Pinecone fruit by-products valorization of Araucaria angustifolia: proximate composition, color, phenolic compounds, FTIR and antibacterial activity

Araucaria angustifolia produces a fruit called pinecone, which is composed of pine nuts and bracts. Pine nut peels and pinecone bracts are by-products that are underexplored. The present study obtained flours and extracts of pinecone bracts and pine nut peels, by different processes, characterizing them in terms of their proximate composition, color, phenolic compounds, and antibacterial activity. As the main results, it can be observed that the flours of the pinecone bracts and pine nut peels present high fiber content (≅ 90g/100g) and brownish color. Their extracts have a high value of total phenolic compounds (≅100mg GAE/100g), show antibacterial activity (MIC≅100mg/mL), and present a reddish or yellowish color. In view of the above, it was possible to determine that the by-products of the pinecone have the potential for use in food industries.