Essential Oils and Antioxidants Derived From Citrus By-Products in Food Protection and Medicine: An Introduction and Review of Recent Literature

After a brief overview of the general production, market value, and uses of citrus by-products, this literature review will focus on the most highly refined “pharmaceutical grade” citrus oils and antioxidants that have been derived from peels or other fruit parts. Citrus oils have been used as a part of the perfume industry and in the practice of alternative medicine for a long time, but now there is a great deal of mainstream food processing and drug industry interest in them owing to the rediscovery or confirmation of some of their beneficial properties, as well their development for entirely new applications. Their roles as antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and cancer chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic agents appear promising.