Ahmed MI Mohamed¹*, Gehan A Ghoneim¹, Faten Y Ibrahim¹ and Saham MA El-Gamal²

¹Department of Food Industries, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Egypt
²Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Department, Horticulture Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza 12619, Egypt

*Corresponding Author: Ahmed MI Mohamed, Department of Food Industries, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Egypt.

Received: April 22, 2026; Published: June 04, 2026

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize the essential oil of oranges extracted from Valencia orange peel waste from two different sources (Dakahlia Governorate (Sample A) and from Alexandria Governorate (Sample B), Egypt) and to determine the levels of pesticide residues in the oil and their compliance with standard specifications. The study also aimed to evaluate its biological effects by investigating its antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, as well as its cytotoxicity against certain types of cancer cells. The essential oil was obtained using freeze-thaw assisted hydrodistillation of the aqueous waste from orange peeling, a step in the orange juice production line. Chemical composition analysis and pesticide residue detection were performed using GC-MS. Nine components were identified in both samples (A and B) through mass spectra and linear retention indices. Limonene was found to be the predominant compound in the essential oil, comprising 90.22% and 93.15%, respectively. When comparing the chemical composition of the two oils, a significant difference in the percentage of components was observed, but three major compounds were identified: limonene, linalool, and β-myrcene. Sample (A) showed significant pesticide contamination at levels exceeding the Egyptian Standard Specification, while sample (B) was within safe limits. The antioxidant activity of the oils was tested using a free radical scavenging method with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Both oils exhibited relatively strong antioxidant activity, with the oil from sample B being the most potent, registering 35.8 μg/mL. Furthermore, the antimicrobial evaluation using the disc diffusion method demonstrated the oil’s ability to inhibit microbial growth, particularly Gram-positive bacteria. The oil also showed a strong anticancer effect, especially at IC50, 10, 16, and 8.5 μg/mL. This study concludes by confirming the efficiency of the freeze-thaw extraction method and assisting hydro distillation in extracting essential oil from orange peel residue solutions. It characterizes the oil to elucidate its potent antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties.

Keywords:Orange Essential Oil; Extraction; Chemical Composition; Pesticide Residues; Antioxidant Activity; Antimicrobial Activity; Anti-Cancer Activity

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Citation

Citation: Ahmed MI Mohamed., et al. “Bio-Reactivity of Orange Essential Oil Extracted from Peel Waste". Acta Scientific Agriculture 10.5 (2026): 01-13.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2026 Ahmed MI Mohamed., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.