RECOVERY OF FLAVANONES FROM WASTES OF INDUSTRIALLY PROCESSED LEMONS

The flavonoids present in the wastes and residues obtained during the industrial processing of lemons were characterized and quantified. Sel ected products of the juice-extraction line and essential-oil-recovery line were studied. Industrial lemon juice is characterized by contain ing hesperidin and eriocitrin as the main flavonoid glycosides (130 mu g/ml), other minor flavanones and C-glycosyl-flavones, After the conc entration process. the concentrated juice contained a 5-fold increase in the concentration of flavonoids, but some of the hesperidin present in the initial juice was lost. The flavanone glycosides were mainly c oncentrated in the peel and solid residues, where hesperidin was prese nt as the prevailing flavonoid with concentrations of up to three time s higher than those of eriocitrin. In liquid residues eriocitrin was t he main flavonoid. The solid residues (peel and frit precipitates) wer e the most interesting sources for the industrial recovery of flavonoi ds (13 kg/t processed lemons).