Valorization of agro-industrial byproducts: Extraction and analytical characterization of valuable compounds for potential edible active packaging formulation

Large amounts of byproducts having high environmental impact are produced in the agro-industrial field. However, they are often rich of bioactive molecules and can represent a good source of new products. In a sustainability context, supporting Circular Economy project, this work aimed at extracting active compounds from onion, artichoke and thistle byproducts, and exploited new applications in the field of food packaging. Compound characterization achieved by chromatographic techniques demonstrated the presence of valuable ingredients such as quercetin and chlorogenic acid, and prebiotic carbohydrates. A high content of total phenolic compounds was evaluated mainly in artichoke and onion byproducts, and the addition of the extracts to oil samples showed a significant increase of oxidative stability, measured by Oxitest, even higher than 100% respect to blank oil. An active film based on the use of edible substances has been realized, and preliminary data about its application on food products showed promising developments.