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Exploring the antioxidant and anti-cancer potential of functional foods from vegetal waste: a path to sustainability

  • Anbarasu Krishnan and Yuvarajan Devarajan ORCID logo EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: August 7, 2025
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International Journal of Food Engineering
From the journal International Journal of Food Engineering Volume 21 Issue 8

Abstract

This work examines the potential of functional foods derived from vegetal waste, focusing on their antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. By-products such as fruit peels, seeds, stems, and leaves, typically discarded during agricultural activities and food processing, are rich in bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, flavonoids, and essential vitamins. These compounds have shown strong antioxidant activity, effectively neutralizing free radicals and reducing oxidative stress, which is a major contributor to cellular damage and chronic diseases. Furthermore, several in vitro studies demonstrate that extracts or isolated compounds from vegetal waste can inhibit cancer cell growth, induce apoptosis, and influence key signaling pathways involved in cancer progression, such as the MAPK, PI3K/Akt, and NF-κB pathways. These bioactive compounds exert anticancer effects by regulating oxidative stress, promoting cell cycle arrest, and triggering apoptosis. The work also underscores the dual advantage of using vegetal waste: reducing environmental harm by repurposing agricultural by-products and providing a sustainable source of functional ingredients that can contribute to disease prevention, particularly in oxidative stress-related conditions and cancer. This innovative approach to waste valorization not only supports eco-friendly food production but also opens new avenues for the development of health-promoting functional foods with therapeutic potential, offering a promising intersection between sustainability and human health enhancement.

Keywords: waste; renewable; sustainable practices; vegetal wastes; waste-to-value
Corresponding author: Yuvarajan Devarajan, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 602 105, India, E-mail:

  1. Research ethics: Not applicable.

  2. Informed consent: Not applicable.

  3. Author contributions: The authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.

  5. Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.

  6. Research funding: None declared.

  7. Data availability: Not applicable.

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Received: 2024-11-05
Accepted: 2025-07-24
Published Online: 2025-08-07

© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Critical Review
  3. Exploring the antioxidant and anti-cancer potential of functional foods from vegetal waste: a path to sustainability
  4. Articles
  5. Effect of thermosonication and probiotic fermentation on bioactive compounds and microbial activity of Elaeocarpus floribundus (jalpai) juice
  6. Impact of high intensity ultrasound on the physicochemical, functional, thermal, and structural properties of banana cv. Poovan (Musa sp. AAB) starch
  7. Prediction of soluble solids content and anthocyanin content in blood oranges based on hyperspectral reflectance and transmittance imaging technologies
  8. Formulation and characterization of omega-3 fatty acid enriched mayonnaise containing flax seed oil and chia seed oil
  9. Corrigendum
  10. Corrigendum to “Development of functional almond milk beverage with probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lactiplantibacillus brevis bacteria”
https://doi.org/10.1515/ijfe-2024-0248
Keywords for this article
waste; renewable; sustainable practices; vegetal wastes; waste-to-value

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Critical Review
  3. Exploring the antioxidant and anti-cancer potential of functional foods from vegetal waste: a path to sustainability
  4. Articles
  5. Effect of thermosonication and probiotic fermentation on bioactive compounds and microbial activity of Elaeocarpus floribundus (jalpai) juice
  6. Impact of high intensity ultrasound on the physicochemical, functional, thermal, and structural properties of banana cv. Poovan (Musa sp. AAB) starch
  7. Prediction of soluble solids content and anthocyanin content in blood oranges based on hyperspectral reflectance and transmittance imaging technologies
  8. Formulation and characterization of omega-3 fatty acid enriched mayonnaise containing flax seed oil and chia seed oil
  9. Corrigendum
  10. Corrigendum to “Development of functional almond milk beverage with probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lactiplantibacillus brevis bacteria”
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