Bioactive components and health effects of pecan nuts and their byproducts: a review

Abstract

Pecan is a North American native tree that produces a stone fruit or kernel, commonly known as pecan nut,which is highly valuable worldwide due to its sensory quality, and health promoting properties derived from the presence of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols and monomeric and polymeric polyphenolic compounds. The increase in the demand for pecan nut leads to an increase in by-products such as leaves, cake and principally nutshell, which have high contents of bioactive components, making them interesting raw materials to produce nutraceuticals with health benefits. The phytochemical content of pecan oil and kernel, as well as that of the main pecan by-products is discussed in detail, paying special attention to the presence of individual polyphenols with monomeric and polymeric structures. Finally, studies regarding the biological activity and potential use of pecan oil, kernel and by-products are summarized and discussed.

Physical, Barrier, Mechanical, and Biodegradability Properties of Modified Starch Films with Nut By-Products Extracts

“…In this way, the nut industry produces a large quantity of by-products (shells, skin, others) since nuts are more often consumed in their processed form [17]. For example, the shell is the main by-product generated from pecan nuts, reaching up to 50% of the total weight of the nut production [18]. In the case of hazelnut, around 2.5% of the kernel weight corresponds to the skin, a by-product obtained from the roasting and processing hazelnut products [19].…”

Opinion on the Hurdles and Potential Health Benefits in Value-Added Use of Plant Food Processing By-Products as Sources of Phenolic Compounds

“…The potential of plant food by-products as a source of phenolic compounds has been widely recognized. In particular, by-products from cereals, nuts, oilseeds, fresh and dried fruits, vegetables, spices, coffee, and tea, among others [ 1 , 13 , 14 ], may be richer in different bioactive phenolics than those of their original sources. Additionally, a recent study has demonstrated that, due to their higher phenolic contents, winemaking by-products are able to better decrease very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels than those of red wine in vivo [ 15 ].…”

Wood extracts as unique sources of soluble and insoluble-bound phenolics: reducing power, metal chelation and inhibition of oxidation of human LDL-cholesterol and DNA strand scission

“…Syringic acid that was identified in this work is also found in nuts, fruits, culinary herbs, and their processing by-products (Alvarez-Parrilla et al, 2018;Mirfat et al, 2018;Senanayake, 2018;Shahidi and Hossain, 2018). In contrast, while several feedstocks show catechin in their phenolic profile (Amarowicz and Shahidi, 2018;Silva et al, 2018;Silva et al, 2019), the presence of gallocatechin is not as common.…”