A Strategy to Upcycle Mango Peels into a Functional Ingredient by Combining Fermentation and Enzymatic-Assisted Extraction

Mango processing generates a substantial amount of by-product in the form of mango peel, which contains significant amounts of phenolic compounds (PCs). Their disposal is a recurring problem, and presents significant environmental challenges. The present research proposes a novel approach for recovering PC from mango peels; an enzymatic-assisted extraction (using Viscozyme and Pectinex) followed by fermentation (using L. plantarum and B. animalis). The enzymatic treatment significantly increased the concentration of galacturonic and glucuronic acids and facilitated the solubilization of oligosaccharides, yet it did not influence microbiological growth. Fermentation resulted in a greater recovery of total PC, greater production of gallic acid and mangiferin aglycones, and a remarkable increase in antioxidant activity by 30%. This approach has potential applications in the production of fermented ingredients, which can be then used for the formulation of new food products, thereby reducing mango peel waste and adding value to the food industry.