Exploring the biological activities and potential therapeutic applications of agro-industrial waste products through non-clinical studies: A systematic review.

The latent potential of active ingredients derived from agro-industrial waste remains largely untapped and offers a wealth of unexplored resources. While these types of materials have applications in various fields, their ability to benefit human health needs to be further explored and investigated. This systematic review was conducted to systematically evaluate non-clinical studies that have investigated the biological effects of fractions, extracts and bioactive compounds from agro-industrial wastes and their potential therapeutic applications. Articles were selected via PubMed, Embase and Medline using the descriptors (by-products[title/abstract]) AND (agro-industrial[title/abstract]). The systematic review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (Prospero) under the number CRD42024491021. After a detailed analysis based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 38 articles were used for data extraction and discussion of the results. Information was found from in vitro and in vivo experiments investigating a variety of residues from the agro-industry. The studies investigated peels, pomace/bagasse, pulp, seeds, aerial parts, cereals/grains and other types of waste. The most studied activities include mainly antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, but other activities such as antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antiproliferative, antinociceptive, hypoglycemic, antihyperglycemic and anticoagulant effects have also been described. Finally, the studies included in this review demonstrate the potential of agro-industrial waste and can drive future research with a focus on clinical application.

Polysaccharides from Passion Fruit Peels: From an Agroindustrial By-Product to a Viable Option for 5-FU-Induced Intestinal Damage.

Gastrointestinal mucositis is a serious and dose-limiting toxic side effect of oncologic treatment. Interruption of cancer treatment due to gastrointestinal mucositis leads to a significant decrease in cure rates and consequently to the deterioration of a patient's quality of life. Natural polysaccharides show a variety of beneficial effects, including a gastroprotective effect. Treatment with soluble dietary fiber (SDF) from yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) biomass residues protected the gastric and intestinal mucosa in models of gastrointestinal injury. In this study, we investigated the protective therapeutic effect of SDF on 5-FU-induced mucositis in male and female mice. Oral treatment of the animals with SDF did not prevent weight loss but reduced the disease activity index and preserved normal intestinal function by alleviating diarrhea and altered gastrointestinal transit. SDF preserved the length of the colon and histological damage caused by 5-FU. SDF significantly restored the oxidative stress and inflammation in the intestine and the enlargement and swelling of the spleen induced by 5-FU. In conclusion, SDF may be a promising adjuvant strategy for the prevention and treatment of intestinal mucositis induced by 5-FU.