It has been reported that pineapple (Ananas comosus) contains healthy nutrients and phytochemicals associated with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities. However, a substantial amount of pineapple residue is produced due to a lack of valorization applications at the industrial scale, resulting in the loss of valuable nutrients. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is proposed as an innovative strategy to enhance the release of bound phenolics from pineapple residues. In this work, the effects of SSF of pineapple peels with Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Aspergillus oryzae on the release of phenolic compounds and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated, respectively. Pineapple peel extracts after SSF showed an increase in the release of phenolic compounds (248.11% with L. plantarum, 182% with A. oryzae, and 180.10% with L. rhamnosus), which led to an increase in the cellular antioxidant (81.94% with L. rhamnosus) and anti-inflammatory potential (nitric oxide inhibition of 62% with L. rhamnosus) compared to non-fermented extracts. Therefore, SSF of pineapple peels with L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus, and A. oryzae thrives as a new approach for the production of secondary metabolites with remarkable biological benefits, which can be the precursors for novel biofortified and nutraceutical-enriched foods that meet the needs of the most demanding and health-conscious consumers.

Growing demand for sustainable protein sources has increased interest in edible insects; however, most studies focus on thermal or fermentation treatments, while alkaline processing remains poorly explored. This study evaluated the application of nixtamalisation to adult Sphenarium purpurascens ( SP ) and its incorporation into nixtamalised maize tortillas. SP were cooked in 1% Ca(OH) ₂ for 0–40 min and steeped for 14 h. Physicochemical properties, protein digestibility, chitin content, calcium uptake and protein structural changes (ATR-FTIR) were evaluated. Tortillas were produced using a 90:10 maize nixtamal: SP ratio at optimal SP nixtamalisation and characterised for colour, texture, proximate composition, in vitro protein digestibility and PDCAAS. Alkaline treatment of SP increased pH from 4.8 to 9.2. Crude protein content remained relatively stable during treatment (52.7–58.7 g/100 g db up to 30 min). Calcium concentration increased progressively with cooking time, reaching 514 mg/100 g db at 40 min. Notably, free amino nitrogen content decreased progressively (from 48.8 to 8.9 mg/g), along with a reduction in in vitro protein digestibility (from 88.7% to 74.4%). Tortillas supplemented with nixtamalised SP showed higher protein content (10.4 vs 7.2 g/100 g db), increased lysine contribution relative to FAO requirements (from 45.6% in control tortillas to 56.3% in supplemented tortillas) and a higher PDCAAS (67.1 vs 51.1%) compared to control tortillas. Textural analysis indicated softer but more fragile tortillas, with lower breaking force after 24 h of storage (0.252 vs 0.414 kg), suggesting delayed structural stiffening. These results demonstrate that alkaline treatment modifies the functional and nutritional properties of SP , enabling its successful incorporation into maize tortillas. Applying nixtamalisation to an insect-based protein matrix represents a novel processing strategy to improve protein quality and diversify edible insect applications in staple foods.