochemical and textural properties, as well as bioactive compounds and their antioxidant activity stability of commercial hydrogels fortified with cryoconcentrated blueberry juice (CBJ) stored for 35 days. CBJ was added to commercial hydrogels (gelatin gel (GG), aerated gelatin gel (AGG), gummy (GM), and aerated gummy (AGM)). The samples showed a total polyphenol, anthocyanin, and flavonoid content ranging from 230 to 250 mg GAE/100 g, 3.5 to 3.9 mg C3G/100 g, and 120 to 136 mg CEQ/100 g, respectively, and GG and GM showed the lowest bioactive component degradation rate, while AGM presented the highest degradation. GG and GM samples could be stored for up to 21 days without significant changes, while the results indicated ≈15 days for the AGG and AGM samples. Thereby, CBJ offers enormous possibilities to be used as a functional ingredient due to the high nutritional values, and it allows enriching different hydrogel samples, and in turn, the structures of hydrogels protected components during in vitro digestion, enhancing the bioaccessibility after the digestion process.