Microbial biotechnology approaches for conversion of pineapple waste in to emerging source of healthy food for sustainable environment.

One of the most significant and difficult jobs in food sustainability, is to make use of waste in the vegetable and fruit processing sectors. The discarded fruits along with their waste materials, is anticipated to have potential use for further industrial purposes via extraction of functional ingredients, extraction of bioactive components, fermentation. As a result of its abundant availability, simplicity and safe handling, and biodegradability, pineapple waste is now the subject of extensive research. It is regarded as a resource for economic development. This vast agro-industrial waste is being investigated as a low-cost raw material to produce a variety of high-value-added goods. Researchers have concentrated on the exploitation of pineapple waste, particularly for the extraction of prebiotic oligosaccharides as well as bromelain enzyme, and as a low-cost source of fibre, biogas, organic acids, phenolic antioxidants, and ethanol. Thus, this review emphasizes on pineapple waste valorisation approaches, extraction of bioactive and functional ingredients together with the advantages of pineapple waste to be used in many areas. From the socioeconomic perspective, pineapple waste can be a new raw material source to the industries and may potentially replace the current expensive and non-renewable sources. This review summarizes various approaches used for pineapple waste processing along with several important value-added products gained which could contribute towards healthy food and a sustainable environment.

Comparative structural analysis of fruit and stem bromelain from Ananas comosus.

Cysteine proteases in pineapple (Ananas comosus) plants are phytotherapeutical agents that demonstrate anti-edematous, anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic and fibrinolytic activities. Bromelain has been identified as an active component and as a major protease of A. comosus. Bromelain has gained wide acceptance and compliance as a phytotherapeutical drug. The proteolytic fraction of pineapple stem is termed stem bromelain, while the one presents in the fruit is known as fruit bromelain. The amino acid sequence and domain analysis of the fruit and stem bromelains demonstrated several differences and similarities of these cysteine protease family members. In addition, analysis of the modelled fruit (BAA21848) and stem (CAA08861) bromelains revealed the presence of unique properties of the predicted structures. Sequence analysis and structural prediction of stem and fruit bromelains of A. comosus along with the comparison of both structures provides a new insight on their distinct properties for industrial application.