Raúl Domínguez-Perles

Potential of Winemaking By-products as functional added-value ingredients

Sonia Medina, Cristina García-Viguera, Raúl Domínguez-Perles*
Laboratorio de Fitoquímica y Alimentos Saludables (LabFAS), CSIC, CEBAS, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, Edificio 25, 30100 Murcia, Spain.

ABSTRACT

Managing winemaking wastes has been a historical problem for the sector. The lack of competitiveness resulting from the commitment to by-products disposal has prompted the development of valorisation alternatives and the evolution of European policy on circular economy and zero waste, at the heart of the Green Deal. This European perspective seeks to generate economic returns in the supply chain.

In line with this strategy, winemaking by-products would constitute functional ingredients providing a diversity of (poly)phenols with complementary bioactivities of interest in preventing degenerative and disabling diseases, as well as inflammation-related conditions associated with aging. However, despite the evidence gathered, some drawbacks limit the exploitation of winery by-products. First, the seasonal condition of oenological residues requires stabilisation to preserve the (poly)phenolic burden while guaranteeing microbiological safety. Also, most data on concentration and functional traits have been retrieved by evaluating extracts from plant material. This approach would be usable for setting up their value for cosmetic uses. However, omitting the impact of physiological processes (e.g., gastrointestinal digestion or metabolism) constitutes a constraint for the application as ingredients with functional implications in preventing disease. Indeed, this consideration would contribute to converting these underexploited materials into profitable co-products with high value in health care.

The holistic assessment of winery by-products concerning preservation, composition, bioaccessibility, and bioactivities will allow obtaining functional ingredients or nutraceuticals, combining the benefits of the separate materials, and identifying the pathophysiological processes, including inflammation, that could benefit from their (poly)phenolic composition and their (lipo)phenolic derivatives. Unraveling these situations will boost the practical reuse of winemaking by-products, enhancing the sustainability and resource efficiency in the agro-food sector. This approach will fit with the European strategy for sustainable food systems to mitigate climate change and public health while meeting the needs associated with the population’s aging and the derived physiopathological constraints.

Keywords: Oenological by-products; Bioactive phytochemicals; Inflammation

Acknowledgements: This work was funded by the grant CNS2022-135588 MCIN/AEI 532/10.13039/501100011033 and European Union-NextGenerationEU/PRTR