Citrus Fruit Peels: From Waste to Worth

Citrus fruits are most commonly consumed fruits. However, the peels of these fruits yield a huge waste. The peels also contain important phytoconstituents. This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant properties of peels of two selected citrus fruits (sweet lime and lemon). The peels were extracted using four solvents namely methanol, ethanol, acetone and distilled water. The extracts were analysed for total phenolic content, flavonoid content, DPPH radical scavenging activity and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). The result revealed that highest antioxidant profile was found for methanol extract of both sweet lime peel and lemon peel as compared to other extracts. The extracts of peels of sweet lime possessed higher total phenol, flavonoid and FRAP. The antioxidant capacity in terms of DPPH RSA and FRAP were attributed mainly to total phenolics as compared to flavonoids for both the peels. The higher antioxidant potential of peels of selected citrus fruits make them key ingredient for the development of functional foods and other supplementary products.