Antioxidative, Metabolic and Vascular Medicinal Potentials of Natural Products in the Non-Edible Wastes of Fruits Belonging to the Citrus and Prunus Genera: A Review

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus and related metabolic and vascular impairments are notable health problems. Fruits and vegetables contain phenolics that are beneficial to metabolic and oxidative health and useful in preventing associated disease. Scientific evidence has shown that some bioactive phenolics are more abundant in the non-edible parts (especially the peels) of many fruits than in their respective edible tissues. Fruits belonging to the Citrus and Prunus genera are commonly consumed worldwide, including in South Africa, and their non-edible wastes (peel and seed) have been shown to have antioxidative, metabolic and vascular pharmacological potentials and medicinal phytochemistry. It is therefore imperative to evaluate the pharmacological actions and phytochemical properties of the non-edible wastes of these fruits and understand how they could potentially be of medicinal relevance in oxidative, metabolic and vascular diseases, including diabetes, oxidative stress, obesity, hypertension and related cardiovascular impairments. In the absence of a previous review that has concomitantly presented the medicinal potentials of fruits wastes from both genera, this review presents a critical analysis of previous and recent perspectives on the medicinal potential of the non-edible wastes from the selected Citrus and Prunus fruits in metabolic, vascular and oxidative health. This review further exposes the medicinal phytochemistry, while elucidating the underlying mechanisms through the fruit wastes potentiates their therapeutic effects. A literature search was carried out on “PubMed” to identify peer-reviewed published (mostly 2015 and beyond) studies reporting the antidiabetic, antioxidative, antihypertensive, anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-inflammatory properties of the non-edible parts of the selected fruits. The data of the selected studies were analyzed to understand the bioactive mechanisms, bioactive principles and toxicological profiles. The wastes (seed and peel) of the selected fruits had antioxidant, anti-obesogenic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and tissue protective potentials. Some phenolic acids and terpenes, as well as flavonoids and glycosides such as narirutin, nobiletin, hesperidin, naringin, naringenin, quercetin, rutin, diosmin, etc., were the possible bioactive principles. The peel and seed of the selected fruits belonging to the Citrus and Prunus genera are potential sources of bioactive compounds that could be of medicinal relevance for improving oxidative, metabolic and vascular health. However, there is a need for appropriate toxicological studies.