The agro-industry produces numerous byproducts that are currently underused, and its waste contributes to environmental pollution. These byproducts represent an important and economical source of bioactive ingredients, which can promote the sustainable development of high-value-added functional foods. In this context, micro- and nanoencapsulation systems allow for the incorporation and stabilization of the bioactive agents in foods. This perspective will review recent advances in the use of agro-industrial byproducts as a source of bioactive agents. In addition, the latest advances in micro- and nanoencapsulation to improve the stability, solubility, and bioaccessibility of bioactive agents as functional food ingredients are exposed.
Keywords: bioactive peptides; encapsulation; phenolic compounds; prebiotics; probiotics.