Banana peels account for around 30–40% of the banana’s weight and represent an industrial waste. This biomass can be used as an eco-friendly solution for biotechnological bioprocesses. Still, due to the fibrous nature of banana peels, pretreatment becomes essential to enhance the effectiveness of enzymes on the hydrolysis of complex carbohydrates. This study aims to determine the best pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis conditions to produce a fermentation substrate suitable for producing lactic acid from the peels. Methods: A diluted H2SO4 (0.5% and 0.25%) was used in an autoclave for 10 min at 121 °C. The pretreated material was subjected to several enzymatic hydrolysis tests in which two variables were evaluated for their influence: solid load (10, 15 and 20%), and H2SO4 concentration (0.5 and 0.25% v/v). Commercial enzymes (cellulolytic enzyme mixtures and pectinase) were used. Results: All enzymatic hydrolysis yields of cellulose referring to glucose released in the hydrolysates surpassed 60% in all the conditions tested after pretreatment. After evaluating the pretreatment efficiency, the ideal parameters were defined as 0.25% H2SO4, and cellulolytic enzyme mixtures with 15 and 20% solid load. Subsequently, a screening was carried out in MRS + broth with the most suitable pH and temperature conditions for lactic acid production by Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus. Conclusions: The results showed the potential of BP medium for lactic acid production, with yields of 0.91 g/g sugar in sugar-containing media from enzymatic hydrolysis at 15% solid load and 0.82 g/g sugar in media from 20% solid load assays.

Purpose Rubus idaeus cultivation has boosted productivity due to its high nutritional value. In consequence, waste produc- tion increased. The discarded biomass, including leaves and aerial components, can be transformed into valuable functional ingredients for industrial applications, such as cosmetics. Studying their bioactivity potential is highly relevant. Methods According to the present idea, the research involved producing extracts from raspberry plant branches and leaves by employing four different techniques: aqueous decoction, aqueous infusion, hydroethanolic maceration, and ultrasound- assisted extraction (UAE). Subsequently, these compounds were screened for their bioactive potential, including antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic properties. Results The ultrasound-assisted extraction produced extracts rich in phenolic compounds, whereas the infusion and macera- tion methods resulted in higher flavonol contents. Among the identified phenolic compounds, hydrolyzable tannins, particu- larly galloyl-bis-HHDP-glucose, were the most dominant ones. Regarding antioxidant potential, the decoction extract was the strongest, while the infusion showed the greatest potential for inhibiting lipid peroxidation. The UAE extract was found to be highly effective as an antibacterial agent. Both infusion and UAE extracts demonstrated the highest anti-inflammatory potential. Conclusion The combination of these results highlights the sample’s bioactive potential and the importance of exploiting bioresidues as unique, sustainable candidates for industrial applications.

CereaIs are staple food crops and major sources of nutrition wor1dwide, but their processing generates a large amount of by-products. In addition to environmental and economic aspects, cereal milling by-products represent a significant loss of natural resources and nutrients when discarded as useless waste [1,2]. Thus, in order to promote the upcyc1ing of these by-products as valuable raw materiaIs, this study was carried out to provide a compositional and bioactive characterisation of wheat, maise and rye by-products current1y produced in large quantities by the cereal grain milling industry. The cereal by-products were studied for their proximate composition folIowing official methods of food analysis, and organic acids, soluble sugars, fatty acids and tocopherols were analysed by different chromatographie techniques [3]. After preparation of hydroethanolic extracts, the detected phenolic compounds were characterised by HPLC-DAD-ESIIMSnand the antioxidant activity was evaluated through in vitro assays for the ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation by monitoring the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and to inhibit oxidative hemolysis caused by free radicals generated in the in vitro system [3]. Regarding the compositional results, expressed in dry weight (dw), carbohydrates (56.35-78.12 g/100 g) were the major proximate constituents of the studied cereal by-products, folIowed by proteins (11.2-30.0 g/100 g). The higher energy value (432.3 kcal/l00 g) was presented by wheat germ, which also presented the highest citric acid content (0.86 g/100 g). Sucrose was the most abundant soluble sugar in alI cereal by-products, reaching 10.4 g/100 g in wheat germ, 3.84 g/100 g in maise bran-germ mixture, and approximately 2.9 g/100 g in wheat and rye bran samples. Unsaturated fatty acids predominated in alI samples, given the high contents of linoleic (53.9- 57.1 %) and oleie (13.4-29.0%) acids. Wheat germ had the highest leveis of tocopherols (22.8 mg/l00 g) and phenolic compounds (5.7 mg/g extract, with a high content of apigenin-C-pentoside-C-hexoside). In turn, while the wheat bran extract was particularly etIective in inhibiting the formation of TBARS, the rye bran extract was the on1y one capable of protecting sheep erythrocytes from oxidative haemolysis. OveralI, these results are valid arguments to support the use of cereal by-products as underexploited alternative sources of nutrients and bioactive phenolic compounds with potential health benefits for consumers.

