Moroccan Citrus clementina Peels: Optimization of Pectin Extraction and Determination of Chemical and Functional Properties

Citrus peels are considered a rich source of valuable biomolecules. Pectin is a polymer of polysaccharide acid and is composed of galacturonic acid monosaccharides. In this study, response surface methodology was used to optimize pectin extraction from Citrus × clementina Hort. ex Tan. (Rutaceae) peels using citric acid as an extraction solvent. The effect of the parameters conditioning the extraction process and pectin yield (pH level, temperature, extraction time, solid/liquid ratio, and raw material particle size) was investigated using a Box-Behnken design. The quality of the extracted pectin was assessed both chemically (moisture, ash, protein, and carbohydrate content) and functionally (gelling power and emulsifying activity). According to the screening experiment, the pH level, temperature, and particle size were the main factors influencing the pectin yield. The adjusted mathematical model enabled us to plot response surfaces in order to determine the optimal extraction conditions. The highest production yield of pectin (26.6%) was obtained at the optimal conditions of pH = 1.5, temperature = 100 °C, and particle size = 0.1 mm for an extraction time of 30 min. Compared to the predicted value of 26.6%, the experimental extraction yield of C. clementina was about 21.4% of pectin. Concerning the functional properties, the extracted pectin had a high gelling power of 164 ° SAG and an emulsifying activity of 38.5%.

Citrus By-Products as a Valuable Source of Biologically Active Compounds with Promising Pharmaceutical, Biological and Biomedical Potential

Citrus fruits processing results in the generation of huge amounts of citrus by-products, mainly peels, pulp, membranes, and seeds. Although they represent a major concern from both economical and environmental aspects, it is very important to emphasize that these by-products contain a rich source of value-added bioactive compounds with a wide spectrum of applications in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. The primary aim of this review is to highlight the great potential of isolated phytochemicals and extracts of individual citrus by-products with bioactive properties (e.g., antitumor, antimicrobial, antiviral, antidiabetic, antioxidant, and other beneficial activities with health-promoting abilities) and their potential in pharmaceutical, biomedical, and biological applications. This review on citrus by-products contains the following parts: structural and chemical characteristics; the utilization of citrus by-products; bioactivities of the present waxes and carotenoids, essential oils, pectins, and phenolic compounds; and citrus by-product formulations with enhanced biocactivities. A summary of the recent developments in applying citrus by-products for the treatment of different diseases and the protection of human health is also provided, emphasizing innovative methods for bioaccessibility enhancements (e.g., extract/component encapsulation, synthesis of biomass-derived nanoparticles, nanocarriers, or biofilm preparation). Based on the representative phytochemical groups, an evaluation of the recent studies of the past six years (from 2018 to 2023) reporting specific biological and health-promoting activities of citrus-based by-products is also provided. Finally, this review discusses advanced and modern approaches in pharmaceutical/biological formulations and drug delivery (e.g., carbon precursors for the preparation of nanoparticles with promising antimicrobial activity, the production of fluorescent nanoparticles with potential application as antitumor agents, and in cellular imaging). The recent studies implementing nanotechnology in food science and biotechnology could bring about new insights into providing innovative solutions for new pharmaceutical and medical discoveries.

Citrus By-Products: Valuable Source of Bioactive Compounds for Food Applications

Citrus production produces about 15 million tons of by-products/waste worldwide every year. Due to their high content of bioactive compounds, several extraction techniques can be applied to obtain extracts rich in valuable compounds and further application into food applications. Distillation and solvent extraction continues to be the most used and applied extraction techniques, followed by newer techniques such as microwave-assisted extraction and pulsed electric field extraction. Although the composition of these extracts and essential oils directly depends on the edaphoclimatic conditions to which the fruit/plant was exposed, the main active compounds are D-limonene, carotenoids, and carbohydrates. Pectin, one of the most abundant carbohydrates present in Citrus peels, can be used as a biodegradable polymer to develop new food packaging, and the extracted bioactive compounds can be easily added directly or indirectly to foods to increase their shelf-life. One of the applications is their incorporation in active food packaging for microbiological and/or oxidation inhibition, prolonging foods' shelf-life and, consequently, contributing to reducing food spoilage. This review highlights some of the most used and effective extraction techniques and the application of the obtained essential oils and extracts directly or indirectly (through active packaging) to foods.

Effect of Molasses and Dried Orange Pulp as Sheep Dietary Supplementation on Physico-Chemical, Microbiological and Fatty Acid Profile of Comisana Ewe's Milk and Cheese

The use of agro-industrial by-products for ruminant feed represents both an economical and environmental convenient way for reducing waste discharge and waste management costs for food industries. Large amounts of waste from citrus processing industries are available in Sicily, Italy. In the present study, the effect of dried citrus pulp as sheep dietary supplementation was evaluated on physico-chemical, microbiological and fatty acid composition of resulting milk and cheese. Pelleted feed integrated with molasses and blond orange pulp, replacing cane molasses, beet pulp and part of the maize and sunflower in ration, were administrated to ewes as an experimental treatment The experiment involved sixty Comisana breed sheep divided into two groups and two feeding trials (experimental and control). Ewe's milk and cheese samples were collected from January to April and analyzed for physico-chemical, microbiological and fatty acid profile composition. Results suggested that both the experimental milk and cheese were different from the controls. In particular, an increase of experimental milk yield and fat content were registered whilst the cheese samples exhibited a significant decrease of pH values and an increase in fat and protein contents. In addition, an increase of conjugated linoleic acids as well as of the oxidative stability were observed indicating the beneficial effect of dietary supplementation. Furthermore, among the main microbial groups, the experimental and control samples, no differences were detected. However, with the exception of streptococci, which was found higher in experimental cheeses, and staphylococci, which was significantly reduced by experimental feed. Moreover, the application of culture-independent methods highlighted the dominance of Lactobacillus rhamnosus/casei group in the experimental cheese, suggesting a driving role of the dietary supplementation in the cheese microbiota composition. The present study demonstrated that the inclusion of citrus by-products in the diet of small dairy ruminants is a promising feeding, which could positively affect milk composition and cheese manufacture.

Encapsulation of Citrus By-Product Extracts by Spray-Drying and Freeze-Drying Using Combinations of Maltodextrin with Soybean Protein and ι-Carrageenan

The effect of different combinations of maltodextrin (MD) coating agents (MD, MD + soybean protein, and MD + ι-carrageenan) on the encapsulation of lemon by-product aqueous extracts using freeze-drying and spray-drying were investigated. The total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of the microparticles were evaluated. Freeze-drying with the mixture of MD + soybean protein resulted in the highest retention of TPC, TFC, and FRAP (1.66 ± 0.02 mg GAE/g d.b., 0.43 ± 0.02 mg CE/g d.b., and 3.70 ± 0.05 mM TE/g, respectively). Freeze-drying resulted in microparticles with lower moisture content (MC) and water activity (aw) than those produced by spray-drying. Specifically, the MC and aw of the microparticles produced by freeze-drying ranged from 1.15 to 2.15% and 0.13 to 0.14, respectively, while the MC and aw of the microparticles produced by spray-drying ranged from 6.06% to 6.60% and 0.33 to 0.40, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that spray-drying resulted in the formation of spherical particles of different sizes regardless of the type of coating agent. Although freeze-drying resulted in microparticles with amorphous glassy shapes, the mixture of MD + soybean protein resulted in the formation of spherical porous particles. X-ray diffraction revealed a low degree of crystallinity for the samples produced by both techniques.

Synergy and Other Interactions between Polymethoxyflavones from Citrus Byproducts

The citrus by-products released from citrus processing plants may contain high levels of potentially bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, which are a widely distributed group of polyphenolic compounds with health-related properties based on their antioxidant activity. In the study reported here, the potential bioactivities and antioxidant activities of extracts, fractions and compounds from citrus by-products were evaluated along with the chemical interactions of binary mixtures of compounds and complex mixtures. The bioactivities and interactions were evaluated in wheat coleoptile bioassays and the antioxidant activity was evaluated by the al DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhdrazyl radical) radical scavenging assay. The extracts, fractions and most of the isolated compounds (mainly polymethoxyflavones) showed high activity in the wheat coleoptile bioassay. However, the antioxidant activity was not consistently high, except in the acetone extract fractions. Moreover, a study of the interactions with binary mixtures of polymethoxyflavones showed the occurrence of synergistic effects. The complex mixtures of fractions composed mainly of polymethoxyflavones caused a synergistic effect when it was added to a bioactive compound such as anethole. The results reported here highlight a new application for the wheat coleoptile bioassay as a quick tool to detect potential synergistic effects in compounds or mixtures.