Use of Grape By-Products to Enhance Meat Quality and Nutritional Value in Monogastrics

Recycling Agricultural Waste: Sustainable Solutions for Enhancing Livestock Nutrition

The increasing demand for sustainable agricultural practices prompts a reevaluation of feeding strategies in ruminant nutrition. Agricultural waste, often viewed as a by-product (BP), presents a promising opportunity to enhance the sustainability of livestock production systems. This review explores the potential of incorporating various agricultural BPs into ruminant diets. Utilizing these BPs reduces the environmental impact of livestock farming and contributes to the circular economy by recycling nutrients back into the food system. The nutritional composition of these wastes varies widely, and their inclusion in ruminant diets improves feed efficiency, animal performance and overall health. Research indicates that specific treatments, such as fermentation and ensiling, enhance the digestibility and nutrient availability of these materials. Moreover, incorporating agricultural waste into ruminant nutrition leads to financial benefits for farmers by reducing reliance on conventional feed sources. However, key challenges remain, particularly the need for further research to optimize inclusion rates and address potential anti-nutritional factors found in some agricultural wastes. Notably, adding these materials to ruminant diets results in 10%-30% reductions in feed costs and improvements of 5%-20% in key performance metrics, such as weight gain and milk production. These findings highlight the economic and sustainability benefits of utilizing agricultural BPs in livestock feeding practices. This review emphasizes the necessity of developing innovative and sustainable feeding strategies that leverage agricultural waste, calling for interdisciplinary approaches that combine animal nutrition, agronomy and environmental science. By adopting these practices, the livestock sector contributes to food security while minimizing its ecological footprint. Future research focuses on innovative processing techniques, effective management of anti-nutritional factors, and assessing long-term impacts on animal health and productivity. Additionally, examining the nutritional and health aspects of commonly used BPs, such as pomegranate, grape, pistachio, saffron, raisin, olive and tomato, is essential for fully understanding their potential in ruminant nutrition and guiding the development of targeted feeding strategies.

Innovative strategies for valorization of byproducts from soybean industry: A review on status, challenges, and sustainable approaches towards zero-waste processing systems

The agro-food supply chain generates significant quantities of waste and byproducts globally, influenced by regional socioeconomic conditions, policy frameworks, and environmental concerns. The soybean industry generates various byproducts during the production processes of oil, soy milk, tofu, soy yogurt, edamame, miso, tempeh, natto, and soy sauce, presenting both challenges and opportunities for sustainable valorization. The review aims to outline the composition, status, and potential applications of key byproducts within the soybean industry including soy okara, soy whey, soy hull, soy meal, and lecithin, elucidating innovative strategies for their comprehensive valorization. The goal is to establish a sustainable zero-waste processing system by effectively utilizing these byproducts. This review explores emerging biotechnological advancements and eco-friendly processes aimed at maximizing resource recovery through the valorization of these soy byproducts. Various commercially viable products derived from repurposing the carbohydrate and protein fractions of diverse soy byproducts are highlighted. Additionally, a cutting-edge framework is proposed, advocating for the establishment of a zero-waste system within the soybean processing sector, emphasizing integrated biorefinery technologies, circular economy strategies, and sustainability principles. The framework proposed encompasses maximizing okara utilization, extracting value-added products, and implementing a closed-loop byproduct management approach within collaborative supply chains. Despite promising prospects, challenges such as anti-nutrients, viscosity and solubility of soy powder, and environmental impact must be addressed. This study could inspire further research into innovative technologies for the comprehensive and integrated valorization of soy byproducts, aiming to mitigate food waste and enhance the sustainability of the soybean industry.

Nutrients and Nutraceuticals from Vitis vinifera L. Pomace: Biological Activities, Valorization, and Potential Applications

Grape pomace, also known as wine pomace, is a by-product of winemaking that has traditionally been discarded. However, recent studies have highlighted its rich nutritional and bioactive potential, positioning it as a promising resource for various applications in the functional food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic sectors. This review explores the nutrient and nutraceutical contents of grape pomace, including its high levels of polyphenols, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and melatonin. The biological activities of grape pomace, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer effects, are also discussed, emphasizing its potential as raw material endowed with multifunctional properties. Additionally, the valorization of grape pomace as a food supplement and for the development of cosmetics is examined, focusing on its incorporation into dietary products and skincare formulations. The growing interest in the sustainable utilization of grape pomace is underscored, highlighting its significant role in promoting human health and contributing to a circular economy.

