Affiliation:
1. Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
2. CERNUT-Research Centre for Nutraceuticals and Health Products, University of Catania, 95125, Catania, Italy
Abstract
Abstract:
Recently, considerable attention has been focused on the recovery and re-use
of waste plant matrices as promising sources of bioactive compounds with health effects.
As the Mediterranean diet involves the consumption of great amounts of fruits and
vegetables, large quantities of agro-food by-products are generated, causing economic
and environmental problems. Such by-products contain a great variety of bioactive compounds
whose potential health benefits include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti--
cancer, antimicrobial, hypoglycemic, antidepressant, cardio- and neuro-protective activities.
Therefore, in this review, by-products from the most common fruits and vegetables
processed in the Mediterranean area, such as tomato, olive, citrus fruit, almond, pomegranate,
carob, date, and grape, were taken into account, pointing out the content of
bioactive ingredients in extracts obtained from different parts of plants, fruits, and vegetables.
Furthermore, studies performed to assess the beneficial effects of extracts obtained
from Mediterranean agro-food by-products were reviewed, highlighting the potential
benefits of waste plant matrices re-usage in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and
cosmetic fields.
Publisher
Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.