Characterization of Polyphenolic Compounds in Cantaloupe Melon By-Products
1
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri (IRET), via P. Castellino, 111-80131 Napoli, Italy
2
Stazione Sperimentale per le Industrie delle Essenze e dei derivati dagli Agrumi (SSEA), Azienda Speciale della Camera di Commercio di Reggio Calabria, via T. Campanella, 12-89125 Reggio Calabria, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Foods 2019, 8(6), 196; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods8060196
Received: 2 April 2019 / Revised: 31 May 2019 / Accepted: 1 June 2019 / Published: 6 June 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural and Food Waste: Analysis, Characterization, and Extraction of Bioactive Compounds and Their Possible Utilization)
The Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.), which includes several crops of great economic importance worldwide, belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, and it is well recognized for culinary and medicinal purposes. The high fruit consumption produces a large quantity of waste materials, such as peels and seeds that are still rich in molecules like polyphenols, carotenoids, and other biologically active components that possess a positive influence on human health and wellness. A sustainable development in agro-food and agro-industry sectors could come through the reutilization and valorization of these wastes, which in turn, could result in reducing their environmental impact. The current study provides a biochemical characterization of cantaloupe by-products, peels and seeds, through evaluating total polyphenols, ortho-diphenols, flavonoids, and tannins content. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity was assessed in order to understand potential benefits as natural antioxidants. Overall, the peel extract revealed the highest radical’s scavenging and reducing activities, moreover, it showed higher polyphenolic content than seed extract as revealed by both cromatographic and spectrophotometric analyses. The results of the present study indicate that the melon residues are a good source of natural phytochemicals useful for many purposes, such as ingredients for nutraceutic, cosmetic, or pharmaceutical industries, development of functional ingredients and new foods, and production of fertilizers and animal feed.
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Keywords:
Cucumis melo; polyphenols; flavonoids; antioxidants; by-products; waste valorization
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MDPI and ACS Style
Vella, F.M.; Cautela, D.; Laratta, B. Characterization of Polyphenolic Compounds in Cantaloupe Melon By-Products. Foods 2019, 8, 196.
AMA Style
Vella FM, Cautela D, Laratta B. Characterization of Polyphenolic Compounds in Cantaloupe Melon By-Products. Foods. 2019; 8(6):196.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVella, Filomena M.; Cautela, Domenico; Laratta, Bruna. 2019. "Characterization of Polyphenolic Compounds in Cantaloupe Melon By-Products" Foods 8, no. 6: 196.
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