Phytochemical characteristics of citrus peel and effect of conventional and nonconventional processing on phenolic compounds: A review

Citrus peel is rich in functional ingredients such as essential oils (0.6–1%), fibers (6.30–42.13 g/100 g db), phenols (0.67–19.62 g/100 g db), and vitamin C (0.109–1.150 g/100 g db). Flavanones (hesperidin: 0.002–80.90 mg/g db, neohesperidin: 0.05–11.70 mg/g db, narirutin: 0.03–26.90 mg/g db; naringin: 0.08–14.40 mg/g db), and polymethoxylated flavones (sinensetin: 0.08–0.29 mg/g db, nobiletin: 0.20–14.05 mg/g db, tangeretin: 0.16–7.99 mg/g db) are the main phenolic compounds (PCs) of citrus peel. Due to their antioxidant activity, PCs are used in various applications such as formulation of healthy food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products. PCs present sensitivity to process operating conditions (during juice processing and further thermal and nonthermal processing). This review summarizes the main publications dealing with the proximate chemical composition, the functional properties, and the potential applications of the main citrus peel compounds. The effects of conventional and nonconventional processing on PCs of citrus fruits and their derived and coproducts are analyzed. The information provided in this review allows a better choice of appropriate processes and their optimal operating conditions for a better retention of antioxidants in citrus products.