In the food industry, byproducts generated from food processing can be a significant source of valuable compounds that can be used for different applications, including food preservation. The aim of this study was to extract phenolic compounds from pumpkin peels of the Greek variety 'Leuka Melitis' in order to valorize this byproduct generated during pumpkin processing and promote sustainability and circular economy. Two different extraction techniques were compared: heat-assisted (HAE) and ultrasound-assisted (UAE) extraction. The extraction processes were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) based on the Box Behnken experimental design, using extraction time, temperature (HAE) or power (UAE), and ethanol concentration in the solvent as independent variables; whereas extraction yield (dry residue) and total phenolic content (Folin-Ciocalteu method) were used as dependent variables. In addition, to validate the potential application of the obtained compounds as food preservatives, the phenolic profile (HPLCDAD-ESI/MS), the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic properties of the optimal extract were also evaluated. The optimization study demonstrated that UAE was more effective than HAE in both responses. This technique resulted in a two-fold increase in the concentration of phenolic compounds compared to the HAE, yielding 307 mg/g dw and 135 mg/g dw of total phenols, respectively, in the individual optimal variable conditions. In the global optimal conditions, although the UAE method required the highest power tested (400 W), it allowed the lowest extraction time (5 min) and only the use of water as solvent (0% ethanol), resulting in 1.1 g/100 g of dry residue and 120 mg/g dw of total phenols. On the other hand, the conventional extraction (HAE) facilitated energy and solvents saving, demanding only 30 °C and water as solvent, despite the increased extraction time (67 min), resulting in a yield of 0.9 g/100 g of dry residue and 106 mg/g dw of total phenols. Through the RSM, it was suggested that the ethanol concentration in the extraction solvent had the most significant impact on both dependent variables, with higher ethanol concentrations resulting in lower extraction yields, but higher phenolic content in the extracts. Regarding the experimental validation of the global optimal conditions by UAE, the results were satisfactory, since the extract presented a heterogenous profile of phenolic compounds, with six tentatively identified molecules, including three flavonoids, two phenolic acids, and one flavan-3-ol, in a total concentration of 1.525 ± 0.004 mg/g of extract. The extract revealed antihemolytic activity (IC50: 540 ± 15 µg/mL) and inhibited lipid peroxidation (IC50: 2510 ± 147 µg/mL), while it was effective against four bacteria and one fungus (at the maximum tested concentration of 10 mg/mL). Furthermore, it did not reveal cytotoxicity in a primary culture of non-tumor porcine liver cells, up to 400 µg/mL. The results of this study demonstrate the potential use of pumpkin byproducts from the food industry to obtain extracts with a high content of bioactive compounds. In addition, the study highlights the efficiency of alternative extraction techniques in reducing byproduct waste, and solvents and energy consumption, while at the same time improve the added value of pumpkin crop within the circular economy context.

From 2017 to 2020, global milk production ranged from 610,724 to 643,769 thousand tons, but the dairy industry still faces issues related to its carbon footprint and sustainability. According to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by 2030, food processors, governmental bodies, and consumers should take actions regarding food production patterns and consumption to decrease the generation of by-products and side-streams and increase their circularity by developing nutritious-rich products. Dairy products have traditionally been manufactured without bioactive ingredients to boost consumers’ health and well-being. To achieve the sustainability goals and the need to reformulate traditional dairy foods to make them more nutritious and reduce their carbon footprint, it is paramount to implement integrated approaches that embody the “farm to fork” ethos. Scope and approach: This review integrates concepts of food science, technology, nutrition, circular economy, and sustainability to provide an overview of the technological applications of dietary fibre, polyphenols, functional lipids, and carotenoids obtained from agro-industrial side-streams in dairy food formulations. Key findings and conclusions: Dairy processors can use bioactive ingredients and extracts obtained from agroindustrial side-streams to design potentially functional food models and tentatively market these products with nutritional claims or even with a health claim in case the bioactivity is verified in human intervention trials. This approach will increase the nutritional value of traditional dairy foods and contribute to circularity within food systems, reducing food waste, and enhancing human health.

