Potential Application of Native Fruit Wastes from Argentina as Nonconventional Sources of Functional Ingredients

Abstract

The disposal of a large number of waste materials results in high costs forthe food industry and can have a negative environmental impact.Metabolites, such as phenolic compounds, fibers, and proteins obtainedfrom vegetable by-products or waste biomass could be used as ingredientsin the formulation of new functional foods. Argentine native fruits (chilto,algarrobo, and mistol) were used as food (edible fleshy fruit, sweets, flours,juices, pulp, and beverages) by different local communities and some ofthem have now been industrialized. In fact, fruit industrial processing has,as a consequence, the production of large amounts of wastes, mainly peelsor skin, pomace, and seeds. Phenolic enriched extracts (benzoic andcinnamic acid and derivatives; phenylpropanoid acids; C-glycosylflavones; anthocyanins, among others) obtained from Argentinean nativefruit wastes were able to modulate the metabolism of lipids andcarbohydrates in the gastrointestinal tract (GT) through enzymesinhibition (lipase, amylase, and glucosidase), regulate oxidative processesand inflammatory pathologies, so these extracts could be consideredfunctional ingredients. Furthermore, these phenolic extracts were used todevelop zein matrix microcapsules and coating structures based on zeinfibers that could be optimized to food package. Proteins and proteinhydrolysates obtained from carob tree seeds were also antioxidants andinhibitors of pro-inflammatory enzymes and improve vascular function ina rabbit model of high fat diet-induced metabolic syndrome. Thus,Argentinean native fruit wastes have the potential to be a novelrenewable, sustainable, and low-cost raw material for the production ofseveral value-added products.