Turning skins from tomatoes, apples, and grapes into Antioxidant Power

Country: Australia

Application

• Utilization of fruit waste powder as a natural antioxidant boost in food products like snack bars and capsules.
• Potential use of antioxidant powder in cancer prevention and health supplements.

Description

Researchers at the Melbourne School of Land and Environment have discovered that fruit waste, such as skins from tomatoes, apples, and grapes, is rich in antioxidants. They developed a process to extract these antioxidants by heating, freezing, and using sound waves to break down the fruit waste into a powder. The antioxidant powder has shown promising results in reducing cancer cell growth. The team is now working to refine the process and explore its use in food products for added health benefits.

Pathway Description:

The process used in this project involves collecting fruit waste, such as skins from tomatoes, apples, peaches, and other fruits. The researchers then apply heating, freezing, and sound wave treatment to break down the structure of the fruit waste. This process concentrates the antioxidants, including lycopene and polyphenols, into a powder form. The powder is then tested for its potential health benefits, such as cancer cell growth reduction and its use as a food additive.