Reliability of analytical methods for determining anthocyanins in blood orange juices.

Quantitative analysis of anthocyanins was performed on a series of blood orange juices according to various spectrophotometric and HPLC methods, and the causes for different concentration resulting from the application of such procedures were investigated. Spectrophotometric methods utilizing aqueous ethanol as a solvent provided an anthocyanin content higher than that determined by HPLC. Discrepancies were ascribed to the use of impure standards and/or unsuitable calibration lines. The most consistent results with the HPLC findings were obtained by a method utilizing water as a solvent and cyanidin-3-glucoside as a standard. Actual concentration of anthocyanins in blood orange juice was remarkably lower than that currently determined by procedures used in the juice producing factories.

Waste water from citrus processing as a source of hesperidin by concentration on styrene-divinylbenzene resin.

This paper describes a procedure for recovering hesperidin from the waste water of orange juice processing, namely, yellow water, by concentration of diluted extracts on styrene-divinylbenzene resin. Turbid raw material flowing out from centrifuges of essential oil separation contains considerable amount of hesperidin ( approximately 1 g/L) mainly associated with solid particles. Yellow water was treated with calcium hydroxide until pH 12 to solubilize hesperidin, filtered, neutralized at pH 6, and loaded on resin up to saturation. Desorption with 10% ethanol aqueous solutions at different NaOH concentrations (0.23-0.92 M) assured high concentration of hesperidin in selected fractions (10-78 g/L), from which it precipitated in high yield and purity immediately after acidification at pH 5. Best results were obtained using 0.46 M NaOH as eluent: 71.5% of the adsorbed hesperidin was desorbed in 300 mL, with an overall 64% yield of isolated product at 95.4% purity (HPLC). These experiments can constitute a useful starting point for an industrial application.

Recovery of hesperidin from orange peel by concentration of extracts on styrene-divinylbenzene resin.

This paper describes a new procedure for obtaining hesperidin from the waste orange peel of the citrus industry. It is based on the adsorption of dilute extracts of hesperidin on a styrene-divinylbenzene (SDVB) resin and the desorption in much more reduced volumes by means of alkaline eluents. Hesperidin immediately precipitates with good yield and high purity after acidification of the concentrated solutions, thus overcoming disadvantages due to the high dilution. Different experiments were carried out to examine operating conditions in each phase of the process. Hesperidin was extracted from peel with an aqueous saturated Ca(OH)(2) solution, allowing precipitation of calcium pectates from colloidal pectins that can interfere in the subsequent phases of adsorption and separation of hesperidin. The clear extracts were neutralized to optimize adsorption on resin. The most effective eluent was 0.5 N NaOH solution containing 10% ethanol. Recycling of the crystallization liquor improved the yield and purity of the product and reduced the acid amount required for neutralizing fresh alkaline extracts. Resin must be washed after each adsorption-desorption cycle and regenerated after five cycles. Results can constitute a useful starting point for an industrial application. A flow scheme of the process is also reported.

Hydroxycinnamic Acids as Markers of Italian Blood Orange Juices.

Extraction, resolution, and determination of the trans-hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic, p-coumaric, ferulic, and sinapic) were performed in 82 orange juices derived from the most important blood and blond varieties grown in Italy. Soluble solids, acidity, and anthocyanins were also determined. Hydroxycinnamic acids were more abundant in blood orange than in blond juices. Ferulic acid was the major component in all cases, but the distribution of the four acids was typical in each variety. Discriminant analysis of the experimental results showed that these acids could be used as markers of blood and blond varieties. The statistical model was used to recognize some mixtures of blood and blond juices.