The high bioactive content of legume by-products enables their utilization in the development of value-added food products. Thus, this study explores the valorization of legume by-products (chickpea hulls (CH), faba bean hulls (FH), and lentil hulls (LH)) through the formulation of novel functional infusions. The effects of in vitro digestion on the phenolic content and antioxidant potential of these infusions were assessed. Aqueous-methanolic (75%) and aqueous extracts of these samples were also evaluated in terms of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant capacity. According to the results, FH and LH showed higher TPC (1002 and 1320 mg GAE/100 g, respectively) and TFC (961 and 986 mg CE/100 g, respectively) values (p < 0.05). Similarly, among the infusions (CHI, FHI, and LHI), which were all prepared from their respective samples, the FHI and LHI exhibited higher levels of TPC, TFC, and antioxidant capacity before and after in vitro digestion (p < 0.05). Additionally, comprehensive LC-ESI-MS/MS phenolic profiling showed the great potential for the retention of individual phenolics in newly formulated infusions. These results suggest that legume by-products have great potential for value-added applications as functional ingredients in infusion formulations, contributing to their sustainable utilization and offering health-promoting properties.

Grape pomace is a major by-product of winemaking with increasing potential for valorization; however, the role of stabilization as a determinant of its chemical and functional properties remains insufficiently resolved. This study compared three stabilization strategies: convective drying, freezing, and microwave-assisted processing applied to grape pomace from ten temperate climate grape cultivars (red and white). Phenolic composition, lipid-related compounds, and color attributes were assessed using HPLC, LC-MS and GC-MS, and responses to stabilization were evaluated using mixed-effects models accounting for cultivar background. Stabilization strategy exerted a clear and non-neutral influence on pomace properties. Freezing caused a pronounced reduction in lightness (L*), independent of phenolic concentration, indicating dominant matrix-level optical effects. Convective and microwave-assisted drying yielded comparable lightness, while microwave processing enhanced the extractability of lipid-related compounds. At the fraction level, phenolic composition was primarily governed by cultivar, with stabilization inducing only modest changes in total procyanidins and anthocyanins. In contrast, compound-resolved analyses revealed strong structure- and cultivar-dependent responses, particularly among phenolic acids, underscoring the limitations of aggregate phenolic metrics. This study indicated that stabilization is not a chemically neutral preparatory step but a defining procedure that conditions matrix accessibility, compound detectability, and visual properties, with direct implications for grape pomace valorization strategies.