RT journal article
T1 On the Valorization of Arbutus unedo L. Pomace: Polyphenol Extraction and Development of Novel Functional Cookies
A1 Duarte, Hugo
A1 Carrera Fernández, Ceferino Adrián
A1 Aliaño González, María José
A1 Gutiérrez Escobar, Rocío
A1 Jiménez Hierro, María Jesús
A1 Palma Lovillo, Miguel
A1 Galego, Ludovina
A1 Romano, Anabela
A1 Medronho, Bruno
A2 Química Analítica
K1 antioxidant activity
K1 Arbutus unedoL
K1 distillate pomace
K1 functional cookies
K1 ultrasound-assisted extraction
AB The fruits of Arbutus unedo L. have a crimson colour and are enriched with remarkable concentrations of bioactive compounds such as anthocyanins and polyphenols. These fruits are commonly used in the production of a Portuguese Protected Geographical Indication distillate called “Aguardente de Medronho”. During this process, a solid pomace is generated and presently discarded without valuable applications. In this work, two strategies have been developed for the valorisation of A. unedo pomace. The first approach considers the extraction of polyphenols from this by-product through the optimization of an ultrasound-assisted method using a Box-Behnken design coupled with response surface methodology. The results indicate that the temperature and the percentage of methanol, along with their interaction, significantly influence the total concentration of polyphenols and the antioxidant activity of the extracts obtained. The optimal conditions identified consider the extraction of 0.5 g of sample with 20 mL of a solvent containing 74% MeOH (aq), at a pH of 4.8, maintained at 70 °C for 15 min. On the other hand, the second valorisation strategy considered the use of A. unedo pomace in the development of functional cookies. The incorporation of 15–20% pomace in the cookie formulation was well-received by consumers. This incorporation results in an intake of ca. 6.55 mg of polyphenols per gram of cookie consumed, accompanied by an antioxidant activity of 4.54 mg Trolox equivalents per gram of cookie consumed. Overall, these results encourage the employment of A. unedo pomace either as a reliable source of extracts enriched in polyphenols or as a nutraceutical active ingredient in functional cookies, thereby positively impacting human health. © 2023 by the authors.
PB Multidisciplinary Digital / Publishing Institute (MDPI)
SN 2304-8158
YR 2023
FD 2023
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/32195
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/32195
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 12-nov-2026