UNAM
Revista Digital Universitaria
Revista Digital Universitaria ISSN: 1607 - 6079 | Publicación mensual | 1 de diciembre de 2014 vol.15, No.12

ABSTRACT

Enzymes for the valorization of agroindustrial waste



Leticia Casas Godoy


Food and agricultural industries are two of the most important industries worldwide. Food processing generates large quantities of agroindustrial waste, which in most cases is not used as valuable resources. Most of this waste is used for the extraction and recovery of bioactive compounds, the production of enzymes, antibiotics, edible fungi, organic acids and biofuels, as animal feed and for the production of compost. It is also rich in organic substances, many of them with high added value such as dietary fibers, pigments, pectins, oligosaccharides, flavonoids, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, tocopherol and vitamins. Enzymes represent an ecologically friendly option for the extraction of these substances. Currently the most exploited waste is obtained from the fruit and seafood industries. Through enzymatic transformations, bioactive compounds extracted from the waste are converted into nutraceuticals. These molecules have improved properties compared to the original ones.



Keywords: Enzymes, agroindustrial waste, bioactive compounds, nutraceuticals, phenols, carotenoids