Sustainable Development and Storage Stability of Orange By-Products Extract Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents

What if the secret to greener food enrichment is hiding in discarded orange peels? Scientists are turning to custom-designed green solvents to unlock powerful health compounds from citrus waste.

The citrus industry leaves behind mountains of waste packed with health-boosting bioactive compounds. Traditionally, extracting these treasures meant relying on harsh organic solvents. Enter Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents, or NADES—a greener, smarter alternative.

Using advanced COSMOtherm software, researchers screened fourteen different NADES candidates. Two standout pairings emerged: lactic acid-glucose and L-proline-malic acid. These power-couple solvents proved remarkably effective at harvesting total polyphenols and flavonoids from orange peels.

When the team optimized the extraction process, variables like solvent percentage, solid-to-liquid ratio, and time proved crucial. Even better, storage tests over 30 days revealed that NADES actively improve the stability of total polyphenols. These findings pave the way for the food industry to sustainably enrich products using natural ingredients sourced straight from fruit by-products.

Key Points

• Green NADES extracted polyphenols and flavonoids from orange peels.
• Lactic acid-glucose and L-proline-malic acid showed highest extraction yields.
• NADES successfully improved the storage stability of polyphenols.