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Nutrients
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The Nutritional Potential of Agri-Food By-Products in Human Health
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The Nutritional Potential of Agri-Food By-Products in Human Health

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemicals and Human Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2021) | Viewed by 19467

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Alessandra Napolitano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Naples, Italy
Interests: chemistry of polyphenol antioxidants of dietary origin; structure and applications of phenolic polymers; valorization of agrifood wastes; enzymatic oxidation; biomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Begoña Bartolomé

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Food Science Research (CIAL), CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
Interests: technology of vegetal-origin food, food and health, functional ingredients, wine, fruits and vegetables, phytochemicals, polyphenols, microbial metabolism of polyphenols

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

We are pleased to invite you to submit original papers to the Special Issue entitled “The Nutritional Potential of Agri-Food By-Products in Human Health”.

The agri-food industry, that includes products obtained from agriculture, livestock and fishing as well as manufactured foods, is responsible for the generation of high volumes of by-products of different nature, requirements and value. Valorization of these by-products has become an issue of great attention to improve the sustainability of the food chain. 

The attractiveness of many of agri-food by-products stems from their content of compounds with wide bioactivity spectrum. Beneficial effects on human health, e.g. in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, have been described for several classes of phytochemicals including polyphenols either low molecular weight like flavonoids, phenolic acids, anthocyanins, or polymeric as in the case of tannins, but also carotenoids. In addition, macronutrients like proteins and polyunsaturated fatty acids, but also polysaccharidic fibers, that are largely present in agri-food by-products, may well be used for integrating dietary regimes.

These health-promoting properties have prompted the use of bioactive-compound-rich by-products as food supplements or for the preparation of functional foods and cooking recipes. Numerous animal and human trials have addressed the impact of short-term consumption of by-products on specific disease biomarkers and general health status. Special attention has been paid to metabolic-related diseases (e.g., diabetes and obesity), inflammatory diseases (e.g., inflammatory bowel diseases), and cardiovascular pathologies (e.g., hypertension and atherosclerosis). Recently, as gut microbiota has been proven to be involved in many chronic diseases, much research is also focused on the effects of agri-food by-products on composition and functionality of gut microbiota.

In spite of the obvious advantages offered by the recovery of nutritionally-valuable compounds from by-products, there are currently major gaps that still await to be addressed. These include development and optimization of procedures for safe and compatible use in human nutrition. The reproducibility of the recovery protocols, quantification and handling of the bioactive rich fractions, the presence of pollutants and related toxicity represent critical issues most often overlooked. In addition, assessment of the nutritional value and health-promoting effect of by-products by development of proper models and/or design of conclusive nutritional interventions to evaluate their optimum dietary intakes in terms of quantity and ingestion form (i.e., formulations, supplements, functional foods, recipes, diets), are all indispensable requirements.

With the purpose to  help bridge the current knowledge gap, this Special Issue of Nutrients aims the submission of manuscripts describing original research, short communication, or quality reviews of scientific literature that address investigation of the potential of by-products of the food chain for human consumption in terms of nutritional value and health beneficial effects, evaluation of their potential hazard due to the presence of pollutants, how  by-products can be used in manufacturing functional foods to improve their technological and health-promoting properties, how by-products can help in reducing food loss, and the design of foods and diets integrating these products that ensure maximum effectiveness and consumer acceptance.

Prof. Dr. Alessandra Napolitano
Dr. Begoña Bartolomé
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Agri-food by-products
  • Recovery protocols
  • Analytical profiles
  • Digestion Models
  • Bioavailability
  • Macronutrients
  • Micronutrients
  • Polyphenols
  • Carotenoids
  • Fibres
  • Food formulations
  • Food recipes
  • Diets
  • Functional Foods
  • Gut Microbiota

