Extrusion effect on in vitro fecal fermentation of fruit peels used as dietary fiber sources

© 2021Fruit peels are considered non-conventional sources of dietary fiber (DF). Extrusion can modify DF solubility, thus potentially improving its physiological and technological functionalities. Unprocessed orange, mango and prickly pear peels (OU, MU, PU), and extruded peels (OE, ME, PE) were submitted to fecal in vitro fermentations. DF solubility, glycosidic linkages, and sugar composition were quantified and associated to the production of gas, short chain fatty acids (SCFA), and changes in pH after fermentation. After extrusion, a reduction in the multibranched sugars was observed. After in vitro fermentation (24 h), OU and OE had the highest production of SCFA, followed by PE and PU. The largest SCFA produced among samples was acetate, then propionate and butyrate. Regarding SCFA production, differences (p < 0.05) after extrusion were observed for orange and prickly pear samples. The results in this work suggest that fruit peels are good fermentable fiber sources that lead to SCFA production. This research expands the current investigations towards developing functional ingredients by the sustainable valorization of by-products.

Extrusion effect on in vitro fecal fermentation of fruit peels used as dietary fiber sources Academic Article in Scopus