Peanut skin bioactive extract on pectin and gelatin candies: is it a potential dietary antioxidant delivery system for health improvement?

Abstract BACKGROUND Peanuts ( Arachis hypogaea L.) are widely consumed worldwide, with Brazil being a major producer. Their skins, usually discarded as processing waste, comprising about 3% of the total peanut weight, generated an estimated 1.50 Mt of waste in 2021. These skins are rich in phenolic compounds, including phenolic acids and flavonoids, with antioxidant capacities ranging from 90 to 125 mg gallic acid equivalents per gram dry weight. In this study, a phenolic‐rich extract was prepared from peanut skins and used to enrich pectin‐ and gelatin‐based candies at 0.1 and 0.2 g kg −1 . The candies underwent static in vitro digestion following the INFOGEST protocol, covering the oral, gastric and intestinal phases. RESULTS Bioaccessibility of total phenolic compounds was 29.88–32.46% for 0.1 and 0.2 g kg −1 pectin‐based candies and 25.94–30.16% for 0.1 and 0.2 g kg −1 gelatin‐based candies. Regarding antioxidant activity after digestion, pectin gummy candies showed an average reduction of approximately 38%, while gelatin gummy candies exhibited a decrease of nearly 41%, measured by oxygen radical absorbance capacity. Nonetheless, the candies preserved a considerable portion of their original antioxidant capacity, even after digestion. CONCLUSION The results highlight the promising potential of using peanut skin phenolic extracts to produce antioxidant‐enriched gummy candies. This approach offers a healthier alternative for consumers and promotes sustainability by valorizing abundant local agricultural by‐products. Future studies could explore strategies to improve bioaccessibility, such as micro‐ or nano‐encapsulation, and process optimization further to enhance the stability and bioavailability of these compounds. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.