Potential industrial use of compounds from by-products of fruits and vegetables

Abstract

The global consumption of fruits and vegetables is rapidly increasing with the increasing world population and health awareness. Waste and by-products are produced in all the phases of the food life cycle i.e. during production, industrial processing, and distribution. It has been reported that in the food manufacturing industry 39% of the food is wasted and this is expected to rise to about 126 metric tonnes by 2020 if proper prevention policies are not in place. The by-products of these fruits and vegetables like peels can be wisely used for other industries. It has also been observed that a large portion of fruits and vegetables undergo a post harvest loss in the processing industry. For example, the pulp and the peel after the extraction of juices from fruits and vegetables go unutilized. The fruits, vegetables and their by products are rich in bioactive compounds like phenolic compounds, flavonoids, carotenoids, and anthocyanins. These compounds are known to have anticancer, antiviral, anti-tumour, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities; and can be used as pharmaceutical, nutraceuticals, cosmetic, chemical industries as well as for the development of functional foods. Since many of these bioactive compounds possess antimicrobial activity, they can also be used in food preservation and to control food-borne pathogens. Compounds from these by-products such as carotenoids, essential oils, and flavours can be included in food products to enhance their sensory properties and to improve their nutritional value and health benefits. The present chapter focuses on various types of bioactive compounds present in the by-products of fruits and vegetables, their extraction techniques, and their possible use as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and in chemical industries. The antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of these bioactive compounds are also discussed.