Green Extraction of Carotenoids From Lemon Peels

Abstract

Nowadays, there is a growing interest in fully utilizing agro-industrial wastes, with carotenoids gaining attention as valuable coloring agents. One of the potential sources for carotenoid extraction is lemon peel. The purpose of this study was to determine optimal extraction techniques for extracting as much carotenoids as possible from lemon peel. In this context, a comparison was conducted among extracts obtained via conventional, ultrasound-assisted (UAE), and ultrasound-assisted enzymatic (UAEE) extraction methods. The highest carotenoid content (0.792±0.01 mg/L) was achieved with UAEE, while the lowest (0.493±0.01 mg/L) was obtained conventionally. UAEE exhibited the highest antioxidant activity values among three methods: 753.80±5.79 mg TE/L (ABTS), 624.64±10.52 mg TE/L (DPPH), and 186.64±1.66 μmol TE/L (FRAP). In conclusion, UAEE showed promise in extracting carotenoids from lemon peel. Thus, by carotenoid extraction using green technology from waste lemon peels, with higher added value, richer in terms of phenolic composition and antioxidant properties, has been obtained.