ABSTRACT
158Grapes belong to the world’s largest fruit crops and is one of the most diffuse fruits in the world both as fresh fruit (table grape) and processed in wine and grape juice. Industrial processing of grapes generates large quantities of solid residues that consist of a mixture of grape skins and seed namely grape pomace or grape marc, and stems or stalks. These by-products, which are commonly discarded, are an important source of dietary fiber and phenolic compounds, with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. For this reason, scientific efforts have focused on the characterization of the chemical components of waste grape by-products to obtain high value-added ingredients for their application in the food industry and at the same time, to have economic benefits and beneficial impact on the environment. So, in this chapter, we present an overview of the characterization of bioactive compounds from grape by-products and its uses as natural food additives with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. In addition, we discuss the potential of phenolic compounds from grape by-products to be used for development of nutraceutical products to improve human health.
