Polysaccharides from Pomelo Peels: Extraction, Optimization and their Antioxidant Activity In Vitro

The extraction conditions of water-soluble polysaccharides from pomelo peels were optimized by response surface methodology. The optimum polysaccharide extraction parameters were determined using a Box-Behnken design as follows: liquid-solid ratio of 34 mL/g, extraction temperature of 87 degrees C, extraction time of 2 h and extraction frequency of 2. Under these conditions, the corresponding yield of polysaccharides was 8.73%, which was consistent with the predicted value of 8.78%. The in vitro antioxidant assays revealed that pomelo peels polysaccharides exhibited higher scavenging activity to 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals, whereas relatively lower scavenging activities to superoxide anions and hydroxyl radical. Taken together, these results suggested that pomelo peels polysaccharides had the potential to be antioxidants in pharmaceutical industries and functional foods.