Abstract for: Recent advances in the food waste valorization for purification of nutraceuticals of potential health benefits

The volume of food and food-related wastes generated on a global scale has increased in recent years. Leftovers of processed foods from homes and local restaurants, vegetable produce from farms, animal by-products from abattoirs, by-products from food processing industries, and non-biodegradable plastic packages have increased in quantity around the world. These materials have been notorious for degradation of the natural environment with regards to emission of green house gases, creation of biomass substrates for pathogenic microbiomes, release of micro- and nano-plastic pollutants into surrounding air, and entanglement of aquatic wildlife. Consequently, several studies have been conducted on the valorized conversion of plant and animal food wastes into value-added materials, including those of health benefits. Accordingly, several nutraceuticals have been generated from waste materials such as whey, spent grain, offal, fruit peels and pomace, animal blood, and plant leaves, amongst several others. The purified materials have been studied for their biological functionalities and reported to possess potentialities against metabolic syndrome diseases. This study comprehensively delineates recent scientific progresses made in this regards. The food waste materials, their purified nutraceuticals, and their examined health benefits are discoursed.