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Orange peel extract may improve heart health
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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A new study conducted by the University of Florida and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has found that orange peels may play an important role in improving cardiovascular health.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among men, women and most racial and ethnic groups, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Recent studies have shown that certain gut bacteria contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. When fed certain substances during digestion, these bacteria produce trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). TMAO levels may predict future cardiovascular disease, according to researchers at the Cleveland Clinic.
Yu Wang and her team investigated the potential of orange peel extracts, rich in beneficial phytochemicals, to reduce the production of TMAO and trimethylamine (TMA). The scientists tested two types of extracts: polar and non-polar fractions.
To obtain polar fractions, the scientists used polar and non-polar solvents to extract orange peel, Wang explained.
"If you think about salad dressing, everything that's in the water or vinegar is the polar fraction; everything that's in the oil, away from the water, is the non-polar fraction," Wang said. "The solvents we used weren't exactly like water and oil, but they have similar polarity."
The results of the study showed that the extract from the non-polar fraction of orange peel was effective in inhibiting the production of harmful chemicals. The scientists also identified a compound called feruloylputrescine in the polar fraction of orange peel extract, which also significantly inhibited the enzyme responsible for the production of TMA.
"This is a new discovery that highlights the previously unrecognized potential of feruloylputrescine to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease," said Wang, an associate professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at UF/IFAS.
The discovery is significant because the U.S. orange juice industry produces 5 million tons of orange peels each year. Nearly 95 percent of Florida's oranges are used to make juice. About half of the peels are fed to livestock; the rest is thrown away. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers orange peel extracts safe for human consumption. So Wang hopes to find better uses for the peels.
"These results show that orange peels, often discarded as waste in the citrus industry, can be repurposed into valuable ingredients with health benefits, such as dietary supplements or food ingredients," said Wang, a faculty member at the UF/IFAS Center for Citrus Research and Education.
"Our study opens the way to the development of functional foods enriched with these bioactive compounds, offering new therapeutic strategies for heart health."