Agri-Food Wastes as Natural Source of Bioactive Antioxidants: Fourth Edition

Dear Colleagues,

One of the main factors contributing to food unsustainability is the significant waste and loss generated at every stage of the food supply chain. This leads to resource depletion and exacerbates environmental degradation. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), approximately one-third of all food produced globally, equivalent to about 1.3 billion tons annually, is lost or wasted, causing enormous environmental consequences. In this context, emerging solutions, including agri-food waste upcycling, are in high demand. These approaches convert by-products and waste materials into high-value molecules, reducing the environmental impact while promoting innovation and economic growth.

In recent years, the scientific community has focused on developing sustainable solutions to transform food waste into valuable products due to the chemical composition that makes it a natural reservoir of bioactive compounds with potential health benefits for humans.

Agri-food waste includes a wide range of discarded parts from crops, fruits, and vegetables generated at different stages of the agricultural food supply chain, such as farming, harvesting, storage, and processing. Due to their perishable nature and short shelf life, fruits and vegetables pose challenges in the agri-food supply chain, resulting in substantial losses. These wastes include, but are not limited to, fruit skins, vegetable peels, seeds, stems, and other inedible or underutilized parts.

Agricultural by-products are increasingly being viewed as reservoirs of bioactive compounds with beneficial properties for human health. Phytochemicals are naturally occurring compounds found in plants that contribute to their color, flavor, and pest resistance. These bioactive substances, including flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenes, are not classified as essential nutrients, but are widely recognized for their health benefits, encompassing antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. They have been extensively studied for their potential applications in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and functional foods, offering natural alternatives to synthetic compounds.

Key goals in this field of research include identifying bioactive molecules found in agri-food by-products, designing environmentally sustainable extraction methods, and evaluating the biological properties of these compounds for potential health-related applications, including in the cosmeceutical sector.

In this fourth Special Issue on “Agri-Food Wastes as Natural Source of Bioactive Antioxidants”, our objective is to further explore the multifaceted dimensions of this topic. In particular, we will consider research and review papers on economically viable and ecologically responsible extraction methods and on the use 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, emphasizing the capacity of agri-food waste bioactive molecules to modulate the intricate signaling networks underpinning the development and progression of chronic and degenerative diseases, and protecting human health. Integrating sustainable practices into product formulation addresses environmental concerns and presents significant economic opportunities in the health product/cosmeceutical sector.

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

Manuscript Submission Information

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• agri-food by-products
• agri-food waste
• nutraceuticals
• functional foods
• cosmeceutical products
• sustainable practices
• bioactive compounds
• health effects