Fruit Peels: Food Waste as a Valuable Source of Bioactive Natural Products for Drug Discovery

Fruits along with vegetables are crucial for a balanced diet. These not only have delicious flavors but are also reported to decrease the risk of contracting various chronic diseases. Fruit by-products are produced in huge quantity during industrial processing and constitute a serious issue because they may pose a harmful risk to the environment. The proposal of employing fruit by-products, particularly fruit peels, has gradually attained popularity because scientists found that in many instances peels displayed better biological and pharmacological applications than other sections of the fruit. The aim of this review is to highlight the importance of fruit peel extracts and natural products obtained in food industries along with their other potential biological applications.

Triterpene Saponins from Wisteria floribunda “macrobotrys” and “rosea”

Five oleanane-type saponins were isolated from two cultivars of Wisteria floribunda (Willd.) DC. (Fabaceae): From the roots of Wisteria floribunda “macrobotrys”, one new oleanane derivative elucidated as 3- O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl-22- O-acetyl-3p,22p,24-trihydroxyolean-12-en-30-oic acid, and two known glycosides, and from the roots of Wisteria floribunda “rosea”, two known ones. Their structures were elucidated by a detailed 600 MHz NMR analysis including 1D and 2D NMR (1H, 13C, COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, HSQC, HMBC) experiments and mass spectrometry. Chemotaxonomic conclusions were proposed.