Biorefinery and stepwise strategies for valorizing coffee by-products as bioactive food ingredients and nutraceuticals

[Featured Application] This study presents a comprehensive and stepwise strategy for utilizing coffee by-products as a sustainable source to develop bioactive food ingredients and nutraceuticals. Coffee by-products can be transformed into versatile functional food ingredients and nutraceuticals by implementing green extraction techniques and employing a biorefinery approach. These products offer a wide range of benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-obesity effects, as well as the potential to regulate energy metabolism and blood sugar levels and serve as adjunct therapies for conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. This research not only contributes to the creation of functional food products and supplements but also promotes sustainability and addresses the prevention and management of chronic diseases.
Coffee production generates significant amounts of by-products, posing challenges for waste management in the industry. Recent research has revealed that coffee by-products are rich in bioactive compounds suitable to produce functional food ingredients and nutraceuticals. In this review, we explore biorefinery strategies for extracting and utilizing bioactive compounds from coffee by-products, including the production of bio-based chemicals and materials, as well as the extraction of phenolic compounds, antioxidants, and dietary fiber for food applications. We propose a stepwise approach for the development of functional food ingredients and nutraceuticals from coffee by-products, covering the identification of needs, comprehensive characterization, in vitro and in vivo research, unraveling the mechanism of action, food and nutraceutical formulation, sensory analysis, shelf-life stability, scale-up, randomized control trials, and biostatistics and bioinformatic integration. Additionally, we discuss the market potential, regulatory issues, and technological innovation surrounding the commercialization of coffee by-product-based products. Emphasizing the importance of regulatory compliance and sustainability in the coffee industry, this review highlights the potential of coffee by-products to be transformed from waste into valuable functional food ingredients and nutraceuticals, offering a promising avenue for waste reduction and promoting sustainability in the coffee industry.