Summary Antioxidant properties of commercial sugarcane‐derived products were analysed to study their suitability for being used as functional ingredients. Cane honey, several jaggeries and several brown sugars were selected from the market and analysed in terms of physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant properties, and compared with white refined sugar (twelve products in total). Moisture, water activity, total soluble solids, pH, colour and sugar profile are reported. As for antioxidant properties, total phenols and flavonoid content, as well as antiradical ability (DPPH˙ and the TEAC‐ABTS methods), are given. All sugarcane products contained phenols and flavonoids and exhibited in vitro antioxidant activity, determined by degree of refining. Among the alternatives analysed, jaggeries and cane honey showed the best antioxidant properties. Thermal treatment did not significantly affect the antioxidant capacity of sugarcane products, especially jaggeries. As sugar‐rich products are widely consumed worldwide, the use of non‐refined sugarcane derivatives in food formulation is encouraged.

Current food transformation processes must face the food waste issue by developing valorization processes to reintroduce by-products in the economic cycle and contribute to circular economy, generating social and economic value, and ensuring permanence of agricultural and rural activities. In the present paper, the results of a collaboration project between a regional agri-food cooperative and university are summarized. The project aimed to revalorize a series of vegetable wastes (carrot, leek, celery, and cabbage) from the fresh and ready-to-eat lines of the cooperative, by producing functional powders to be used as functional food ingredients. Vegetables residues were successfully transformed into functional ingredients by hot air drying or freeze-drying, and variables such as storage conditions and grinding intensity prior to drying were considered. Twenty-five vegetable powders were obtained and characterized in terms of physicochemical and antioxidant properties. Results showed that drying (mainly hot air drying) allowed obtaining stable powders, with very low water activity values, and a significantly increased functionality. Vegetable waste powders could be used in the food industry as coloring and flavoring ingredients, or natural preservatives, or either be used to reformulate processed foods in order to improve their nutritional properties.

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Health beneficial effects of sugarcane have been attributed to antioxidant components present in the plant material, phenolic compounds having been identified mainly in the raw juice, culms and leaves. However, the presence of specific natural phenolic constituents in non-refined cane sugars and their potential impact on the diet as an alternative to refined sugar has not been completely evaluated. Phenolic constituents of six commercially available sugarcane derivatives (granulated jaggery, muscovado sugar, light and regular jaggery blocks, cane honey and brown sugar) were identified and quantified, in addition to their physicochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties against cariogenic bacteria. Physicochemical and antioxidant properties of raw sugars were highly related to degree of refining of each product. Specific hydroxycinnamic acids (chlorogenic, caffeic, coumaric, ferulic) and flavones (apigenin, tricin, luteolin) were identified and quantified in sugarcane products. Tricin and apigenin were the most abundant phenolics in raw sugars, both considered important bioactive constituents of foods which postulate as nutraceuticals, antiproliferative and chemopreventive agents. Some derivatives and their extracts also exhibited antibacterial properties against Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus. Bioactive compounds identified in raw sugars make sugarcane natural sweeteners a healthier alternative to white sugar, to be used at home and industry. Granulated jaggeries postulate as the best substitutive due to their nutritional benefits and physicochemical attributes.

Globalization of fruit and vegetable market generates overproduction, surpluses and potentially valuable residues. The valorisation of these by-products constitutes a challenge, to ensure sustainability and reintroduce them into the food chain. This work focuses on blueberry and persimmon residues, rich in polyphenols and carotenoids, to obtain powders with high added value to be used as ingredients in food formulation.These powders have been characterized and the changes of the bioactive compounds in in vitro gastrointestinal digestion have been evaluated. The results indicated that the type of residue, the drying process, as well as the content and type of fibre determine the release of antioxidants during digestion. In vitro colonic fermentations were also performed, and it was observed that the characteristics of digested powders had an effect on the composition of the growing microbial community. Thus, carotenoids and anthocyanins maintain an interplay with microbiota that could be beneficial for human health.

To evaluate the potential of the industrial waste of Rojo Brillante persimmon as a source for value-added products. The antioxidant compounds present in persimmon industrial waste (peel and calyx) and the suitability of this bagasse to be used as a substrate secondgeneration bioethanol production are studied and discussed. Both value-added products would contribute to the valorization of persimmon fruit residues, which are expected to increase to a higher extent in subsequent years, thus contributing to the food industry sustainability and circular economy. MethodsAntioxidant properties were evaluated by analyzing total phenol content, soluble tannins, flavonoids and antioxidant capacity of the waste, consisting of the peel and calyx of the fresh-cut persimmon industry. In a different approach, several fermentation and saccharification processes were assayed in order to valorize the waste as a substrate for bioethanol production: direct fermentation (DF) of the waste (with water addition, sterilized or not) was carried out and compared with simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of the waste (with and without water addition). ResultsThe amount of phenols (59.2 ± 0.4 mg AGE/100 g FW), flavonoids (7.5 ± 0.4 mg QE/100 g FW) and tannins (11.43 ± 0.08 g AGE/100 g FW), as well as the antioxidant capacity (16.67 mg TE/100 g FW) of persimmon industrial waste were in the range of the pulp values. Persimmon waste was especially rich in carotenoids: β-carotene (400 ± 7 µg/100 g FW) and lycopene (194.3 ± 0.7 µg/100 g FW), these being values higher than in the whole fruit or pulp. Bioethanol production was more successful when a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process was directly applied on the grinded waste (0.36 ± 0.010 gethanol/gsugar), as compared to the other DF and SSF assayed. ConclusionsPersimmon waste can be considered a good candidate for obtaining value-added products.Carotenoids could be extracted from this waste, but it is recommended to develop food ingredients in the form of flours of powders to be used as functional ingredients.Persimmon waste is also recommended as a substrate for second-generation bioethanol production, either alone or mixed with other food residual biomass.

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