| Abstract |
The recent growing concern driven by consumer interest in the safety and quality of seafood, has boosted the search for healthy and functional aquafeeds. The current study represents the first approach to assess the potential of volatile composition of the wine industry by products (e.g., grape pomace, grape stems, lees), as additives for improving the quality of fish feeds in terms of organoleptic characteristics (e.g., aroma and flavor) and health benefits. Headspace solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS) was used to establish the volatile profile of wine industry by-products. A total of 153 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which belong to different chemical families, comprising 36 esters, 31 carbonyl compound, 20 alcohols, 18 terpenoids, 17 acids, 11 furanic compounds, four volatile phenols, two lactones, and 14 miscellaneous, were identified. Esters and terpenoids showed a positive contribution to the aquafeeds aroma with fruity, sweet, green, fresh, and berry notes, whereas some acids (e.g., hexanoic acid) and terpenoids (e.g., limonene) could be used as antimicrobial, antioxidant and antiproliferative agents. Our findings confirmed the potential of wine industry by-products as a rich source of essential compounds to enhance the quality of aquafeeds towards the valorization of winery waste based on the concept of circular economy. Further investigation on the extraction, isolation and purification of VOCs from a natural bio-source will guarantee the safety of the aquafeed and compliance with the requirements of the animal feed industry. |