For improving the management of the production chain of PGI Mantua pears (which comprises many varieties, including Abate Fetel), applying the cardinal principles of circular economy and sustainability, the fruits with diseases or defects were recovered for producing dried rounds of pears from the Abate Fetel cultivar, a new product with high nutritional value that extends the remaining life. This process led to the production of secondary and residual by-products, which are mainly composed of the highest and lowest part of the fruits, comprising seeds, pulps, peels and petioles. Hence, this study was focused on the valorization of these secondary by-products of Abate Fetel pears through the production of pear extracts using traditional and "green" extraction methods that involve the use of supercritical CO2 fluid extraction. The produced extracts, together with a reference solvent-derived extract, were analyzed by HPLC-ESI-MS, and in parallel, their direct and cellular antioxidant activity were assessed. Evidence has indicated that all the tested extracts reduced the H2O2-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide (NO) levels, respectively, in human intestinal Caco-2 cells. Hence, this study clearly suggests that extracts obtained from Mantuan PGI pear by-products may be used as valuable sources of bioactive upcycled phytocomplex for the development of dietary supplements and/or functional foods.
Keywords: Mantua pear; antioxidant activity; circular economy; pear extracts; supercritical CO2 extraction.