Application of functional compounds from agro-industrial residues of Brazilian's tropical fruits extracted by sustainable methods in alginate-chitosan microparticles

Abstract

The extraction and encapsulation of bioactive compounds have emerged as promising strategies to enhance their utility in various industrial applications. This study explores functional compounds derived from tropical fruit waste, including grape pomace, jabuticaba, and dragon fruit. These compounds were extracted using sustainable methods such as ultrasound-assisted extraction, maceration, and pressurized liquid extraction for incorporation into alginate and chitosan microparticles. Among the extraction methods employed, pressurized liquid extraction demonstrated the highest efficiency in recovering phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and betalains. The optimized microparticles were tailored to specific fruit sources, with chitosan concentrations of 0.19%, 0.27%, and 0.34%, and alginate concentrations of 2.26%, 1.79%, and 1.73% for grape pomace, dragon fruit husk, and jabuticaba peel, respectively. These microparticles exhibited encapsulation efficiencies ranging from 98.43% to 99.78%. Furthermore, they displayed low solubility (0.23%–0.39%) and high hygroscopicity (38.92%–41.01%). In vitro gastrointestinal digestibility tests showed that the bioaccessibility of the phenolic compounds reached up to 95%. This finding suggests that the encapsulated bioactive compounds remain highly bioavailable, making them potentially valuable in the development of pharmaceutical and health products as well as functional foods. In conclusion, this research underscores the significance of valorizing tropical fruit by-products in Brazil through pressurized liquid extraction, followed by their efficient encapsulation within alginate and chitosan matrices. This process not only reduces waste but also opens up exciting avenues for applications in the food and pharmaceutical sectors.