The Role of Meat Lipids in Nutrition and Health: Balancing Benefits and Risks

Meat lipids are determinants of the nutritional, sensory and physiological qualities of meat, encompassing triglycerides, phospholipids, cholesterol and bioactive compounds. These lipids provide essential fatty acids, including omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, critical for metabolic regulation, inflammation control and cognitive health. However, the dual role of meat lipids as essential nutrients and potential contributors to health risks, such as cardiovascular disease and oxidative stress, necessitates a nuanced understanding. This review evaluates meat lipids' biochemical diversity, nutritional contributions and health implications, balancing their benefits and risks. It examines factors influencing lipid composition, including species, diet and processing methods, emphasising strategies such as omega-3 enrichment and antioxidant supplementation to enhance lipid quality. Advances in functional meat products, such as hybrid formulations combining plant and animal lipids, are highlighted for their potential to improve health outcomes. Emerging technologies in lipidomics provide deeper insights into lipid oxidation pathways and nutritional profiling, aiding in the development of safer, higher-quality meat products. By synthesising recent evidence, this review offers insights into dietary guidelines, optimises consumer choices and informs sustainable meat production practices aligned with public health and environmental goals.

Enhancing Meat Quality and Nutritional Value in Monogastric Livestock Using Sustainable Novel Feed Ingredients

This study explores the potential of novel feed ingredients for monogastric animals, such as pigs and poultry, to enhance meat quality and nutritional value while reducing the environmental footprint of production. Innovative feed options like black soldier fly larvae, Schizochytrium microalga, Laminaria seaweed, fermented soybean hulls, fortified flaxseed and grape pomace have significantly improved meat quality and nutritional traits. Results indicate that these ingredients enrich meat with omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, enhancing nutritional value while improving sensory traits such as flavour, tenderness and colour. For instance, including Laminaria seaweed increased iodine content by up to 45%, while Schizochytrium microalga improved omega-3 deposition by over 70%. The inclusion of grape pomace enhanced oxidative stability and extended meat shelf life. This review also discusses the influence of ingredient composition, inclusion levels and processing techniques, alongside challenges such as regulatory constraints, ingredient cost and palatability. The alignment of these alternative feeds with circular economy principles and sustainability goals further emphasizes their role in reducing environmental impact. By summarising recent advancements, this paper underscores the transformative potential of novel feed ingredients in advancing monogastric meat production towards greater nutritional quality, sustainability and consumer acceptance.

Sustainable proteins from wine industrial by-product: Ultrasound-assisted extraction, fractionation, and characterization

Plant proteins are increasingly being used in the food industry due to their sustainability. They can be isolated from food industry waste and converted into value-added ingredients, promoting a more circular economy. In this study, ultrasound-assisted alkaline extraction (UAAE) was optimized to maximize the extraction yield and purity of protein ingredients from grapeseeds. Grapeseed protein was extracted using UAAE under different pH (9-11), temperature (20-50 °C), sonication time (15-45 min), and solid/solvent ratio (10-20 mL/g) conditions. The structural and functional attributes of grapeseed protein and its major fractions (albumins and glutelins) were investigated and compared. The albumin fractions had higher solubilities, emulsifying properties, and in vitro digestibilities but lower fluid binding capacities and thermal stability than the UAAE and glutelin fraction. These findings have the potential to boost our understanding of the structural and functional characteristics of grapeseed proteins, thereby increasing their potential applications in the food and other industries.

Walnut meal improves meat quality by modulating intestinal microbes in white feather broilers

Improving the number of amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids in the diet is a good way to raise the quality of the meat. Currently, most research on the quality of broiler meat focuses on genetic traits; nevertheless, it is unclear how meat quality is regulated. This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different supplemental levels of walnut meal (WM) on growth performance, amino acid and fatty acid composition, microbial composition, and meat quality of white feather broilers. 1 week old white feather broilers (n = 120; Body weight 83.76 ± 2.32 g), were randomly divided into 3 treatments and 4 replicates. Walnut meal of basic diet (CK), 5 %(WM-L) and 10 %(WM-H) were added to the diets of white feather broilers, respectively. The results showed that walnut meal could increase L* 24 h (24 h brightness) of breast muscle of white feathered broilers (p < 0.05). The amount of essential amino acids (e.g., isoleucine, methionine, leucine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine), umami amino taste acids (glutamic acid), and PUFA/SFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid) (n-3PUFA and n-6 PUFA) in breast muscle increased as the dose was increased. Furthermore, walnut meal regulated amino acid flavour metabolism by increasing the relative abundance of Bacteroides, bifidobacterium, and enterococcus faecalis, according to 16S rRNA sequencing and functional prediction analysis. The correlation showed that amino acid and fatty acid composition was one of the key factors affecting pH value, meat color and tenderness of chicken. In conclusion, dietary addition of walnut meal can increase the content of essential amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids and the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria of broilers, which is of great significance for improving meat quality of white feather broilers.

