Extraction and application of orange peel essential oil as a natural ingredient

Abstract

The extraction of essential oils, products from plants secondary metabolites, has beneficial features for acting as antioxidants, anticancer, antimicrobial, antifungal and among others. This research evaluated the chemical profile and the antioxidant capacity of the essential oil obtained from Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck peel and its potential as natural ingredient in product development. The essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation method with Clevenger. The antioxidant activity was assessed by capturing free radicals through ABTS•+ and DPPH methods and the phytochemical profile was assessed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). D-Limonene (94.1%) and Beta-Myrcene (2.46%) were found as major compounds. The IC50 to DPPH test occurred at 0.02 μmolET/mL and IP test at 0.03 μmolET/mL concentrations. reaching inhibition of 81.45%. At ABTS test, IC50 occurred around 11μmolET/L and IP at 20 μmolET/L, reaching inhibition of 94.64%. After chemical analysis, it was developed an orange flavor gelatin containing the essential oil extracted. The product quality had been tested by sensorial analysis on 7 points hedonistic scale with 60 students from UNISINOS University. The grades obtained to flavor, aroma and texture were around 6 and 7 (really enjoyed it). To appearance attribute, the grades were lower and the average grade was 5 (moderately liked). The global acceptation rate was 83.21%. Thus, it was concluded that the natural gelatin containing essential oil was well accepted by the evaluators. It means it may be marketed for its antioxidant properties as well as for its sensory properties, being aligned to consumer behavior and new market trends.