The use of different varieties of potatoes ( Solanum tuberosum L.) with different colors may be appealing to consumers, namely in terms of their visual appearance, allowing their use as “chips” and other ready-to-eat snacks. This work studied the physical properties of 29 varieties of colored potatoes, analyzing their external color and the different dimensions of texture. The external color was measured with a portable colorimeter, analyzing the CIELab color space according to the L* (lightness), a* (red-green) and b* (blue-yellow) coordinates. The texture was determined using a “texture profile analysis” assay allowing the classification of their hardness, adhesiveness, springiness, cohesiveness and resilience. The samples were classified through an analysis of variance using Tukey’s test as a post-hoc, and finally were subjected to a linear discriminant analysis for further discrimination based on the studied parameters. According to the obtained results, the color of the potatoes showed significant statistical differences, although many of the samples were related to each other. The sample with the darkest color was “Blaue veltlin” variety, with an L* of 27.8, whereas the sample with the lightest colour was “Blaue ajanhuiri” variety. In terms of the values of parameter a* the cultivar with the greenest tone was also the “Blaue ajanhuiri”, while the one closer to the red quadrant was "Purple from Peru”. Finally, the analysis of parameter b* showed that “Blaue Neuseeländer” sample was the one with the highest blue tone and “Purple fiesta” the one with the highest intensity of yellow. Regarding the different texture dimensions, the samples showed homogenous values. All samples revealed no statistical difference for springiness, whereas regarding adhesiveness, the sample “Purple from Congo” was the most adhesive at -144 g/sec and “Linzer blaue” the less adhesive at -15 g/sec. Concerning the hardness parameter, “Blaue Anneliese” and “Blaue neuseeländer” were the samples with the hardest and softest texture, respectively. In addition, the most cohesive sample was “Pink from Bolivia”, whereas the least cohesive one was “Linzer blaue”. Chewiness had three different levels of significant difference with “Blaue Anneliese” being the least chewy and “Black princess” the most, while for resilience, the least resilient were “Pink from Bolivia” and “Hermanns blaue” and the most resilient was “Linzer blaue”. In terms of the linear discriminant analysis, the first two of five functions described 84.8% of variability (function 1 – 72.0%, function 2 – 12.8%), while the varieties that presented the highest variability were “Lilly rose”, “Red salad potato”, “Purple from Peru”, “Königspurpur” and “Highland burgundy”. In conclusion, the presented results showed a great variability among the tested potato varieties indicating that these could dictate the different uses of the final food product.

Melissa officinalis L., from the Lamiaceae family, is one of the most important medicinal and aromatic plants with potential in the market. With the passing of time, the use of medicinal plants in the treatment of some illness has gone from the simplest forms of local treatment to the industrial manufacture of phytotherapics. In addition to their medicinal effect, they can also be used in the form of infusions and decoctions and in various food preparations. In this sense, the objective of this work was to compare three different extraction methods: infusion (100% water), maceration (80:20 ethanol: water v:v) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) under previous optimized extraction conditions (33.0 +- 3.2 min, 371.7 +- 19.3Wand 39.9 +- 1.4% ethanol), in plants grown under sustainable cultivation under full irrigation in June. The parameters studied included bioactive evaluation by antioxidant (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances—TBARS), cytotoxicity (sulforhodamine B) and anti-inflammatory (RAWcells) assays. The composition of phenolic compounds and organic acids was also studied by GC-MS and HPLC-DAD, respectively. According to the obtained results, eight phenolic compounds were identified and quantified, being rosmarinic acid the main one for the three extraction methods (infusion: 107.1 +- 0.9 mg/g extract; maceration: 155.7 +- 0.3 mg/g extract; UAE: 118.7 0.6 mg/g extract). For Lithospermic acid A isomer (25.25 +- 0.01 mg/g) and Hydroxylsalvianolic E (111.70 +- 2.20 mg/g), the UAE revealed the lowest content of individual polyphenols, whereas maceration recorded the highest extractability. On the other hand, the content of six of the eight polyphenols detected for the ultrasound-assisted extraction was similar to the infusion and maceration methods. In terms of antioxidant activity, the infusions showed the highest capacity (3.00 +- 0.14 +-g/mL), followed by maceration (5.33 +- 0.30 +-g/mL) and UAE (12 +- 0.15 +-g/mL). The highest anti-inflammatory activity was verified for the infusion (244 +- 11 +-g/mL), followed by UAE (305 +- 9 +-g/mL), with no activity recorded for the maceration extract (>400 +-g/mL). The antitumor properties were evaluated in five cell lines, with the best results being recorded for infusion, except AGS (24 +- 1 +-g/mL) where

