Orange waste, generally discarded, is a source of many bioactive compounds that could be used for the development of high-value-added products in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of extraction method (automated Soxhlet extraction and temperature-controlled maceration), solvent system, and extraction time on the recovery of bioactive compounds from Valencia orange (Citrus sinensis) by-products. Proximate characterization of the dried orange residue (DOR) was performed prior to extraction. The type of solvent (ethanol and methanol), solvent:water ratio (50, 75, and 100%), and extraction time (60 and 120 min) were evaluated in terms of total extraction yield (TEY), total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant capacity determined by ABTS and DPPH assays, for each extraction method. ASE generally provided higher extraction yield and total phenolic content, particularly with 75:25 ethanol:water at 120 min, whereas TCM combined with methanol produced the highest antioxidant capacity. Extracts with up to 46.32% TEY, 5.57 mg GAE/g dm, and antioxidant capacities of 66.49 and 11.10 µmol TE/g dm determined by ABTS and DPPH assays, respectively, were obtained. The results demonstrated that Valencia orange by-products are a source of phenolic compounds and antioxidants with potential for product development across different industrial sectors.

Medicinal plants play an essential role in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries due to their ability to prevent and treat diseases. In this study, a three-factor, three-level Box–Behnken experimental design (BBD) with response surface methodology (RSM) was used to maximize the conditions of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of bioactive compounds from matico and chacruna leaves in terms of total extraction yield (TEY), total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (AA) using ABTS and DPPH assays. The effect of methanol concentration (X1: 25%, 50%, and 75%), time (X2: 3, 6, and 9 min), and power (X3: 90, 270, and 450 W) was evaluated as independent variables. The experimental results were fitted to second-order polynomial models, and multiple regression analysis and analysis of variance were used to determine the suitability of the models, using which 3D response surface plots were generated. Considering the multivariable optimization, the best extraction conditions were 73.68% v/v methanol, 9 min, 269.32 W for matico, and 64.84% v/v methanol, 3 min, 344.44 W for chacruna. Under these conditions, the maximum value of 18.33 and 20.83% for TEY, 7.16 and 40.86 mg GAE/g dm for TPC, 56.88 and 526.38 µmol TE/g dm for DPPH were predicted for matico and chacruna, respectively. Practical Applications: This research focused on the modeling by response surface methodology (RSM) of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of bioactive compounds from matico and chacruna, Peruvian plants used in traditional medicine. The methodologies used allow the maximization of bioactive extraction, which presented a high recovery of phenolics with high antioxidant activity. These results highlight the use of Amazon plants in traditional medicine and their possible use in other industries such as cosmetic or food safety.

La Amazonía peruana representa el 62% del territorio nacional y dentro del área de influencia se encuentran ecosistemas ricos en biodiversidad de un gran potencial melífero. El objetivo del estudio fue determinar las características físico-químicas de las mieles procedentes de los ecosistemas de Alto Mayo y Huallaga Central de la región San Martín; mediante la Norma Técnica Peruana y AOAC. Se tomaron 20 muestras de miel de los apiarios de las provincias de Rioja (ecosistema del Alto Mayo) y Mariscal Cáceres (ecosistema del Huallaga Central). Se determinaron diferentes parámetros físico-químicos como acidez (19,72 a 13,25 meq kg^-1), pH (4,19 a 3,96), humedad (19,06 a 17,82%), actividad de agua (0.53 a 0.54), densidad (1.41 a 1,42 g mL^-1), azúcares reductores (63,00 a 64,95%), sólidos solubles (73,08 a 74,18 °Brix), color (62,57 a 85,55 mm PFund), conductividad eléctrica (0.26 a 0.41 mS cm^-1), contenido de cenizas (0,23 a 0,52%), hidroximetilfurfural (14,30 a 15,0 mg kg^-1) e índice de diastasa (10,54 a 10,75 °Gothe). La miel de la provincia de Mariscal Cáceres expresó un color más claro en relación a la miel del ecosistema de Alto Mayo.