Professional paper

Valorization of seeds as a by-product of horticultural production

Monika Vidak ; Agronomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Znanstveni centar izvrsnosti za bioraznolikost i molekularno oplemenjivanje bilja, Zagreb, Hrvatska *
Rene Turković ; Agronomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Klaudija Carović-Stanko ; Agronomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Znanstveni centar izvrsnosti za bioraznolikost i molekularno oplemenjivanje bilja, Zagreb, Hrvatska

* Corresponding author.

Abstract

A huge amount of agricultural food waste and by-products containing valuable bioactive compounds is generated worldwide. Reducing food waste and by-products is the first option to avoid environmental problems and help the economy and society. The species such as tomatoes, apples, avocados, watermelons, stone fruit, and citrus fruits produce the by-products after processing, a large percentage of which are the seeds (between 15 and 40% of the fresh weight of the fruit), which are considered waste. These seeds are rich in proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals, phenols, and flavonoids and have antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and other properties that make them very useful for human health. Despite many of their benefits and potential applications, these seeds have not yet been recognized by the industry as a valuable raw material. The valorization of food by-products, in this case the seeds, to exploit their nutritional properties to obtain the new products with high health benefits and an added value for the food and pharmaceutical industries and nutraceuticals through sustainable technology is one of the most interesting strategies in this field.

Keywords

by-products; health benefits; nutritional composition; seeds

Hrčak ID:

319784

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/319784

Publication date:

25.7.2024.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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