ABSTRACT
Agro-industrial by-products from the food-processing industry are increasing significantly with the increase in global population, globalization of the food trade, and subsequent increase in food-processing operations and health consciousness. Many studies show that various types of agricultural by-products from dairy, beverages, fruits, vegetables, and other food sectors can be utilized as an important source for the production of biologically active compounds and nutraceutical compounds. Agricultural by-products like whey, used-up grains, leftover yeast, spent hops, pineapple peel and stem, citrus peel, and tomato pomace contain significant quantities of bioactive substances, viz. bioactive peptides, polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, anthocyanins, and chlorophyll. Compounds like essential oils, carotenoids, and flavouring agents from agricultural by-products can be used in the development of food products to increase their sensory characteristics, nutritional quality, and health benefits. The bioactive compounds of agricultural by-products are known to have antioxidant and antimicrobial activity and can be efficiently used for the preparation of functional, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical products. In addition, these compounds play a major role in the prevention of various diseases like cancer and viral disease. As many of these biologically active compounds have antimicrobial activity, these can be used to increase the shelf life of food products by inhibiting the growth of pathogens and spoilage micro-organisms. Agricultural by-products have huge potential to be converted into highly useful and health-promoting ingredients that can be used in food, chemical, and cosmetics industries for a variety of product development.
