About this Research Topic
Biomass is the organic material derived from living or recently living organisms, including plants, animals, and microorganisms. It involves a wide range of materials that can be used as renewable sources of energy, feedstock for bio-based products, or raw materials for various processes. Biomass is a rich source of bioactive compounds - naturally occurring substances that, when consumed through the diet, can interact with other living organisms and exert specific physiological effects. Biomass in the form of food waste and by-products may represent environmental challenges. However, they can also be regarded as economic feedstock for the extraction of high-value-added products.
Bioactive compounds are conventionally obtained through extraction and purification of natural products, typically in a solid-liquid extraction using organic solvents and chemical processes. These processes can have negative effects on performance and thermic degradation, require large amounts of organic solvents, and can have a negative environmental impact. On the other hand, green technologies, also defined as environmentally friendly or sustainable technologies, are approaches, systems, or practices that aim to minimize environmental impact, conserving natural resources, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. These technologies often involve renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, waste reduction, and process intensification. On the social dimension, is important to obtain safe products for consumers, free of hazardous substances or negative effects which can risk their health and well-being. In this sense, novel or “green” technologies like ultrasound, supercritical fluids, pressurized liquids, microwave, and deep eutectic solvents, among others, may be used.
The adoption of green methodologies for obtaining bioactive compounds offers several significant advantages:
1. Minimizes the use of solvents and toxic chemicals, reducing environmental impact and decreasing the generation of hazardous waste.
2. Optimizes energy consumption, contributing to more sustainable production and reduced carbon emissions.
3. Preserves the structure and biological activity of bioactive compounds (e.g., antioxidants, which are susceptible to degradation), resulting in higher quality and efficacy products.
4. Enables adherence to stricter environmental regulations and responds to the growing demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly products from consumers.
5. Enables development of new products, accessing emerging markets in the bioactive compounds industry.
This Research Topic emphasizes the use of eco-friendly approaches ("Green technologies") for obtaining dietary bioactive compounds from food wastes and by-products. We welcome manuscripts within the scope of reutilization and valorization from these sources, maintaining the focus on sustainability and resource utilization, which is essential in the context of green technologies. In this context, we welcome Original Research or Review Articles including but not limited to the following topics:
• Green approaches for the extraction and purification of bioactive compounds from food wastes and by-products (e.g., reutilization of grains, vegetables, and so forth)
• Use of pressurized fluids (including sub- and supercritical fluids), deep eutectic solvents, ultrasound, and microwave-assisted techniques or maceration with green solvents.
• In particular, extraction of antioxidants from food wastes/by-products using green technologies, and novel methods for the determination of the resulting extracts’ efficacy and bioactivity.
• Environmentally friendly reactions for the extraction and synthesis of bioactive molecules from food wastes and by-products
• Innovative and green drying and encapsulation methods for preserving bioactive compounds from food wastes and by-products
• Mixing and incorporation of bioactives from food wastes/byproducts for functional food development, and sensory evaluation of such products.
Bioactive compounds are conventionally obtained through extraction and purification of natural products, typically in a solid-liquid extraction using organic solvents and chemical processes. These processes can have negative effects on performance and thermic degradation, require large amounts of organic solvents, and can have a negative environmental impact. On the other hand, green technologies, also defined as environmentally friendly or sustainable technologies, are approaches, systems, or practices that aim to minimize environmental impact, conserving natural resources, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. These technologies often involve renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, waste reduction, and process intensification. On the social dimension, is important to obtain safe products for consumers, free of hazardous substances or negative effects which can risk their health and well-being. In this sense, novel or “green” technologies like ultrasound, supercritical fluids, pressurized liquids, microwave, and deep eutectic solvents, among others, may be used.
The adoption of green methodologies for obtaining bioactive compounds offers several significant advantages:
1. Minimizes the use of solvents and toxic chemicals, reducing environmental impact and decreasing the generation of hazardous waste.
2. Optimizes energy consumption, contributing to more sustainable production and reduced carbon emissions.
3. Preserves the structure and biological activity of bioactive compounds (e.g., antioxidants, which are susceptible to degradation), resulting in higher quality and efficacy products.
4. Enables adherence to stricter environmental regulations and responds to the growing demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly products from consumers.
5. Enables development of new products, accessing emerging markets in the bioactive compounds industry.
This Research Topic emphasizes the use of eco-friendly approaches ("Green technologies") for obtaining dietary bioactive compounds from food wastes and by-products. We welcome manuscripts within the scope of reutilization and valorization from these sources, maintaining the focus on sustainability and resource utilization, which is essential in the context of green technologies. In this context, we welcome Original Research or Review Articles including but not limited to the following topics:
• Green approaches for the extraction and purification of bioactive compounds from food wastes and by-products (e.g., reutilization of grains, vegetables, and so forth)
• Use of pressurized fluids (including sub- and supercritical fluids), deep eutectic solvents, ultrasound, and microwave-assisted techniques or maceration with green solvents.
• In particular, extraction of antioxidants from food wastes/by-products using green technologies, and novel methods for the determination of the resulting extracts’ efficacy and bioactivity.
• Environmentally friendly reactions for the extraction and synthesis of bioactive molecules from food wastes and by-products
• Innovative and green drying and encapsulation methods for preserving bioactive compounds from food wastes and by-products
• Mixing and incorporation of bioactives from food wastes/byproducts for functional food development, and sensory evaluation of such products.
Keywords: green chemistry, extraction, biomass, food waste, food by-products
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
