Nowadays, the agro-food industry generates high amounts of byproducts that may possess added value compounds with high functionality and/or bioactivity. Additionally, consumers’ demand for healthier foodstuffs has increased over the last years, and thus the food industry has strived to answer this challenge. Byproducts are generally secondary products derived from primary agro-food production processes and represent an interesting and cheaper source of potentially functional ingredients, such as peptides, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds, thus promoting a circular economy concept. The existing body of work has shown that byproducts and their extracts may be successfully incorporated into foodstuffs, for instance, phenolic compounds from eggplant can be potentially used as a mulfitunctional food additive with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and food colorant properties. As such, the aim of this review is to provide insights into byproducts and their potential as new sources of foodstuffs additives.

Mannans are outstanding polysaccharides that have gained exponential interest over the years. These polysaccharides may be extracted from the cell wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and recovered from the brewing or synthetic biology industries, among others. In this work, several extraction processes—physical, chemical and enzymatic—were studied, all aiming to obtain mannans from spent yeast S. cerevisiae. Their performance was evaluated in terms of yield, mannose content and cost. The resultant extracts were characterized in terms of their structure (FT-IR, PXRD and SEM), physicochemical properties (color, molecular weight distribution, sugars, protein, ash and water content) and thermal stability (DSC). The biological properties were assessed through the screening of prebiotic activity in Lactobacillus plantarum and Bifidobacterium animalis. The highest yield (58.82%) was achieved by using an alkaline thermal process, though the correspondent mannose content was low. The extract obtained by autolysis followed by a hydrothermal step resulted in the highest mannose content (59.19%). On the other hand, the extract obtained through the enzymatic hydrolysis displayed the highest prebiotic activity. This comparative study is expected to lay the scientific foundation for the obtention of well-characterized mannans from yeast, which will pave the way for their application in various fields.

Over the years, synthetic biology has been growing with the use of engineered yeast strains for the production of sustainable ingredients to meet global healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing and environmental challenges. However, as seen from the brewing industry perspective, these processes generate a substantial amount of spent yeast that contains high nutritional value related to its high protein content, showing its potential to be used as an alternative protein source. Taking into account the rising demand for protein because of the growth in the global population, the present study aims to produce peptide-rich extracts by different potentially scalable and sustainable methodologies in a circular economy approach for the food and nutraceutical industries. The results demonstrated that extraction from genetically modified strains allowed the production of extracts with an excellent nutritional profile and low molecular weight peptides. Furthermore, autolysis was shown to be a potential sustainable approach for this production, though other green metrics need to be explored in order to establish this process at an industrial level.

Vaginal infections caused by Candida albicans are a significant global health concern due to their recurrence and negative impact on quality of life. This review examines the pathogenesis of C. albicans infections, emphasizing critical virulence factors such as biofilm formation, adherence, and phenotypic switching. Risk factors include immune system suppression, antibiotic use, and hormonal changes, all of which can lead to fungal overgrowth and infection. Current prevention and/or treatment strategies primarily rely on antifungal therapies, personal hygiene practices, and probiotics. However, challenges like antifungal resistance, recurrence, and limited treatment efficacy highlight the need for innovative approaches. Therefore, emerging methods such as novel antifungal agents, vaccines, and nanotechnology-based delivery systems offer promising advancements to improve infection control. Additionally, the immune system plays a key role in preventing C. albicans infections, with both innate and adaptive immunity acting to restrict fungal colonization and growth. Commercially available products, such as antifungal creams, vaginal probiotics, and hygiene solutions, are practical options but often lack long-term efficacy. Persistent challenges, including resistance, patient noncompliance, and restricted access to emerging therapies, hinder comprehensive prevention and treatment efforts. Thus, future research should focus on promoting interdisciplinary approaches, integrating personalized medicine, and enhancing healthcare accessibility. This review intends to present the current state of the art within the abovementioned issues and to enhance the understanding of the multifactorial nature of C. albicans infections and advanced prevention strategies, which are essential to reduce the burden of vaginal candidiasis worldwide and improve patient quality of life outcomes. Key points: • Candida albicans pathogenesis involves biofilms, adherence, and phenotypic switching. • Vaccines, nanotechnology, and new drugs offer improved prevention and treatment. • Addressing antifungal resistance and patient compliance is key for prevention success. Graphical

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common public health problem, mainly caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). Patients with chronic UTIs are usually treated with long-acting prophylactic antibiotics, which promotes the development of antibiotic-resistant UPEC strains and may complicate their long-term management. D-mannose and extracts rich in D-mannose such as mannan oligosaccharides (MOS; D-mannose oligomers) are promising alternatives to antibiotic prophylaxis due to their ability to inhibit bacterial adhesion to urothelial cells and, therefore, infection. This highlights the therapeutic potential and commercial value of using them as health supplements. Studies on the effect of MOS in UTIs are, however, scarce. Aiming to evaluate the potential benefits of using MOS extracts in UTIs prophylaxis, their ability to inhibit the adhesion of UPEC to urothelial cells and its mechanism of action were assessed. Additionally, the expression levels of the pro-inflammatory marker interleukin 6 (IL-6) were also evaluated. After characterizing their cytotoxic profiles, the preliminary results indicated that MOS extracts have potential to be used for the handling of UTIs and demonstrated that the mechanism through which they inhibit bacterial adhesion is through the competitive inhibition of FimH adhesins through the action of mannose, validated by a bacterial growth impact assessment.