Membrane Technology for Valorization of Mango Peel Extracts

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Biochemical Engineering
• Separation Science

Background:

• Mango peel is a rich source of bioactive compounds like phenolic compounds, dietary fibers, and carbohydrates.
• Current methods for recovering these compounds often involve complex extraction and separation techniques.
• The potential of membrane processes for fractionating nutrients and functional compounds from fruit bioproducts remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the performance of sequential ultrafiltration (UF) and nanofiltration (NF) for fractionating mango peel aqueous extracts.
• To evaluate the capability of UF and NF membranes in concentrating specific nutritional and functional compounds.
• To assess the potential applications of the resulting fractions in the food industry or for bioenergy production.

Main Methods:

• Aqueous mango peel extracts were processed using ultrafiltration (UF) with a 25 kDa molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) membrane.
• The UF permeate was further fractionated using nanofiltration (NF) with a 130 Da MWCO membrane.
• Both UF and NF concentration steps were performed up to a volume concentration factor of 2.0.

Main Results:

• UF membranes effectively rejected high molecular weight compounds, while NF membranes concentrated fermentable monosaccharides and disaccharides.
• Both UF and NF concentrates exhibited antioxidant activity, primarily due to phenolic compounds, with high rejection rates (75% for UF, 98.8% for NF).
• The study successfully demonstrated the fractionation of mango peel extract components using a sequential UF-NF membrane system.

Conclusions:

• Sequential UF and NF membrane processes are effective for fractionating and concentrating valuable compounds from mango peel aqueous extracts.
• The concentrated fractions, particularly those from NF, hold significant potential for utilization in the food industry or for bioenergy generation.
• Membrane technology offers a promising approach for valorizing fruit bioproducts, contributing to a more sustainable food system.