The development of sustainable solutions for the management of agricultural and food waste is currently one of the main challenges of our society. In developing countries, agriculture and food processing generate large amounts of waste and by-products, with a significant environmental, economic, and social impact. On the other hand, many of these products could represent a potential source of valuable compounds (i.e., bioactive compounds, macronutrients, micronutrients, and dietary fibers)1. Pomegranate (Punica granatum) crop is nowadays spread all over the world for its high longevity, drought and salinity resistance and adaptability to different climatic conditions. Pomegranate juice is the main industrial product obtained from this fruit, and the by-products of this processing represent an expensive disposal problem but also a promising source of bioactive compounds to be exploited. Particularly, ellagic acid (EA), in its free form or in the form of ellagitannins (ETs), is considered the main phenolic compound responsible for the numerous health properties of pomegranate and is mainly concentrated in the by-products with respect to the juice (both external peels and internal edible marcs)2. Bud-derivatives and lavender represent two supply chains studied in the Finnover "Innovative strategies for the development of cross border green supply chains" project, namely a cross-border Italy/France EU Interreg Alcotra project (2017-2021). The aims of this research project were the innovation and the sustainable implementation of several agro-industrial processing chains in view of the green circular economy and the valorization of the biodiversity of the Alcotra territory. In particular, the management of waste deriving from agricultural and food processing is one of the main topics of the project. Bud-derivatives, which represent a relatively new category of plant food supplements obtained macerating meristematic tissues of trees and plants (i.e., buds and young sprouts), are very expensive products compared to other botanicals, since the collection period of their raw materials is extremely limited over time3. Lavender essential oil has been widely used as herbal medicine for centuries in the traditional medicine. The solid by-products remaining after the distillation of lavender, are considered as a potential and still under-utilized source of phenolic compounds to be valorized. In this study, the innovative and eco-compatible Pulsed Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (PUAE) demonstrated to be a promising strategy to valorize these waste and by-products by obtaining in a very short time (10-20 min), using only food-grade extraction solvents, new potential ingredients to use in different fields (food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical etc.). [1] C. Torres-León, N. Ramírez-Guzman, L. Londoño-Hernandez, G.A. Martinez-Medina, R. Díaz-Herrera, V. Navarro-Macias, O.B. Alvarez-Pérez, B. Picazo, M. Villarreal-Vázquez, J. Ascacio-Valdes, C.N. Aguilar, Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 2018, 2, 52. [2] F. Turrini, R. Boggia, D. Donno, B. Parodi, G. Beccaro, S. Baldassari, M.G. Signorello, S. Catena, S. Alfei, P. Zunin, Eur Food Res Technol 2020, 246, 273-285. [3] F. Turrini, D. Donno, G.L. Beccaro, P. Zunin, A.M. Pittaluga, R. Boggia, Foods, 2019, 8, 466.
Pomegranate, bud-derivatives, and lavender: three example of eco-sustainable industrial supply chains
Turrini, Federica;Zunin, Paola;Boggia, Raffaella
2021-01-01
Abstract
The development of sustainable solutions for the management of agricultural and food waste is currently one of the main challenges of our society. In developing countries, agriculture and food processing generate large amounts of waste and by-products, with a significant environmental, economic, and social impact. On the other hand, many of these products could represent a potential source of valuable compounds (i.e., bioactive compounds, macronutrients, micronutrients, and dietary fibers)1. Pomegranate (Punica granatum) crop is nowadays spread all over the world for its high longevity, drought and salinity resistance and adaptability to different climatic conditions. Pomegranate juice is the main industrial product obtained from this fruit, and the by-products of this processing represent an expensive disposal problem but also a promising source of bioactive compounds to be exploited. Particularly, ellagic acid (EA), in its free form or in the form of ellagitannins (ETs), is considered the main phenolic compound responsible for the numerous health properties of pomegranate and is mainly concentrated in the by-products with respect to the juice (both external peels and internal edible marcs)2. Bud-derivatives and lavender represent two supply chains studied in the Finnover "Innovative strategies for the development of cross border green supply chains" project, namely a cross-border Italy/France EU Interreg Alcotra project (2017-2021). The aims of this research project were the innovation and the sustainable implementation of several agro-industrial processing chains in view of the green circular economy and the valorization of the biodiversity of the Alcotra territory. In particular, the management of waste deriving from agricultural and food processing is one of the main topics of the project. Bud-derivatives, which represent a relatively new category of plant food supplements obtained macerating meristematic tissues of trees and plants (i.e., buds and young sprouts), are very expensive products compared to other botanicals, since the collection period of their raw materials is extremely limited over time3. Lavender essential oil has been widely used as herbal medicine for centuries in the traditional medicine. The solid by-products remaining after the distillation of lavender, are considered as a potential and still under-utilized source of phenolic compounds to be valorized. In this study, the innovative and eco-compatible Pulsed Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (PUAE) demonstrated to be a promising strategy to valorize these waste and by-products by obtaining in a very short time (10-20 min), using only food-grade extraction solvents, new potential ingredients to use in different fields (food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical etc.). [1] C. Torres-León, N. Ramírez-Guzman, L. Londoño-Hernandez, G.A. Martinez-Medina, R. Díaz-Herrera, V. Navarro-Macias, O.B. Alvarez-Pérez, B. Picazo, M. Villarreal-Vázquez, J. Ascacio-Valdes, C.N. Aguilar, Front. Sustain. Food Syst. 2018, 2, 52. [2] F. Turrini, R. Boggia, D. Donno, B. Parodi, G. Beccaro, S. Baldassari, M.G. Signorello, S. Catena, S. Alfei, P. Zunin, Eur Food Res Technol 2020, 246, 273-285. [3] F. Turrini, D. Donno, G.L. Beccaro, P. Zunin, A.M. Pittaluga, R. Boggia, Foods, 2019, 8, 466.
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