Fermentation of orange pulp and extraction of essential oils from Eucalyptus globulus and Mentha spicata: sustainable utilization of agro-industrial residues in the Colombian context.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61799/2216-0388.1930Keywords:
Citrus biomass, Anaerobic bioethanol, Industrial essential volatile oilsAbstract
The valorization of citrus and aromatic residues enables the production of biotechnological products of industrial interest under circular economy principles, a key strategy for reducing environmental impacts and promoting efficient use of agro-industrial biomass. In Colombia, citrus processing wastes can represent up to 70% of the fruit’s mass, configuring a promising but underused feedstock for biotechnological, economic, and socio-environmental value creation. In parallel, essential oils from Eucalyptus globulus (eucalyptus) and Mentha spicata (spearmint) have reported antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, making them attractive for applications in cosmetics, food, pharmaceuticals, and sustainable industrial bioprocessing.
This study evaluated two recovery pathways: (i) ethanol production through anaerobic fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, using fresh and overripe orange pulp, and (ii) essential oil extraction of eucalyptus and spearmint by steam drag in micro-batches, followed by basic qualitative and physicochemical characterization. Citrus pulps were thermally pasteurized (80°C, 15 min) to ensure substrate hygiene, followed by controlled anaerobiosis using low-cost airtight containers. Results showed a differential ethanol conversion yield (2.1 mL from fresh pulp vs 0.7 mL from overripe pulp), confirming that pulp maturity alters fermentation efficiency, likely due to prior sugar degradation and metabolic inhibitors formation in aged biomass.
Essential oils were analyzed sensorially and through basic physicochemical and qualitative assays including density, solubility, redox discoloration tests with KMnO₄ and bromine (<60 s), violet complex formation with FeCl₃, refractive index, and gravimetric organic fraction purity estimation over five replicates. The average oil yields were 1.75% (eucalyptus) and 1.5% (spearmint), with densities of 0.85 and 0.89 g/mL, respectively, suggesting predominantly organic fractions with minimal residual water.
It is concluded that the physicochemical and hygienic state of citrus biomass is determinant for efficient alcohol conversion and that essential oil extraction in micro-batches is feasible under proper hygiene and anaerobiosis control, providing sustainable alternatives for citrus waste use in Colombian contexts. Finally, thin-layer chromatography is proposed as future confirmatory validation of the recovered organic fractions to strengthen traceability, verify composition, compare phytochemical fingerprints with applied literature, and support potential scale-up strategies for bioproducts derived from Colombian citrus residues
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