Citrus peels waste as a source of value-added compounds: Extraction and quantification of bioactive polyphenols.

• Polyphenols were effectively extracted from citrus peels in short extraction times. • High amounts of hesperidin were obtained especially from clementine peels. • Extraction conditions were deduced by DOE on the basis of individual polyphenols. • PCA was a useful strategy for analysis and evaluation of extraction data. • Identity of extracted polyphenols was corroborated by LC-MS/MS. A method combining solid-liquid extraction based on ethanolic aqueous solution, cLC-DAD and chemometrics, was performed to extract and quantify polyphenols from citrus peels. LC-MS/MS was also employed for chemical profiling. The effect of extraction variables on the recovery was examined by experimental factorial design. Data were evaluated using multifactorial-ANOVA, response surface analysis and Principal Component Analysis. trans -Ferulic and p -coumaric antioxidants were found in lower quantities (<1.4 mg·g−1) in all peel extracts. Narangin flavonoid was also identified in all samples, while rutin flavonol was determined in the concentration range of 3.3–4.7 mg·g−1. The most abundant polyphenol in the extracts obtained from all evaluated citrus samples was the flavanone hesperidin (280–673 mg·g−1). Furthermore, peel extracts were evaluated in terms of total polyphenol and flavonoid content, total antioxidant activity and DPPH free radical scavenging. The obtained results suggested that evaluated citrus peel by-products could be reused as a source of polyphenols and transformed into value-added products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]