GREEN EXTRACTION OF BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS FROM FRUITS AND VEGETABLES WASTE AS A PRECURSOR OF NUTRACEUTICALS

The global population is experiencing rapid growth, resulting in significant challenges related to disease prevalence, food security, healthcare systems, and nutrition. The processing of fruits and vegetables generates vast quantities of agro-waste. The disposal of agro-waste represents both a cost to the processor and poses potential negative impacts on the environment. The valorization of these waste materials into the extraction of bioactive compounds with nutraceutical potential serves as a new pathway for sustainable utilization. The present study was aimed to prepare the aqueous extracts of cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) waste, grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macfad) peels and pea (Pisum sativum) pods using different methods such as extraction at room temperature and boiling for determination of various bioactive compounds. Quantitative analysis revealed that cabbage extracts contained the highest phenolic contents (161.62 mg GAE/g) among the other extracts. Grapefruit peels demonstrated the highest tannin contents (33.56 mg tannins/g), while pea pod extracts were notable for flavonoid contents (31.83 mg QE/g). Cabbage extracts also exhibited substantial reducing sugar (136.96 mg glucose/g) and total sugar (560.2 mg glucose/g). However, there were no significant variations (p > 0.05) among the bioactive compounds in cabbage waste, grapefruit peels, and pea pods , when compared with each other. So, aqueous green extracts of these plant material could be used as saver nutritional agent as compared to the other conventional non-greener extracts. These could be a stimulator for sustainable and economical nutraceutical future.