Journal of Food, Nutrition and Population Health Open Access

Grape (Vitis vinifera L.) stems as valuable candidates for food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries: towards a circular and sustainable bioeconomy through waste valorization

3^rd Edition of International Conference on Agriculture & Food Chemistry

July 23-24, 2018 Rome, Italy

Ana Isabel Barros and Irene Gouvinhas

Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro Environmental and Biological Sciences, Portugal

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Food Nutr Popul Health

Abstract:

The winery industry is one of the major industrial endeavors worldwide with great economic and social impacts. Consequently, the large volume of by-products generated annually during the wine making process may constitute an important environmental problem with economic dimensions. Thus, a growing interest on recycling or reuse of the winery wastes has been initiated, since their antioxidant properties and putative health promoting effects make them attractive raw material for various industrial applications. In this respect, grape stems are included among these byproducts that are being generated annually in high amounts representing 25% of the total byproducts produced by a winemaking industry. Their rich content in bioactive phenolic compounds stress them as a valuable candidate for use by various industrial sectors as natural replacement of the currently used synthetic antioxidants. Therefore, our investigation group studies the phytochemical composition and the health beneficial effects of various phenolic compounds found in grape (Vitis vinifera L.) stems, further supporting their interest and applications as potential bioactive ingredients and thus, acting as a value adding by-product of the winery industry.

Biography :

Ana Barros is an Assistant Professor in the Chemistry Department at the University of Trásos-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Portugal. She is an integrated Member and Director of the Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro Environmental and Biological Sciences, responsible for the Phytochemicals Laboratory and Coordinator of the Agro-Food Quality group. To date she has participated in dozens of national and international projects, holds seven patents (National and European) and published more than 50 articles in international journals referenced in the ISI web of knowledge, made several oral communications at national and international congresses and also participated in international juries in the scope of contracting scholarship holders as well as in defense of Master’s and Undergraduate degrees.

E-mail: abarros@utad.pt