Agri-food waste management is a pressing global concern, exacerbated by population growth and increased production. Moreover, consumers have been demanding clean-label and health-enhancing products. Along these lines, the circular economy and valorisation of agri-food waste offer solutions, yielding high-value products like phenolic compounds. These plant metabolites are known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties [1,2]. Recent decades have shown the interesting neuroprotective potential of various polyphenols against Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), which accounts for nearly 80% of all dementia cases worldwide, affecting over 40 million people. Beta-amyloid protein (Aβ42) is the primary culprit in AD development, with its progression accelerated by oxidative stress in neurons [3]. This study delves into the neuroprotective potential of different food waste residues, such as grape seeds, sloe seeds and peels, and avocado peels, by applying several bioanalytical strategies. Antioxidant potential was estimated by different in vitro assays based on spectrophotometric techniques, including lipid peroxidation inhibition and the viability of a human neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y). Inhibition of Aβ42 aggregation and a fibril morphological study after the co-incubation of phenolic extracts and neurotoxic metal ions were evaluated by obtaining micrographs via Transmission Electron Microscopy. Finally, HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS and HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS were employed to obtain the phenolic profile of extracts (highlighting catechin, gallic acid, dihydroxybenzoic acid, and ferulic acid), and chemometric tools were applied to correlate the neuroprotection effects with the chemical composition of the phenolic extracts. Overall, the outcomes indicate potential for agri-food by-products as sources of polyphenol-rich functional ingredients with applicability in the nutraceutical industry.
[1] Vicente-Zurdo et al., IJMS 25(11) (2024): 5906.
[2] Gómez-Mejía et al., LWT 169 (2022): 113988.
[3] Vicente-Zurdo et al., Talanta 269 (2023): 125519.
