Simultaneous recovery of dietary fibres and hesperidin from industrial lemon waste

This paper sets out two chemical extraction processes in order to obtain simultaneously pectin and hesperidin from lemon peels as well as mucilage and hesperidin from lemon juice pulp. Mucilage and pectin are complex polysaccharides contained in various vegetable tissues; they are considered useful dietary fibres and are used mainly in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Hesperidin is a flavonoid with anti-inflammatory and vasodilatory properties. Two extraction methods are shown that utilize chemical reagents, as calcium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid and ethanol, to produce pectin, mucilage and hesperidin. The yield from simultaneous extractions is compared with separated extractions yield and the first results higher than the latter. Furthermore, the characterization analyses of the final materials, obtained after extraction processes, show that they could be suitable for use in animal feed. Therefore, the procedures described herein can be interesting for an industrial development and appear attractive in economic terms and also beneficial to the environment.