Food Wastes as Valuable Sources of Bioactive Molecules

Abstract

Food industry produces worldwide millions of tons of plant-derived wastes which can be exploited as sources of high-value components: proteins, fibres, polysaccharides, flavour compounds or different phytochemicals. These bioactive compounds can be valorised as functional ingredients in food, pharmaceutical, health care, cosmetic and other products. Using the recovered bioactive molecules as functional ingredients represents a sustainable alternative of food wastes exploitation as inexpensive source of valuable compounds, while developing innovative food and non-food products with health-promoting benefits and at the same time contributing to an efficient waste reduction management. This chapter gives an overview of the main classes of bioactive compounds recovered from food wastes and their potential applications as functional chemicals, without being exhaustive.

Exploitation of Brewing Industry Wastes to Produce Functional Ingredients

“…The extraction of the high-value components must be economically feasible to perform. This objective can be achieved by separating the components of interests through individual and/ or combined physical and biochemical approaches in order to provide a range of components, all of which would contribute to achieving whole-waste exploitation [6,9]. The extraction conditions are extremely important, due to their effects on the release of compounds from the matrix into the medium and also due to structural changes that may occur and alter the expected properties.…”

“…This preservation method is also interesting in terms of reducing the volume of the product and, therefore, decreasing transport and storage costs ( Figure 2) of quality protein [16,[26][27][28]. For a by-product to be considered as a source of quality protein, it must contain a well-balanced essential amino acid composition [9,29]. In BSG, the essential amino acids represent approximately 30% of the total protein content.…”

“…The recent worldwide tendency to avoid or at least decrease the use of synthetic additives has created a need for alternative cheap, renewable, natural and possibly safer sources of natural compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities to stabilise foods against oxidative rancidity and microbial spoilage [49]. Having strong antioxidant activity, when ingested, the antioxidants protect the human body from the damaging actions of the reactive oxygen species and thus lowering the risk of several chronic diseases (cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer) [7,9,33,50,51].…”

“…The accumulation of huge amounts of this biomass every year leads to environmental degradation and especially to significant loss of valuable material that could otherwise be exploited as food, fuels and a great variety of additives. The valorisation of brewing by-products can be achieved through the extraction of high-value components such as proteins, polysaccharides, fibres, flavour compounds and phytochemicals, which can be reused as nutritionally and pharmacologically functional ingredients [5][6][7][8][9]. Nowadays, the advances in scientific research support the idea that diet may fulfil nutritional needs and at the same time exert a beneficial role in protecting the human body of some diseases.…”

Characterization of Grape and Apple Peel Wastes’ Bioactive Compounds and Their Increased Bioavailability After Exposure to Thermal Process

“…The compositions and physicochemical properties of dietary fibers are dependent on both the characteristics of the raw materials and the processing steps (Chau et al, 2004; GrigelmoMiguel and Martın-Belloso, 1999). The presence of bioactive molecules, such as fatty acids and phenolic compounds, in agro-industrial waste makes fruit and vegetable leftovers more valuable for the food industry (Socaci et al, 2017). Fruits and vegetables contain bioactive compounds that impart health benefits beyond basic nutrition (Oomah and Mazza, 2000;Catoi et al, 2006;Catoi et al, 2013;Galea et al, 2016).…”