Bioactive Phytochemicals from Bell Pepper (Capsicum annuum) By-Products

Bell pepper is one of the most widely cultivated crops worldwide; however, the processing of bell peppers from farm to table has resulted in considerable agricultural waste, including peels, seeds, placentas, stems, and leaves. These agricultural wastes or by-products can pose a significant environmental threat if not repurposed. Therefore, this chapter discusses bell pepper by-products’ chemical composition and potential food and non-food applications. Moreover, this chapter also dives into the bioactive phytochemicals that can be extracted from bell pepper by-products and their possible health-promoting effects. Interestingly, despite the abundance of research on bell peppers, there is a scarcity of studies focusing on the by-products derived from them. Nevertheless, emerging evidence indicates that bell pepper by-products are exceptional sources of nutrients and bioactive phytochemicals. Additional research is required to gain deeper insights into the properties and potential food and non-food applications of bell pepper by-products discussed in this chapter. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025, corrected publication 2025.