Biorefinery of Cashew By-Products: Recovery of Value-Added Compounds

Due to its high nutritional content, delectable flavor, and advantageous health effects, cashew production has recently expanded significantly on a global scale. Massive quantities of cashew by-products (nut shell, testa shell, nut meal, and bagasse) are produced during cashew industrial processing, with adverse environmental and economic effects. These residual biomasses still contain relevant content of bioactive or functional compounds, making their recovery an excellent opportunity to increase the sustainability and profitability of cashew production chains. Generally, these waste materials are disposed of incorrectly; however, if they are valorized for more adequate and complete uses, they can generate different products depending on the recovery routes. This review addresses this subject by covering significant studies and presenting the state-of-the-art strategies for extracting compounds with high-value-added from cashew by-products. The main idea is to use the biorefinery and circular economy concept using sequential extraction techniques to obtain several valuable products with prospects for applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries.