Despite decades of polyphenol research, an integrated perspective on their biosynthesis, advanced extraction methods from food wastes, and potential as versatile inhibitors of pathogenic proteins and enzymes, particularly incorporating modified drug-likeness criteria, remains elusive. This integrative review compares and analyzes data on emerging polyphenol extraction and processing methods from various sources, including fruits, vegetables, berries, food production byproducts, and terrestrial sources of biomass. The drug-likeness of the reviewed polyphenols was assessed via a modified Lipinski's rule of five, and their interactions with proteins and enzymes in pathogenic pathways were investigated. The hypothesis is that polyphenols derived from food wastes exhibit high versatility as potential ligands with promising inhibitory effects that mitigate cascading disease effects in the human body. Therefore, the inhibition of proteins and enzymes involved in a wide range of diseases, including cancers, inflammatory diseases, diabetes and obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and mental and neurological disorders, was explored. Furthermore, the multifaceted nature of food and food waste-derived polyphenols was emphasized, highlighting their potential as extractable compounds with broad health-related applications. These novel insights enable targeted valorization of food wastes for personalized nutraceuticals, promote sustainable bioprocessing, and pave the way for clinical translation.
Keywords: Enzyme inhibitors; Food waste valorization; Nutraceuticals; Pathogenic pathway modulation; Pharmaceuticals; Protein-polyphenol interactions; Specialized molecules.
© 2026 The Authors.