Polyphenol

Biotechnology

Biology

Pulp (tooth)

Cucumis

Nutraceutical

Biochemistry

Botany

Food science

Food processing

Cosmetic industry

Functional food

Food industry

Phytochemical

Melon

Organic chemistry

Antioxidant

Cosmetics

Horticulture

Medicine

Chemistry

Traditional medicine

Pathology

Trends in Food Science & Technology

For modern food industry, sustainability of food processing is a major concern coupled to the reduction of waste generation. Fruit and vegetable processing require of modernization to valorize the waste and by-products highly generated, particularly because they are rich in natural beneficial components which are demanded to human health. Melon (Cucumis melo L.) processing generate a high amount of peels and seeds, which are recognized with higher content of bioactive compounds than pulp, including polyphenols, carotenoids and oils. In this review, we summarize information about of the bioactive compounds present in the melon fruit, together with the nutritionals properties that it presents as a functional food, with a focus on its by-products (pulp, seed and peel). The melon fruit contains important bioactive compounds, mainly the peel has a high content of antioxidants which are of interest in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. These findings pretend to support new research concerning the formulation of novel functional foods based on melon by-products. Extracts of melon fruit, mainly from the peel, have been shown to possess phytochemical compounds that exhibit antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypoglycemia and anti-proliferative effects in various in vitro and in vivo test. However, it is necessary for further analyze the nutritional and functional potential of these by-products, the therapeutic and clinic mechanisms involved and to develop its industrial process as functional or nutraceutical food products.

Valorization of melon fruit (Cucumis melo L.) by-products: Phytochemical and Biofunctional properties with Emphasis on Recent Trends and Advances