This research investigated the effects of hydroponic cultivation with enriched concentrations of magnesium (+Mg), manganese (+Mn), a combination of +Mg and +Mn, or decreased concentrations of these minerals (control) on the nutritional, chemical, and bioactive attributes of purple and green basil. While Mn significantly increased the growth of purple basil and affected the composition of essential oil and mineral accumulation, plants treated with Mg showed alterations in nutrient absorption. Protein values were lower, indicating suboptimal protein synthesis, but significant increases were observed in fat, ash, and carbohydrates, suggesting a more nutrient-rich composition due to hydroponic cultivation. Regarding phenolic compounds, green basil showed higher concentrations of rosmarinic acid with +Mg+Mn, while purple basil exhibited lower levels with the addition of +Mn or +Mg+Mn. Antioxidant activities mirrored the phenolic profile, with purple basil displaying superior performance in the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) test with +Mg treatment, and green basil showing higher activity in the cell antioxidant activity (CAA) test with the +Mg+Mn combination. In microbiological analyses, purple basil was more effective against S. aureus, while green basil performed better against L. monocytogenes. Although none were bactericidal, all treatments showed potential as antimicrobials. Purple basil extracts had significant antiproliferative effects on tumor cell lines, especially non-small cell lung carcinoma (NCI-H460), with synergistic effects observed in gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) with +Mg+Mn. Additionally, +Mg+Mn demonstrated unique efficacy against colorectal adenocarcinoma (CaCo2) and breast carcinoma (MFC-7 cells), without toxicity to non-tumor a renal epithelial cell line from an African green monkey (VERO) cell, emphasizing the safety of the extracts. Green basil extracts showed no activity against the tumor cell lines analyzed (AGS, Caco2, MFC-7 and NCI-H460); however, they revealed remarkable antiproliferative effects against NCI-H460 cells in the control group. The results are important because they show how mineral treatments, such as the use of magnesium and manganese, influence the nutritional and medicinal properties of purple and green basil leaves. This highlights the relevance of manipulating nutrient solutions to improve plant quality, which is crucial for the production of functional foods and dietary supplements.

The plant kingdom is an endless source of molecules that can be applied in almost all realms of society. The food industry has profited from the use of plants and their derived materials for many decades. Recently, the food industry has been looking into plants to find different ways of either preserving, coloring or sweetening foods. In this work, leaf extracts of Arbutus unedo L. obtained by dynamic maceration and ultrasound assisted extraction with prior optimization of their extraction conditions through the response-surface methodology, were incorporated in quark cheese as natural preservatives and analyzed over 8 days of shelf-life. Both extracts showed antioxidant activity with no toxicity towards primary cell lines at the maximum tested concentration, as well as antibacterial activity, especially against Gram-positive strains. After their incorporation in quark cheese, no significant changes were observed in the nutritional profile and physical traits of the quark cheeses, while the microbial load was highly reduced in the cheese, especially using the extracts obtained from dynamic maceration. Thus, leaf extracts of A. unedo can be promising candidates for use in the food industry as natural preservatives.

While the market is full of different dietary supplements, in most countries, legislation is clear and strict towards these products, with severe limitations on their health claims. Overall, the claims cannot go beyond the consumption of a said supplement will contribute to a healthy diet. Thus, the supplement industry has been reacting and changing their approach to consumers. One change is the considerable growth of the nutraceutical market, which provides naturally produced products, with low processing and close to no claims on the label. The marketing of this industry shifts from claiming several benefits on the label (dietary supplements) to relying on the knowledge of consumers towards the benefits of minimally processed foods filled with natural products (nutraceuticals). This review focuses on the difference between these two products, their consumption patterns, forms of presentation, explaining what makes them different, their changes through time, and their most notable ingredients, basically balancing out their pros and cons.