Recovery of Added Value Molecules From Agro-Wastes to Apply as Coating for the Food Packaging

The document focuses on the recovery of cutin, a natural hydrophobic compound found in certain agricultural by-products, for use in sustainable food packaging. Cutin is primarily composed of C16-C18 fatty acids and can be extracted from agro-waste such as tomato, apple, and watermelon peels. The research was conducted as part of the ECOFUNCO project, funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 initiative.

Extraction techniques were optimized to achieve the best yield while considering scalability and sustainability. Tomato peels were the most promising source, with a yield of 40% using a solvent-free method. Apple and watermelon peels yielded 20% and 2%, respectively, but their extraction processes require further refinement due to lower efficiency and the presence of impurities.

The composition of cutin varied among the sources. Tomato cutin predominantly contained 10,16-dihydroxyhexadecanoic acid, while apple and watermelon cutins showed a more complex profile of fatty acids, some of which differed from those reported in previous studies. These variations suggest the need for additional research to standardize extraction methods and assess the potential of different agro-waste.

Cutin's natural water-repellent properties make it a suitable candidate for creating coatings for bioplastics and cellulose-based materials. This approach aims to improve the sustainability of food packaging by reducing reliance on synthetic materials. While the research demonstrated success in extracting cutin and evaluating its potential, the protocols for certain sources need further optimization.