Exploring the antioxidant and anti-cancer potential of functional foods from vegetal waste: a path to sustainability

Abstract This work examines the potential of functional foods derived from vegetal waste, focusing on their antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. By-products such as fruit peels, seeds, stems, and leaves, typically discarded during agricultural activities and food processing, are rich in bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, flavonoids, and essential vitamins. These compounds have shown strong antioxidant activity, effectively neutralizing free radicals and reducing oxidative stress, which is a major contributor to cellular damage and chronic diseases. Furthermore, several in vitro studies demonstrate that extracts or isolated compounds from vegetal waste can inhibit cancer cell growth, induce apoptosis, and influence key signaling pathways involved in cancer progression, such as the MAPK, PI3K/Akt, and NF-κB pathways. These bioactive compounds exert anticancer effects by regulating oxidative stress, promoting cell cycle arrest, and triggering apoptosis. The work also underscores the dual advantage of using vegetal waste: reducing environmental harm by repurposing agricultural by-products and providing a sustainable source of functional ingredients that can contribute to disease prevention, particularly in oxidative stress-related conditions and cancer. This innovative approach to waste valorization not only supports eco-friendly food production but also opens new avenues for the development of health-promoting functional foods with therapeutic potential, offering a promising intersection between sustainability and human health enhancement.