Knowledge Agora



Scientific Article details

Title Plant Secondary Metabolites: An Opportunity for Circular Economy
ID_Doc 1956
Authors Chiocchio, I; Mandrone, M; Tomasi, P; Marincich, L; Poli, F
Title Plant Secondary Metabolites: An Opportunity for Circular Economy
Year 2021
Published Molecules, 26, 2
DOI 10.3390/molecules26020495
Abstract Moving toward a more sustainable development, a pivotal role is played by circular economy and a smarter waste management. Industrial wastes from plants offer a wide spectrum of possibilities for their valorization, still being enriched in high added-value molecules, such as secondary metabolites (SMs). The current review provides an overview of the most common SM classes (chemical structures, classification, biological activities) present in different plant waste/by-products and their potential use in various fields. A bibliographic survey was carried out, taking into account 99 research articles (from 2006 to 2020), summarizing all the information about waste type, its plant source, industrial sector of provenience, contained SMs, reported bioactivities, and proposals for its valorization. This survey highlighted that a great deal of the current publications are focused on the exploitation of plant wastes in human healthcare and food (including cosmetic, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and food additives). However, as summarized in this review, plant SMs also possess an enormous potential for further uses. Accordingly, an increasing number of investigations on neglected plant matrices and their use in areas such as veterinary science or agriculture are expected, considering also the need to implement "greener" practices in the latter sector.
Author Keywords circular economy; waste valorization; plant by-products; plant secondary metabolites; natural products; bioactivities
Index Keywords Index Keywords
Document Type Other
Open Access Open Access
Source Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)
EID WOS:000611460100001
WoS Category Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Research Area Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Chemistry
PDF https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/2/495/pdf?version=1611030661
Similar atricles
Scroll