Dear Colleagues,

The increase in global food production has given rise to increased difficulties in waste management, with substantial environmental impacts. In 2021 alone, 931 million tons of agri-food waste were generated at all stages of the supply chain, from production to household consumption. The management of these residues has become obligatory due to the potential environmental risks associated with their microbial decomposition. In recent years, the scientific community has been focusing on developing sustainable solutions to transform this waste into valuable products. Modern biorefineries already ensure the valorization of many agri-food waste into energy, fuels, and construction materials. However, the chemical composition of these food waste materials makes them a natural reservoir of bioactive compounds with potential health benefits for humans.

Agri-food waste, such as leaves, flowers, stems, and other lignocellulosic portions, still contain abundant cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, while other parts like peels, skins, seeds, bones, fish bones, coffee grounds, etc., contain significant levels of sugars, fibers, raw proteins, minerals, organic acids, vitamins, polyphenols, carotenoids, omega-3 fatty acids, oligopeptides, and more. Particularly, polyphenols, classified as flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acids, stilbenes, and lignans, are widely present in waste products originating from fruits and vegetables. They are perhaps the most extensively studied class of bioactive compounds due to their antioxidant activity and ability to modulate inflammation as well as various signal transduction pathways. Because of these properties, polyphenols are currently under preclinical and clinical investigation as dietary adjuncts for the prevention and treatment of chronic degenerative diseases.

In the development of nutraceuticals from waste products, particular attention must be paid to extraction techniques that should maximize the recovery of bioactive compounds while minimizing environmental impact. One key strategy is the adoption of eco-sustainable extraction techniques that reduce the use of toxic chemical solvents and energy consumption.

In this third Special Issue on “Agri-Food Wastes as Natural Source of Bioactive Antioxidants”, our objective is to collect research papers and reviews exploring the multifaceted dimensions of this topic. In particular, we will consider papers on the eco-green extraction and characterization of agri-food wastes to produce antioxidant bioactive compounds, as well as papers on “in vitro” and “in vivo” studies of the effects of these compounds/extracts, with such papers emphasizing the capacity of agri-foods to modulate the intricate signaling networks underpinning the development and progression of chronic and degenerative diseases.

Prof. Dr. Silvana Hrelia
Dr. Cristina Angeloni
Dr. Maria Cristina Barbalace
Guest Editors

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• agri-food byproducts
• agri-food waste
• nutraceuticals
• functional foods
• essential oils
• bioactive compounds
• phytochemicals
• health effects
• green extraction