Orange peel's got curative powers - Science Update - Brief Article

Agricultural Research, March, 2004 by Arland T. Hotchkiss

There's more good stuff lurking in an orange than just its vitamin C-rich juice. Studies show that carbohydrates in its peel have health-promoting effects. One of them, pectin, has prebiotic properties. Prebiotics are nondigestible foods or nutrients that increase growth of beneficial, probiotic bacteria in the large intestine, where they stimulate health and help curb foodborne pathogens.

Prebiotic carbohydrates, also known as oligosaccharides, are found in certain fruits and vegetables and are beginning to be used in food products and animal feeds. Now, antiadhesive prebiotics have been discovered that may prevent pathogens from binding to intestinal walls. Work is under way to find new, cost-effective methods to extract pectic prebiotics from orange peel, a low-value, abundantly available processing byproduct. A commercial partner's being sought to further develop and commercialize this technology. Arland T. Hotchkiss, USDA-ARS Crop Conversion Science and Engineering Research Unit, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania; phone (215) 233-6448, e-mail ahotchkiss@arserrc.gov.