Wine Industry Waste as a Source of Bioactive Compounds for Drug Use

Wine is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages, produced from the fermentation of the grape Vitis vinifera. Currently, the wine industry is exploited worldwide in multiple regions, generating significant amounts of agro-industrial waste at different stages of the production chain. These wastes represent a source of environmental contamination due to the toxic nature of some of their compounds. From a biotechnological perspective, the by-products of the wine industry are an attractive source of bioactive compounds with potential applications in various fields, including food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. The extraction of these compounds can be carried out using fermentation techniques that utilize microorganisms to facilitate the release and biotransformation of the desired metabolites through their enzymatic tools. This work provides a review of the history of the wine industry and its current activities, describes the wine production process, and outlines the waste generated during this process. The fermentation process is described as a biotechnological alternative for the valorization of these residues. This purpose enables their reintegration into the production chain through the extraction of high-value bioactive compounds with potential use as drugs in pharmacology.