ABSTRACT

During the processing of raw vegetables and fruit, substantial quantities of agroindustrial byproducts, such as pods, peel, pulp, stones, and seeds, are generated. These materials are commonly disposed of in local landfills, due 2to the lack of appropriate infrastructure and any established commercial use. Moreover, agroindustrial byproducts possess a high concentration of biodegradable organic matter, which promote leachate and methane emissions, resulting in pollution. Valorization is a recent concept in the field of industrial residues management, with increasing practice. The agroindustrial byproducts valorization aims to recover fine chemicals and obtain other metabolites, through chemical and biotechnological processes. The composition of the agroindustrial byproducts represents an excellent source of high added-value ingredients that can be recovered and valorized in the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. The recovery of phenolic compounds from byproducts is of particular interest, due to their ability to promote benefits for human and animal health. Although various extraction methods for phenolic compounds have been reported, biotechnological processes have received considerable attention by several research groups. Currently, the enzyme- and fermentation-assisted extraction methods are intensively studied. In this chapter, an overview of the trends in the extraction of phenolic compounds by biotechnological procedures and their economic feasibility is presented.