Aquatic Waste Valorization: Innovative Approaches and Sustainable Strategies

Abstract

Pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and biomedical corporations are merely a few that would highly benefit from the bioactive composites in aquatic waste, which has been wasted until now despite its magnitude. There has been a widespread investigation into proteins, lipids, bioactive peptides, chitin, chitosan, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, but very little research has been conducted on other bioactive composites. Polyphenols, flavonoids, pigments, carotenoids, sea toxins, nucleotides, nucleosides, peptidoglycans, glycoproteins, and mycosporine-like amino acids are just some of the bioactive composites deliberated in this chapter that are obtained from marine waste. Aside from its antioxidant, antiinflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antibacterial actions, these composites exhibit a widespread range of biological activities. Novel techniques to gain bioactive composites with minimal damaging effects on the environment are inspected, such as enzyme-assisted, ultrasound-assisted, and supercritical fluid extraction, all of which are ecologically friendly and sustainable. Additionally, this chapter examines the concept of biorefinery models for the valorization of these molecules, ensuring both economic feasibility and ecological sustainability. Regulatory barricades, commercialization occasions, and innovative applications in functional foodstuffs, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals are particular to the future opportunities and challenges of using these bioactive compounds. This chapter highlights the advantages of a circular economy method in converting aquatic waste into well-intentioned bioactive products, which can then contribute to industrial innovation and ecological sustainability.