• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.9
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• pp.1345-1350
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• 2013

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of extraction methods on the antioxidant activity of Citrus unshiu pomace. For this purpose, two kinds of citrus pomace (CP)s, whole fruit CP and pulp CP, were used for preparing the extracts with hot water or 70% ethanol. It is well-known fact that whole fruit CP has more calories and carbohydrates, although moisture content is higher in pulp CP. Further, whole fruit CP extracts have higher levels of total phenolic contents compared to CP extracts. In addition, DPPH and alkyl radical scavenging activities were also higher in whole fruit CP, especially in ethanolic extracts. Our results based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer showed that 70% ethanolic extract of whole fruit CP has the maximum levels of nobiletin and tangeretin contents. The levels of naringin, which is known as an antioxidant flavonoid, was determined only in the 70% ethanolic extract of whole fruit CP. This result, however, is consistent with the observed DPPH and alkyl radical scavenging activities. We had also performed a gas chromatography analysis that showed all the four extracts contained the compound hydroxymethyl furfural. Significantly, this compound has been reported to have antioxidant activity. Taken together, findings of this study indicate that ethanolic extraction of whole fruit CP is a good source of antioxidant compounds and hence the same could be utilized as an important method to obtain such beneficial compounds on an industrial scale.