Recovery of Biomolecules from Agroindustry by Solid-Liquid Enzyme-Assisted Extraction: a Review

The way forward to produce nutraceuticals from agri-food processing residues: obstacle, solution, and possibility

Food matrices contain bioactive compounds that have health benefits beyond nutritional value. The bulk of bioactive chemicals are still present in agro-industrial by-products as food matrices. Throughout the food production chain, there is a lot of agro-industrial waste that, if not managed effectively, could harm the environment, company, and how nutritiously and adequately people eat. It's important to establish processes that maximise the use of agro-industrial by-products, such as biological technologies that improve the extraction and acquisition of bioactive compounds for the food and pharmaceutical industries. As opposed to nonbiological processes, biological procedures provide high-quality, bioactive extracts with minimum toxicity and environmental impact. Fermentation and enzymatic treatment are biological processes for obtaining bioactive compounds from agro-industrial waste. In this context, this article summarises the principal bioactive components in agro-industrial byproducts and the biological methods employed to extract them. In this review efficient utilization of bioactive compounds from agro-industrial waste more effectively in food and pharmaceutical industries has been described.

Optimization of Enzyme-Assisted Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) Leaves: Evaluation of Mixed-Culture Fermentation

Hippophae rhamnoides L. leaves possess a remarkable amount of polyphenols that could serve as a natural remedy in various applications. In comparison, numerous techniques, such as conventional and high-pressure techniques, are available for extracting the bioactive fractions from sea buckthorn leaves (SBL). However, enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) of SBL has not been comprehensively studied. The aim of this study was to optimize critical EAE parameters of SBL using the cellulolytic enzyme complex, Viscozyme L, to obtain a high-yield extract with a high concentration of bioactive compounds. In order to determine the optimal conditions for EAE, the study employed a central composite design and response surface methodology to analyze the effects of four independent factors (pH, temperature, extraction time, and enzyme concentration) on two different responses. Our findings indicated that under optimal conditions (3:15 h extraction, temperature 45 °C, pH 4.9, and 1% Viscozyme L v/w of leaves DW), EAE yielded 28.90 g/100 g DW of the water-soluble fraction. Furthermore, the EAE-optimized liquid extract was continuously fermented using an ancient fermentation starter, Tibetan kefir grains, which possess lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and have significant potential for use in biopreservation. Interestingly, the results indicated various potential prebiotic characteristics of LAB. Additionally, alterations in the cell wall morphology of the SBL residue after EAE were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This study significantly optimized EAE parameters for sea buckthorn leaves, providing a promising natural source of bioactive compounds for various applications, such as nutraceuticals, functional foods, and high-value products.

Sustainable Food Systems: The Case of Functional Compounds towards the Development of Clean Label Food Products

The addition of natural components with functional properties in novel food formulations confers one of the main challenges that the modern food industry is called to face. New EU directives and the global turn to circular economy models are also pressing the agro-industrial sector to adopt cradle-to-cradle approaches for their by-products and waste streams. This review aims to present the concept of “sustainable functional compounds”, emphasizing on some main bioactive compounds that could be recovered or biotechnologically produced from renewable resources. Herein, and in view of their efficient and “greener” production and extraction, emerging technologies, together with their possible advantages or drawbacks, are presented and discussed. Μodern examples of novel, clean label food products that are composed of sustainable functional compounds are summarized. Finally, some action plans towards the establishment of sustainable food systems are suggested.

Application of Enzyme-Assisted Extraction for the Recovery of Natural Bioactive Compounds for Nutraceutical and Pharmaceutical Applications

Enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) involves the use of hydrolytic enzymes for the degradation of the cell wall or other cell components. This supports the diffusion of the solvent into the plant or fungal material, leading to easier elution of its metabolites. This technique has been gaining increasing attention, as it is considered an eco-friendly and cost-effective improvement on classical or modern extraction methods. Its promising application in improving the recovery of different classes of bioactive metabolites (e.g., polyphenols, carotenoids, polysaccharides, proteins, components of essential oil, and terpenes) has been reported by many scientific papers. This review summarises information on the theoretical aspects of EAE (e.g., the components of the cell walls and the types of enzymes used) and the most recent discoveries in the effective involvement of enzyme-assisted extraction of natural products (plants, mushrooms, and animals) for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.

Biological Approaches for Extraction of Bioactive Compounds From Agro-industrial By-products: A Review

Bioactive compounds can provide health benefits beyond the nutritional value and are originally present or added to food matrices. However, because they are part of the food matrices, most bioactive compounds remain in agroindustrial by-products. Agro-industrial by-products are generated in large quantities throughout the food production chain and can—when not properly treated—affect the environment, the profit, and the proper and nutritional distribution of food to people. Thus, it is important to adopt processes that increase the use of these agroindustrial by-products, including biological approaches, which can enhance the extraction and obtention of bioactive compounds, which enables their application in food and pharmaceutical industries. Biological processes have several advantages compared to nonbiological processes, including the provision of extracts with high quality and bioactivity, as well as extracts that present low toxicity and environmental impact. Among biological approaches, extraction from enzymes and fermentation stand out as tools for obtaining bioactive compounds from various agro-industrial wastes. In this sense, this article provides an overview of the main bioactive components found in agroindustrial by-products and the biological strategies for their extraction. We also provide information to enhance the use of these bioactive compounds, especially for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Revalorization of Almond By-Products for the Design of Novel Functional Foods: An Updated Review

The search for waste minimization and the valorization of by-products are key to good management and improved sustainability in the food industry. The great production of almonds, based on their high nutritional value as food, especially almond kernels, generates tons of waste yearly. The remaining parts (skin, shell, hulls, etc.) are still little explored, even though they have been used as fuel by burning or as livestock feed. The interest in these by-products has been increasing, as they possess beneficial properties, caused by the presence of different bioactive compounds, and can be used as promising sources of new ingredients for the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry. Additionally, the use of almond by-products is being increasingly applied for the fortification of already-existing food products, but there are some limitations, including the presence of allergens and mycotoxins that harden their applicability. This review focuses on the extraction technologies applied to the valorization of almond by-products for the development of new value-added products that would contribute to the reduction of environmental impact and an improvement in the sustainability and competitiveness of the almond industry.