Exploiting the multifunctional properties of polyphenols: from wastes to high value products

PHENOCYCLES is addressing the environmental concern derived from agro-industrial wastes proposing their exploitation for obtaining important bioactive molecules (polyphenolic compounds: PP), to be utilized for different purposes, with a typical circular economy approach.

PHENOCYCLES aims at exploring innovative uses of PP and at validating methods for their extraction with a green chemistry approach.

PP extracted from agro-industrial wastes (grape, apple, berry pomaces) and herbs with therapeutic value will be purified/fractionated with pilot-scale nano/ultrafiltration membranes to recover different PP fractions, to be employed in four distinct sectors: •human health: synthesis of substances for photodynamic therapy (PDT) and drug delivery (DD), development of innovative phytocarrier systems, formulation of PP loaded micro/nano-scale systems, development of new food supplements (nutraceutics), and hypoallergenic cosmetics. •plant production: PP-based nanomaterials for plant protection against soil-borne pests, to increase plant resistance to stresses, impacting on plant-organisms’ trophic interactions. •environment protection: use of PP as sensitizer or intermediate in the synthesis of materials for water disinfection and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). •material sciences: synthesis of metal based oxide nanostructures useful for photocatalytic applications.To foster future exploitation of the innovations, a thorough assessment of the stakeholders’ perception of their adoptability will be performed applying a participatory approach together with several innovative dissemination activities based on visual media.

The interdisciplinary exchanges planned in PHENOCYCLES are thus expected to increase the knowledge of researchers, particularly young ones, on the different methods utilized by the partners fostering further developments in medicine, pharmacology, crop protection, food preservatives, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, and other industrial applications.