Recent Progress and Future Perspectives for Zero Agriculture Waste Technologies: Pineapple Waste as a Case Study

Abstract

Worldwide, a huge production of agro-industrial wastes is observed every year in the milling, brewing, agricultural, and food industries. Biochemical and bioactive substances can be produced from these agricultural wastes. Pineapple by-products, which consist of the peeled skin, core, crown end, etc., account for 60% of the weight of pineapple fruit and are disposed of as waste, causing disposal and pollution problems. The bioconversion process can utilize these wastes, which are rich in cellulose and hemicellulose, the main components, to produce value-added biochemicals/bioactive compounds such as pectin, citric acid, bromelain, ferulic acid, vanillin, and so on. Therefore, the sustainable solution for food and nutrition security can be supported by the utilization of pineapple waste. The proposed review article addresses approaches that do not generate waste while adding value. This can be achieved by using innovative biorefinery techniques such as green extraction and the use of green solvents. Microbial fermentation with an effective pretreatment (such as hydrothermal treatment and enzymatic treatment) to convert complex waste (pineapple fruit) into simple sugars and later fuel production are also discussed. The proposed review also provides a concise overview of the most recent research and developments in the field of advanced pineapple waste processing technologies.