Prosopis nigra fruits waste characterization, a potential source of functional ingredients for food formulations

Neltuma nigra cotyledon and seed flour: nutritional, phytochemical, and techno-functional characterization and nutraceutic potential of polyphenolic enriched extract

Neltuma nigra seed and cotyledon flours were prepared and characterized. Both flours showed high protein and fiber content, and low carbohydrate and fat content. The major storage proteins in N. nigra flours were albumin and globulin. In addition, flours contained carotenoids and potassium as the main micronutrients. The free and bound phenolic compounds, tannins and flavonoids were the major phytochemical components. The phenolic enriched extracts (PEE) of both flours contained apigenin-derived C-glycosyl flavones, including schaftoside, and isoschaftoside as the main components. The PEE from seed flour contained higher antioxidant capacity on ABTS˙+, FRAP, H2O2, O2˙- and higher inhibitory effect on α-amylase and α-glucosidase than the cotyledon flour extract. Techno-functional property analyses showed better water retention capacity and emulsifying stability for cotyledon flour and better oil holding capacity and emulsifying activity for seed flour. The results suggest better biological properties and a low-cost accessibility of seed flour, and a better macronutrient balance for cotyledon flour. Therefore, both can be considered as ingredients or functional food for special foods related to the metabolic syndrome and diseases related to oxidative processes.

Prosopis alba Seed as a Functional Food Waste for Food Formulation Enrichment

The present study describes how flour and phenolic enriched extracts (PEE) are obtained from seed (food waste) of 10 different P. alba (algarrobo blanco) clones and their characterization to be used as non-conventional sources of potential functional ingredients. Seed flour and PEE obtained from Argentinian P. alba cultivars were chemically characterized. The antioxidant capacity was also determined. The results showed variability in macronutrient composition of seed flour obtained from different clones. Among them, seed flour obtained from P4, P5, P6, P10, P12, and P13 clones showed a higher protein and fiber content than the other clones. On the other hand, PEE obtained from P6, P7, and P10 clones showed the highest content of phenolic component (7.32–8.58 mg GAE/g flour). The extracts obtained from them also showed high antioxidant activity (scavenging activity on ABTS^•+, HO^•, and H₂O₂). C-glycosyl flavones, including vicenin II, isoschaftoside, schaftoside, vitexin, and isovitexin were the major components extracted in all clones. These compounds have remarkable properties for disease prevention linked to oxidative stress. Therefore, the P. alba seed could be considered as functional food waste with a great potential to be used as a novel renewable and sustainable material for the production of bioactive food formulations.