Papaya wastes and by-products: chemistry, processing and utilization

Papaya is a popular fruit known as “the Fruit of Angels”, cultivated in all tropical and several sub-tropical areas, and consumed because of its succulent texture and sweet flavor and for its high nutritional value. In food processing industries, papaya is used to produce juice, jam, jelly, powder, chips, candy, purée, etc. Papaya processing discards very high proportions of the fruit as waste in the form of peel, seeds and other minor by-products. Papaya wastes and by-products are important sources of bioactive compounds, vitamins, minerals, fiber, enzymes, sugars and organic acids which can be converted into many nutraceutical products, and that have a wide range of potential roles in food industries and other different areas. This chapter highlights that papaya wastes and by-products should be recognized as a valuable source of phytochemicals which can be utilized to obtain protein, dietary fiber and enzymes by extraction and isolation techniques. In addition, the processing and utilization of papaya wastes and by-products will also give new opportunities for viable businesses and provide economic benefits to the papaya industry.