# Polyphenols in food and food wastes: Extraction, isolation, and health applications

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how polyphenols from food waste can be extracted and used for health benefits, including inhibiting disease-related proteins.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel strategy for polyphenol extraction and evaluates their drug-likeness and health applications using modified criteria.

## Key findings

- The SWE-NADES strategy reduces organic solvents in polyphenol extraction.
- Polyphenol diversity reduces adverse effects of single-compound supplements.
- Polyphenols from food waste show better drug-likeness as nonselective protein ligands.

## Abstract

Despite decades of polyphenol research, an integrated perspective on their biosynthesis, advanced extraction methods from food wastes, and potential as versatile inhibitors of pathogenic proteins and enzymes, particularly incorporating modified drug-likeness criteria, remains elusive. This integrative review compares and analyzes data on emerging polyphenol extraction and processing methods from various sources, including fruits, vegetables, berries, food production byproducts, and terrestrial sources of biomass. The drug-likeness of the reviewed polyphenols was assessed via a modified Lipinski's rule of five, and their interactions with proteins and enzymes in pathogenic pathways were investigated. The hypothesis is that polyphenols derived from food wastes exhibit high versatility as potential ligands with promising inhibitory effects that mitigate cascading disease effects in the human body. Therefore, the inhibition of proteins and enzymes involved in a wide range of diseases, including cancers, inflammatory diseases, diabetes and obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and mental and neurological disorders, was explored. Furthermore, the multifaceted nature of food and food waste-derived polyphenols was emphasized, highlighting their potential as extractable compounds with broad health-related applications. These novel insights enable targeted valorization of food wastes for personalized nutraceuticals, promote sustainable bioprocessing, and pave the way for clinical translation.

•SWE-NADES strategy cut organic solvents in polyphenol biorefining.•Polyphenol diversity lessened adverse effects of high-dose single-compound supplements.•Food waste valorization provided scalable sources for personalized nutraceuticals.•Polyphenols showed better drug-likeness as nonselective protein ligands than synthetics.•Challenges limited analysis of larger, glycosylated polyphenol compounds.

SWE-NADES strategy cut organic solvents in polyphenol biorefining.

Polyphenol diversity lessened adverse effects of high-dose single-compound supplements.

Food waste valorization provided scalable sources for personalized nutraceuticals.

Polyphenols showed better drug-likeness as nonselective protein ligands than synthetics.

Challenges limited analysis of larger, glycosylated polyphenol compounds.