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 1283 KiB  
Article
In Vivo and In Vitro Antidiabetic and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) Seed Polyphenols
by Hamza Mechchate, Imane Es-safi, Raffaele Conte, Christophe Hano, Amal Amaghnouje, Fatima Zahra Jawhari, Nabil Radouane, Noureddine Bencheikh, Andriy Grafov and Dalila Bousta
Nutrients 2021, 13(8), 2759; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082759 - 11 Aug 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4362
Abstract
Flaxseed is an oilseed (45–50% oil on a dry-weight basis) crop. Its oil has demonstrated multiple health benefits and industrial applications. The goal of this research was to evaluate the antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory potential of the free polyphenol fraction of flax (Linum [...] Read more.
Flaxseed is an oilseed (45–50% oil on a dry-weight basis) crop. Its oil has demonstrated multiple health benefits and industrial applications. The goal of this research was to evaluate the antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory potential of the free polyphenol fraction of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) seeds (PLU), based on their use in traditional medicine. Mice with alloxan-induced diabetes were used to study the antidiabetic activity of PLU in vivo, with an oral administration of 25 and 50 mg/kg over 28 days. Measurements of body weight and fasting blood glucose (FBG) were carried out weekly, and biochemical parameters were evaluated. An oral glucose tolerance test was also performed. Inhibitory activities of PLU on α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities were evaluated in vitro. The anti-inflammatory was evaluated in vivo in Wistar rats using the paw edema induction Test by carrageenan, and in vitro using the hemolysis ratio test. PLU administration to diabetic mice during the study period improved their body weight and FBG levels remarkably. In vitro inhibitory activity of digestive enzymes indicated that they may be involved in the proposed mode of action of PLU extract. Qualitative results of PLU revealed the presence of 18 polyphenols. These findings support daily consumption of flaxseed for people with diabetes, and suggest that polyphenols in flaxseed may serve as dietary supplements or novel phytomedicines to treat diabetes and its complications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Nutritional Potential of Agri-Food By-Products in Human Health)
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21 pages, 2280 KiB  
Article
Influence of Brewer’s Spent Grain Compounds on Glucose Metabolism Enzymes
by Daniela Becker, Tamara Bakuradze, Marcel Hensel, Simone Beller, Carolina Corral Yélamos and Elke Richling
Nutrients 2021, 13(8), 2696; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082696 - 04 Aug 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2405
Abstract
With a yearly production of about 39 million tons, brewer’s spent grain (BSG) is the most abundant brewing industry byproduct. Because it is rich in fiber and protein, it is commonly used as cattle feed but could also be used within the human [...] Read more.
With a yearly production of about 39 million tons, brewer’s spent grain (BSG) is the most abundant brewing industry byproduct. Because it is rich in fiber and protein, it is commonly used as cattle feed but could also be used within the human diet. Additionally, it contains many bioactive substances such as hydroxycinnamic acids that are known to be antioxidants and potent inhibitors of enzymes of glucose metabolism. Therefore, our study aim was to prepare different extracts—A1-A7 (solid-liquid extraction with 60% acetone); HE1-HE6 (alkaline hydrolysis followed by ethyl acetate extraction) and HA1-HA3 (60% acetone extraction of alkaline residue)—from various BSGs which were characterized for their total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoid (TFC) contents, before conducting in vitro studies on their effects on the glucose metabolism enzymes α-amylase, α-glucosidase, dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV), and glycogen phosphorylase α (GPα). Depending on the extraction procedures, TPCs ranged from 20–350 µg gallic acid equivalents/mg extract and TFCs were as high as 94 µg catechin equivalents/mg extract. Strong inhibition of glucose metabolism enzymes was also observed: the IC50 values for α-glucosidase inhibition ranged from 67.4 ± 8.1 µg/mL to 268.1 ± 29.4 µg/mL, for DPP IV inhibition they ranged from 290.6 ± 97.4 to 778.4 ± 95.5 µg/mL and for GPα enzyme inhibition from 12.6 ± 1.1 to 261 ± 6 µg/mL. However, the extracts did not strongly inhibit α-amylase. In general, the A extracts from solid-liquid extraction with 60% acetone showed stronger inhibitory potential towards a-glucosidase and GPα than other extracts whereby no correlation with TPC or TFC were observed. Additionally, DPP IV was mainly inhibited by HE extracts but the effect was not of biological relevance. Our results show that BSG is a potent source of α-glucosidase and GPα inhibitors, but further research is needed to identify these bioactive compounds within BSG extracts focusing on extracts from solid-liquid extraction with 60% acetone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Nutritional Potential of Agri-Food By-Products in Human Health)
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16 pages, 7222 KiB  
Article
Gastrointestinal Digestion of a Grape Pomace Extract: Impact on Intestinal Barrier Permeability and Interaction with Gut Microbiome
by Diego Taladrid, Dolores González de Llano, Irene Zorraquín-Peña, Alba Tamargo, Mariana Silva, Natalia Molinero, M. Victoria Moreno-Arribas and Begoña Bartolomé
Nutrients 2021, 13(7), 2467; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13072467 - 19 Jul 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3671
Abstract
Grape pomace (GP) is a winemaking by-product rich in polyphenols and fibre. Supplementation with GP extracts has shown potential benefits against oxidative stress- and inflammation-related pathologies. As a new nutritional target, this paper explores the impact of the ingestion of a grape pomace [...] Read more.
Grape pomace (GP) is a winemaking by-product rich in polyphenols and fibre. Supplementation with GP extracts has shown potential benefits against oxidative stress- and inflammation-related pathologies. As a new nutritional target, this paper explores the impact of the ingestion of a grape pomace extract on intestinal barrier functionality. A GP extract was sequentially subjected to gastrointestinal and colonic digestion using the dynamic gastrointestinal simulator (simgi®). This generated two simulated fluids: intestinal-digested extract (IDE) and colonic-digested extract (CDE). The effects of these two fluids on paracellular permeability and the expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins (i.e., zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin) were assessed in Caco-2-cell monolayers grown in Transwell® inserts. The IDE fluid significantly (p < 0.001) reduced the paracellular transport of FITC-dextran with respect to the control, whereas no significant differences (p > 0.05) were found for CDE, which could be due, at least partially, to the pro-leaky effect of the colonic digestion medium. Accordant slight increases in the mRNA levels of both ZO-1 and occludin were observed for IDE, but without statistical significance. Additionally, the colonic fermentation of the GP extract promoted the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and phenolic metabolites and led to changes in the relative abundance of some bacteria that might affect paracellular permeability. Overall, this paper reports first trends about the effects of grape pomace extracts on intestinal permeability that would require further confirmation in future experiments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Nutritional Potential of Agri-Food By-Products in Human Health)
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11 pages, 600 KiB  
Article
Beverages Based on Second Quality Citrus Fruits and Maqui Berry, a Source of Bioactive (Poly)phenols: Sorting Out Urine Metabolites upon a Longitudinal Study
by Vicente Agulló, Cristina García-Viguera and Raúl Domínguez-Perles
Nutrients 2021, 13(2), 312; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020312 - 22 Jan 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2861
Abstract
The intake of sugar-sweetened beverages has been associated with an augmented prevalence of metabolic diseases, namely, obesity, type II diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. On the other hand, nowadays, it is broadly accepted that foods and beverages rich in (poly)phenols could contribute to reducing [...] Read more.
The intake of sugar-sweetened beverages has been associated with an augmented prevalence of metabolic diseases, namely, obesity, type II diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. On the other hand, nowadays, it is broadly accepted that foods and beverages rich in (poly)phenols could contribute to reducing the incidence of these pathologies. In this sense, the objective of the work was to revalue second quality citrus fruits for the development of new beverages, rich in anthocyanins and flavanones (maqui berry and second qualities citrus-based), and evaluate the influence of alternative sweeteners (sucralose, sucrose, or stevia), regarding the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of these bioactive compounds in the frame of a chronic (longitudinal) intervention. To fulfill this objective, a longitudinal study of the urinary excretion of anthocyanins and flavanones, after 2-months of ingestion of the developed maqui-citrus beverage, by 138 volunteers (n = 46 per beverage) and the analysis of the resulting phenolic metabolites by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-QqQ-MS/MS) was carried out. As major results, the bioavailable metabolites of caffeic acid (CA), catechol (CAT), 3,4-di-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (DHPAA), eriodictyol (E), homoeriodictyol (HE), hippuric acid (HA), naringenin (N), trans-ferulic acid (TFA), 2,4,6-tri-hydroxybenzaldehyde (THBA), trans-isoferulic acid (TIFA), and vanillic acid (VA) were detected. Accordingly, significantly different bioavailability was dependent on the sweetener used, allowing proposing stevia and, to a lower extent, sucralose, as valuable alternatives to sucrose. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Nutritional Potential of Agri-Food By-Products in Human Health)
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Review

