Fresh-cut orange treated with its own seed by-products presented higher antioxidant capacity and lower microbial growth

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of orange peel and seed extracts as additives to preserve quality of fresh-cut orange. Ethanolic extraction from seeds was fractionated in polar (PE) and non-polar (NPE) solvents, and essential oils from peels (PEO) were obtained. Total phenolics, flavonoids content, antioxidant activity, antifungal activity and antibacterial properties of the obtained extracts were evaluated. NPE showed the best response in phenolic content, antioxidant and antifungal activities, followed by the PE, while the PEO showed the lowest scores. NPE was selected and applied to fresh-cut orange. Treated fruit showed the highest values of total phenolic content (32.6 mg GAE/g), flavonoids (26.3 mg QE/g) and antioxidant activity (8,270 μmol TE/g) and the lowest mesophilic bacteria (1,854 CFU/g) and total moulds and yeast (3,435 CFU/g) growth compared to controls (6.7 mg GAE/g; 5.4 mg QE/g; 1,836 μmol TE/g; 2,848 CFU/g; 19,030 CFU/g, respectively). This work demonstrates the potential of seed by-products rich in antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds that can be used to preserve quality of fresh-cut oranges.