High Concentrate Flavonoids Extract from Citrus Pomace Using Enzymatic and Deep Eutectic Solvents Extraction

Area of Science:

• Food Chemistry
• Green Chemistry
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Citrus pomace is a rich source of valuable phenolic compounds.
• Conventional extraction methods can be inefficient and environmentally taxing.
• Deep eutectic solvents (DES) offer a promising alternative for natural product extraction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate DES methodologies for extracting phenolic compounds from citrus pomace.
• To investigate the synergistic effect of DES and pectinlyase on extraction efficiency.
• To compare DES-based extraction with conventional methods.

Main Methods:

• Formulation and characterization of seven DESs.
• Extraction of phenolic compounds from citrus pomace with and without pectin.
• Enzymatic-assisted extraction using DES and pectinlyase (one-step and two-step).
• Quantification of total phenolic compounds (TPC) and individual phenolics (HPLC).
• Assessment of antioxidant capacity using DPPH and FRAP assays.

Main Results:

• DES extraction at 60°C yielded higher phenolic concentrations from citrus pomace with pectin.
• The two-step extraction (E2S) using DES and pectinlyase significantly increased TPC and antioxidant activity.
• DES-based extraction, particularly E2S, outperformed conventional extraction in yield and antioxidant capacity.
• Specific DES formulations (DES 1 and 5) combined with pectinlyase showed optimal results.

Conclusions:

• DES demonstrate significant potential for efficient flavonoid extraction from citrus pomace.
• The association of DES with pectinlyase, especially in a two-step process, enhances phenolic compound recovery and antioxidant properties.
• This study highlights a sustainable and effective approach for valorizing citrus processing byproducts.