Valorization of citrus limon peels: nutritional and antioxidant approach

Citrus is the most abundant crop of fruit trees in the world, with an annual production of approximately 124.2 million tons. Among the different types of citrus, lemons and limes represent 15.9 million tons [1]. Processing of citrus fruits results in a significant amount of waste (peels, pulps and seeds), which represent about 50% of the raw processed fruits, and are a potential source of valuable co-products. Structurally, lemon peels consist of the outer layer, called flavedo and the inner layer, called albedo. The flavedo contains high amounts of polyphenolic compounds, carotenoids and essential oils, whereas the albedo is rich in dietary fibers, particularly pectin, which grant them nutritional value and health benefits with antioxidant properties [2,3]. So, valorization of those by- products increases the potential return, while at the same time helps preserving the environment.