Every year, the global food industry produces a significant number of wastes and by-products from a variety of sources. By-products from the food-processing sector are produced in large quantities, and because of their undesirable qualities, they are frequently wasted, losing important resources. In order to pursue a circular economy that refers to waste reduction and effective waste management, by-products valorization recently received increased interest. By-products are rich in bioactive compounds and can be used in various industrial applications for health promotion and nutritional benefits. A novel step in its sustainable application is the use of these inexpensive waste agri-food by-products to create the value-added products. The present review intended to summarize the different types of agro-industrial by-products and their properties and highlight their nutritional composition and potential health benefits. Applications of agri-food by-products in foods as well as the potential health and sustainability implications of by-products in food products were also covered. According to research, agri-food by-products can be added to a variety of food to increase their bioactive profile, fiber content, and antioxidant capacity while maintaining good sensory acceptability. Overall, the sustainability of the agri-food chain and consumer health can both benefit from the use of agri-food by-products in food formulation.

Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) contributing to yellow seed colour and acid detergent fibre (ADF) were localized and compared in 3 mapping populations developed from 2 crosses (designated ‘YE1’ and ‘YE2’) between 2 distinct sources of true-breeding yellow-seeded oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and 2 different black-seeded genotypes. A clear correlation was observed between seed colour and ADF content in both crosses. In all 3 populations, a major QTL, with a large effect on both seed colour and ADF in multiple environments, was detected at the same position on chromosome N18. In YE1, a second minor QTL, with a small effect on seed colour but not on ADF content, was localized on chromosome N1. In YE2, no QTL was observed on N1; however, 2 minor seed-colour loci were localized to N15 and N5. A second major QTL for ADF was localized in YE1 on N13; in YE2, no other QTLs for ADF were detected. Combined QTL and segregation data for seed colour and ADF content in the different populations suggest that a partially dominant B. napus gene for seed colour on N18 contributes to a reduction in fibre content in different yellow-seeded B. napus genotypes. The other QTLs that were identified appear to represent different genes in the 2 yellow-seeded rapeseed sources, which, in each case, affect only fibre content or seed colour, respectively. Potential candidate genes and implications for marker-assisted breeding of oilseed rape with reduced seed dietary fibre content are discussed.

A versatile and popular Cucurbitaceous vegetable, pumpkin has recently gained much attention because of its variety of phytochemicals and health advantages. Pumpkins are a type of winter squash, traditionally with large, spherical, orange fruits and a highly nutrient food. Pumpkin by-products comprise various parts, such as seeds, peels, and pulp residues, with their bioactive composition and many potential benefits poorly explored by the food industry. Pumpkin and their by-products contain a wide range of phytochemicals, including carotenoids, polyphenols, tocopherols, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibers. These compounds in pumpkin by-products exhibit antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and antimicrobial properties and could reduce the risk of chronic diseases. This comprehensive review aims to provide a detailed overview of the phytochemicals found in pumpkin and its by-products, along with their extraction methods, health benefits, and diverse food and industrial applications. This information can offer valuable insights for food scientists seeking to reevaluate pumpkin’s potential as a functional ingredient. Reusing these by-products would support integrating a circular economy approach by boosting the market presence of valuable and sustainable products that improve health while lowering food waste.

Nanoparticles are implemented in different biotechnological fields, and there is interest in their use in plant biology. Nanotechnology can help overcome the persistent limitations of using conventional fungicides in the management of plant diseases, contributing to a safer environment. Hence, this study is focused on evaluating the behavior of nanoparticles on two different strains of Fusarium oxysporum, which have a wide-ranging occurrence in tomato production and account for important economic losses. Fusarium oxysporum is an ascomycetous fungus that is well-known as a soilborne plant pathogen, adapted to any soil type, and it lives in different forms on organic materials. Gold–chitosan and carbon nanoparticles were suspended in potato dextrose agar growth media, and their antifungal activity was evaluated at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after incubation by measuring the diameter of fungal colonies. The results showed that the nanoparticles have antifungal properties against F. oxysporum, the fungal colony growth diameter being reduced. Likewise, it was observed that the colony diameter was smaller when the nanoparticle concentration increased. However, in the case of one F. oxysporum strain, the highest nanoparticle concentration applied during the experiment’s execution was not able to completely inhibit fungal growth.

The market request for organic vegetables has grown recently for their positive impact on healthy diets. Consumers have progressively shown preferences for various combinations of color, size, and shape of pepper fruits. Facilitating communication, collaboration, and participation in the selection of cultivars with superior performance, flavor, texture, and culinary attributes can represent a key tool in breeding for nutritional and culinary traits. The current research started from the premise that organic production involves achieving adequate nutritional and culinary quality of pepper fruits. The study was conducted to investigate traits related culinary quality of pepper genotypes, especially in the ripening phase of fruits, to select the best resources with a high antioxidant content for breeding programs. The biological material represented by nine genotypes of sweet pepper was cultivated in the open fields during 2019 and 2020 at the experimental stations of the Vegetable Research Development Station of Bacau and of Iasi University of Life Sciences. Agricultural practices and intensive breeding focused on yield and stress tolerance have indirectly led to a reduction in the nutrition and flavor of the produce. Complex approaches, including screening of consumer preferences, phenotyping, and use of modern genomics and analytical chemistry tools in breeding, together with participatory farmer-breeder-chef-consumer collaborations, can represent a strategy to facilitate the development of the next generation of crops aimed to meet the growing demands of safe and nutritionally vegetables featured by culinary standards as good flavor, color, and texture.