Repurposing Vegetable and Fruit Waste for Human Health: A Sustainable Approach to Food Waste Management

Öz

The aim of this study was to address vegetable and fruit waste by repurposing discarded produce from settings such as school cafeterias, street markets and grocery stores to benefit human health. Observations revealed that waste from these vegetables and fruits was prevalent not only in school cafeterias but also in markets and among street vendors. Vegetables and fruits commonly consumed in daily life, including parsley (Petroselinum crispum), leek (Allium ampeloprasum), green apple, red apple (Malus domestica), orange (Citrus sinensis), grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), lemon (Citrus limonum), and kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa), were selected for this purpose. These waste materials were collected and homogenized and subjected to ethanol extraction. Extract of vegetable mixture subjected to rigorous testing for skin irritation, antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties. For antioxidant analyses DPPH, ABTS and TAS assays were performed. For skin irritation evaluation, EpiSkin test was performed. The tests confirmed that the extract possesses antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant qualities and did not cause skin irritation. Additionally, the cytotoxicity test showed that the extract did not cause3T3 fibroblast cells death. The extracts showed antimicrobial activity with a MIC value of 625 µg/mL against all tested microorganisms. TEAC values ranged from 150.02 to 302.42 µM Trolox equivalents, increasing in a concentration-dependent manner. This extract was then utilized in the production of a cream, resulting in a valuable product derived from commonly used fruit and vegetable waste. In summary, this study successfully converted vegetable and fruit waste into a beneficial product for human health, demonstrating an innovative approach to managing food waste.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Antioxidant
• antibacterial
• antifungal
• food waste
• cosmetics
• skin irritation
• sustainability

Sebze ve Meyve Atıklarının İnsan Sağlığı İçin Yeniden Kullanılması: Gıda Atığı Yönetimine Sürdürülebilir Bir Yaklaşım

Öz

Bu çalışmanın amacı, okul kantinleri, sokak pazarları ve bakkallar gibi ortamlardan atılan sebze ve meyve atıklarını insan sağlığına fayda sağlayacak şekilde yeniden kullanarak bu sorunu çözmektir. Gözlemler, bu sebze ve meyve atıklarının sadece okul kantinlerinde değil, pazarlarda ve sokak satıcılarında da yaygın olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Bu amaçla, günlük hayatta yaygın olarak kullanılan maydanoz (Petroselinum crispum), pırasa (Allium ampeloprasum), yeşil elma, kırmızı elma (Malus domestica), portakal (Citrus sinensis), greyfurt (Citrus paradisi), limon (Citrus limonum) ve kivi (Actinidia deliciosa) gibi sebze ve meyveler seçilmiştir. Bu atık malzemeler toplanmış, homojenleştirilmiş ve etanol ekstraksiyonu yapılmıştır. Sebze karışımından elde edilen ekstrakt, cilt tahrişi, antibakteriyel, antifungal ve antioksidan özellikler açısından titiz bir şekilde test edilmiştir. Testler, ekstraktın önemli antibakteriyel, antifungal ve antioksidan özelliklere sahip olduğunu ve ciltte tahrişe neden olmadığını doğrulamıştır. Ek olarak, sitotoksisite testi, ekstrenin 3T3 fibroblast hücrelerinde hücre ölümüne neden olmadığını göstermiştir. Bu ekstre daha sonra bir krem ​​üretiminde kullanılarak, yaygın olarak kullanılan sebze ve meyvelerin atıklarından elde edilen değerli bir ürün ortaya çıkarılmıştır. Özetle, bu proje sebze ve meyve atıklarını insan sağlığı için faydalı bir ürüne dönüştürmeyi başarmış ve gıda atıklarının yönetimine yenilikçi bir yaklaşım sergilemiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Antioksidan
• antibakteriyel
• antifungal
• gıda atığı
• kozmetik
• cilt tahrişi
• sürdürülebilirlik.

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