Sustainable production of prebiotics from agro-industrial waste/residues using enzymes: Toward eco-friendly functional food ingredients

Objective

The SUSPREB project addresses the complex interplay between diet, gut microbiota, and gastrointestinal health by developing novel, plant-based prebiotics derived from agro-industrial residues (AIR). This multidisciplinary initiative brings together food science, microbiology, enzymology, and gastrointestinal research expertise to explore sustainable, biotechnology-driven solutions for enhancing public health. Leveraging underutilized by-products (such as black cumin and flax meals, wine stalks, pomace, and lees), rich in unique polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, and phenolic compounds, SUSPREB aims to transform waste into high-value functional ingredients. The project has three key objectives: (1) to develop innovative, cost-effective enzymatic processes for fractionating AIR and extracting multifunctional bioactive compounds, including emerging prebiotics with potential antioxidant and antidiabetic properties; (2) to characterize the structural and functional properties of these compounds using in silico, in vitro, and advanced analytical methods to establish structure-activity relationships; and (3) to integrate the resulting prebiotics into functional food matrices, particularly plant-based dairy alternatives, with thorough evaluation of their stability, bioactivity, sensory attributes, and health-promoting effects. SUSPREB exemplifies sustainable innovation in the food and health sectors. It advances the valorization of food industry by-products, fosters the bioeconomy, and supports climate change mitigation. The project’s holistic approach and strong cross-disciplinary collaboration promise not only to reduce waste and improve resource efficiency but also to contribute significantly to the development of personalized, microbiota-targeted nutritional interventions.