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This work is part of the APPLEDIV Project (Multidisciplinary approach for exploiting genetic diversity to increase the value of autochthonous apple: valorizing local apple by-products and wastes through bioactive compounds; reference PID2022-141847OR-C33) funded by the Research State Agency in the 2022 call for Projects of Generation Knowledge oriented towards societal challenges and the previous project APPLECUT (PID2019-108081RR-C21) founded in the 2019 call of the Research State Agency. The authors thank Teva Pharma S.L.U for the research PhD grant to Javier Cano-Lou, the Government of Aragon for financial support from the Phyto-pharm group (ref. B44_23R) and Universidad San Jorge for funding Internal Project 2425013 through the Call for Internal Research Projects (Academic Year 2024-2025).

Analysis of institutional authors

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March 22, 2025
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Apple peels as an edible source of phenolic bioactive compounds with antidiabetic and antiglycation properties

Publicated to:Food & Function. - 2025-03-10 (), DOI: 10.1039/d4fo05241b

Authors: Cano-Lou J; Millán-Laleona A; Candrea R; Les F; Pina A; Caprioli G; López V

Affiliations

Ctr Invest & Tecnol Agroalimentaria Aragon CITA, Un Hortofruticultura, Montanana 930, Zaragoza 50059, Spain - Author
Univ Camerino, Sch Pharm, Chem Interdisciplinary Project CHIP, Via Madonna Carceri, I-62032 Camerino, Italy - Author
Univ San Jorge, Fac Hlth Sci, Dept Pharm, Zaragoza 50830, Spain - Author
Zaragoza Univ, Inst Agrifood Res Aragon, CITA, IA2, Zaragoza 50013, Spain - Author

Abstract

Apples (Malus domestica Borkh.) are one of the most consumed fruits around the world with a high production of peels as wastes and by-products. In this work, peels from different commercial and local apple samples are explored as a source of phenolic bioactive compounds that could be directly related to the prevention of type 2 diabetes. Six different cultivars from local and commercial apple samples were processed to obtain the phenolic compounds by ultrasonication of the peels using methanol as the solvent. The phenolic content was explored using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay and the quantification of 37 individual phenolic compounds was carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Cellular viability was determined by performing the MTT assay in Caco-2 cell cultures exposed to the phenolic extracts. Subsequently, the capacity to inhibit alpha-glucosidase, alpha-amylase and pancreatic lipase enzymes, as well as antiglycation and antioxidant activities, was evaluated. These apple peel samples were considered a source of phenolic compounds with hyperoside, delphinidin 3,5-diglucoside, chlorogenic acid, phlorizin, epicatechin and procyanidin B2 as the main constituents. All samples neutralized the production of advanced glycation end-products and exhibited antiradical activities in a dose-dependent manner; four samples (Amarilla de Octubre, Manzana Helada, Verde Doncella and Pinova) inhibited alpha-glucosidase but only the sample known as "Amarilla de Octubre" was successful in inhibiting pancreatic alpha-amylase. Cytotoxicity was discarded in Caco-2 cell cultures at physiological concentrations considering these extracts as a source of phenolic compounds with antidiabetic, antiglycation and antioxidant properties.

Keywords

Compuestos fenólicosDiabetesEnfermedades de la pielFlavonoidMalusManzanaPiel (vegetal)PolyphenolsPropiedades medicinalesUrsolic acid

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Food & Function due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2025, it was in position 63/313, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Biochemistry & Molecular Biology.

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-07-12:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 14.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 15 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 18.85.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 10 (Altmetric).
  • The number of mentions in news outlets: 1 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.
  • Assignment of a Handle/URN as an identifier within the deposit in the Institutional Repository: http://hdl.handle.net/10532/7530

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Italy.