Exploring the Benefits of Nutritional and Chemical Characteristics of Touriga Nacional and Arinto Varieties (Vitis vinifera L.)

Environmental degradation leads to an unsustainable food system. In addition to this issue, the consumption of foods that improve people's health and well-being is recommended. One of the alternatives is undoubtedly the use of by-products of winemaking, namely in the form of grape pomace flour (GPF). To verify the benefits of using the Touriga Nacional and Arinto (Vitis vinifera L.) flour varieties, analytical determinations were made to identify and quantify different components. In terms of nutritional characterization, the Touriga Nacional GPF showed results that indicate better nutritional quality than the Arinto GPF. The Touriga Nacional and Arinto samples had protein contents of 10.13% and 8.38%, polyunsaturated fatty acids of 6.66% and 5.18%, soluble dietary fiber of 14.3% and 1.7%, and insoluble dietary fiber of 55.1% and 46.4%, respectively. The anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and flavonols presented in samples were detected by HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS. Atomic absorption spectrometry revealed elevated concentrations of certain elements in Touriga Nacional compared to Arinto, with the former showing higher levels of aluminum (130 mg/kg) and iron (146 mg/kg) against the latter's Al (120 mg/kg) and Fe (112 mg/kg) content. GPF could become a valuable ingredient due to its nutritional quality and high content of various polyphenols.

Use of grape by-products in aquaculture: New frontiers for a circular economy application

Grape by-products have already been used in cosmetics, food industries, but also animal feed industry, especially monogastrics and in aquaculture. Grape by-products have been studied for a long time and their principal activities are antimicrobial and antioxidant. Concerning aquaculture, the great demand and necessity to replace animal sources with vegetable ones, has placed grape by-products as possible new phytonutrients with beneficial properties. The purpose of this review is to describe the use of grape by-products in aquaculture, during the last decade, concerning their effects on: 1) gut health and welfare status; 2) growth performances; 3) quality of fillets and flesh during the rearing cycle and shelf-life products. Although other studies highlighted that the high supplementation of grape by-products could negatively affect fish health and growth, due to antinutritional factors (tannins), grape by-products are proven to be valuable phytonutrients that can be incorporated into fish feed to enhance growth and health during rearing conditions. Even in fish products, their utilization has proven to elongate the properties and shelf-life of fillets and minces. Further studies to evaluate the possible integrations or replacements with grape by-products in fish feed in order to evaluate their effectiveness in aquaculture from a sustainable circular economy perspective will be desirable to enhance the use of these products.

Innovative Use of Olive, Winery and Cheese Waste By-Products as Novel Ingredients in Weaned Pigs Nutrition

New sustainable sources of feeds, which can enhance the health and welfare of farm animals, lower feeding costs, and lead to safer products, are of high priority in modern animal production systems. In the present study, a novel silage created from Greek olive, winery, and feta cheese waste by-products, was evaluated as a feed ingredient at different inclusion rates (0%, 5% or 10%) in 34-day-old weaned pigs. The potential beneficial effects on performance, health and intestinal digesta microflora balance of the pigs were evaluated. Additionally, chemical, microbiological and quality analysis of the meat was carried out. Results showed no detrimental effects (p > 0.05) on the pigs' performance and no significant changes (p > 0.05) in meat pH, color and chemical analysis. Ileum and cecum microflora populations (total anaerobes, Lactobacillaceae) were positively affected (p ≤ 0.05) by the dietary usage of the silage. The microbial populations (Clostridium spp.) of belly meat cuts were positively modified (p ≤ 0.01). The concentration of total phenols in the meat cuts were increased (p ≤ 0.05) and their resistance to oxidation was improved (p ≤ 0.05). In addition, the fatty acid profile of the meat lipids (polyunsaturated and n-3 fatty acids) was positively modified (p ≤ 0.001).