Exploring Bioactive Compounds from Fruit and Vegetable By-Products with Potential for Food and Nutraceutical Applications

Abstract

The increasing production of fruit and vegetable by-products from the food processing industry presents both environmental challenges and opportunities for valorisation as sources of bioactive compounds. These by-products, including peels, seeds, pomace, and leaves, are rich in polyphenols, carotenoids, dietary fibres, glucosinolates, phytosterols, and essential oils, which exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and prebiotic activities. Recent advances in green extraction technologies, including ultrasound-, microwave-, supercritical fluid-, and cold plasma-assisted extraction, allow for an efficient and sustainable recovery of these compounds, while preserving their bioactivity. Incorporation of by-product-derived extracts into functional foods and nutraceuticals offers h