Green pathway for utilisation of orange peel dust and in silico evaluation of pharmacological potential

Orange peel dust, a waste product of tea factories, hides a treasure trove of bioactive compounds—and scientists have found a green way to unlock it.

What if the dust left over from processing orange peels could become a source of medicine? Researchers explored this idea by combining two eco-friendly extraction methods: supercritical CO2 and ultrasound. First, they used high-pressure CO2 (10–30 MPa) to pull out volatile compounds from the peel dust. Then, they applied ultrasound with varying amplitudes to extract more from the leftover material. The results were impressive. The CO2 extracts were rich in linoleic acid (up to 41.47%) and hexadecanoic acid (up to 20.58%), alongside unique coumarins. The ultrasound extracts contained hesperidin and naringin—compounds known for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties—at concentrations reaching 900 µg/ml. Finally, in silico testing screened these compounds for potential pharmacological effects, pointing toward possible therapeutic applications. This waste-to-value approach not only reduces industrial waste but also opens a green pathway to drug discovery.

Key Points

• Two green methods combined: CO2 and ultrasound.
• Key compounds: linoleic acid, hesperidin, naringin.
• In silico screening reveals pharmacological potential.