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17 pages, 3114 KiB  
Review
Cereal Processing By-Products as Rich Sources of Phenolic Compounds and Their Potential Bioactivities
by Anca Fărcaș, Georgiana Drețcanu, Teodora Daria Pop, Bianca Enaru, Sonia Socaci and Zorița Diaconeasa
Nutrients 2021, 13(11), 3934; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13113934 - 03 Nov 2021
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4611
Abstract
In today’s society, we can see a progressive paradigm shift that tends towards a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. The proof is represented by the growing interest in food loss and waste of different sectors, from the political to the academic, or even to [...] Read more.
In today’s society, we can see a progressive paradigm shift that tends towards a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. The proof is represented by the growing interest in food loss and waste of different sectors, from the political to the academic, or even to the private sector. In order to reduce food waste and to increase sustainability, the European Union (EU) has planned a circular bioeconomy. This action plan includes an approach based on reducing, reusing, recovering, and recycling materials and energy. Every year, there are high amounts of waste and by-products resulting from agricultural producing and agro-industrial processing, impacting the environment and the socio-economic sector. Cereal food products cover over 20% of daily diet, so it can be assumed that cereal production and processing are one of the most important sectors of agri-food industries. It is estimated that the waste generated from cereal processing and manufacturing is up to 13%, a percentage that can be decreased by converting the by-products in raw materials for biofuels, biodegradable plastics, alcohols, antioxidants, food additives, or pharmaceutic ingredients due to their content in macro- and micro-nutrients or bioactive compounds. Based on the fact that diet plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of our body, it is important to capitalize on any source of bioactive compounds to which we have access. This review aims to highlight the need to recirculate by-products for the purpose of extraction and use of their key compounds, polyphenols, which have not only antioxidant effects, but also preventive and therapeutic effects against cancer. For these, it is necessary to understand the biotechnologies needed for processing the most consumed cereals, the methods of extraction of phenolic compounds, and the main effects that these compounds have, summarizing the most relevant in vitro and in vivo studies performed so far. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Nutritional Potential of Agri-Food By-Products in Human Health)
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