Food processing industries create large quantities of
by-products, which are difficult to dispose of as they
have a high biological oxygen demand. Plant material
wastes from these industries sometimes contain high
levels of phenolic compounds that can have an adverse
environmental impact. Positive impacts of phenolic
compounds on human health include inhibition of oxidation
of low-density protein thereby reducing the risk
of heart disease (Meyer et al., 1997; Williams and Elliot,
1997). Anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic properties
of polyphenolic compounds have also been reported
(Carrol et al., 1999; Maeda-Yamamoto et al., 1999