This study reports the effect of the addition of oat bran and apple flour on the cooking quality, digestibility, antioxidant, nutritional and texture characteristics of a spaghetti-type pasta. Pasta samples were prepared by substituting 50% of durum wheat semolina with oat bran (OBP) or apple flour (AFP). AFP presented higher cooking loss and water absorption index than the control pasta prepared with 100% durum wheat semolina (WSP). The supplementation of pasta with oat bran increased the total dietary fiber content (16.43% w/w, dw), while apple flour decreased the protein content (11.16% w/w, dw). There was no significant difference in the resistant starch content among all pasta samples. The pasta samples made with 50/50 durum wheat semolina/oat bran and 50/50 durum wheat semolina/apple flour increased the antioxidant activity by ≈46% and ≈97%, respectively. The OBP and AFP samples had a similar texture to the control pasta. A 50% replacement of durum wheat semolina with oat bran in a pasta formulation decreased the caloric content and digestibility of its starch components. These attributes found in the oat bran pasta and apple flour pasta make them a healthy choice for the diet of people with specific nutritional needs.

Pomegranate peel is an important source of polyphenols of remarkable interest in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. The improved extraction of total polyphenolic compounds (TPC) from pomegranate peel by solid-state fermentation (SSF) was achieved. The Box, Hunter and Hunter (BHH) followed by the central composite design (CCD) processes were performed to assess the effect of the process variables on TPC release. The statistical designs indicate that the best TPC extraction (234.85 mg GAE/gdm) by means of SSF occurs at 42 °C, 50% moisture, 5.0 pH, mineral solution (g/L): NaNO₃ (3.83), KH₂PO₄ (1.52), MgSO₄ (4.66) and KCl (1.52) at 36 h. Under the best fermentation conditions TPC (248.78 ± 1.24 mgGAE/gdm) increased 5.96-fold more than values previously reported and antioxidant activity (AA) increased 5.81-fold compared to the value obtained before the SSF optimization. High-value citric acid, α and β punicalin, α and β punicalagin, punigluconin, galloyl-HHDP hexoside and ellagic acid molecules were identified. The increased extraction of TPC by SSF provides a suitable alternative for the valorization of pomegranate peel through the recovery of molecules with high added value with potential use in the food, pharmacy and cosmetic industries; a diversification in the use of food agroindustry by-products is obtained as an approach to the circular economy model through biotechnological processes.

Maize comes in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, red, blue, and purple, which is due to the presence of phytochemicals such as carotenoids, anthocyanins, flavonoids, phytosterols, and some hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives. In Mexico, maize is primarily grown for human consumption; however, maize residues comprise 51–58% of the total maize plant weight (stalks, leaves, ears, and husks) and are mainly used as livestock feed. These residues contain numerous bioactive compounds that interest the industry for their potential health benefits in preventing or treating degenerative diseases. This review explores the current knowledge and highlights key aspects related to the extraction methods and different techniques for identifying the bioactive compounds found in maize by-products.

Polyphenolic compounds are a group of secondary metabolites in plants; these molecules are widely distributed in fruits, vegetables, and herbs and can be found in the vacuoles of plant cells. The current trend in these compounds is their extraction to study their applications in several areas, such as the food, cosmetic, and pharmacology industry. This review article presents a critical analysis of polyphenol extraction using solid-state fermentation. The parameters of extraction, such as the substrate, temperature, pH, inoculum of the microorganism, moisture, and water activity, are discussed in detail. This biotechnological extraction method affects the concentration and recovery of polyphenolic compounds. Some polyphenolic sources that are rising for their biological properties belong to agro-industrial wastes, such as peels, seeds, and the pulp of some fruits. Solid-state fermentation is an innovative and environmentally friendly tool that can contribute to generating value-added agrifood from agro-industrial wastes.