Orange peel extracts are a natural and effective way to improve cardiovascular health and may help protect against heart disease, one of the leading causes of premature death worldwide.
A new study involving experts from the University of Florida examined how orange peel extracts affect the production of trimethylamine and trimethylamine-N-oxide, which is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The results can be read in the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry”.
Intestinal bacteria produce trimethylamine-N-oxide
It is known that various intestinal bacteria promote the development of cardiovascular diseases because they produce trimethylamine N-oxide when digesting nutrients, the team explains.
The trimethylamine N-oxide level can also be used to predict the risk of future cardiovascular diseases.
The researchers have now tested in vitro and in vivo on mice to what extent two different extracts from orange peel can reduce the production of trimethylamine N-oxide and trimethylamine thanks to the healthy secondary plant substances.
What are polar and nonpolar fractions?
According to the researchers, the extract consisted of either the so-called polar fraction or the non-polar fraction of the orange peel, each of which was extracted using appropriate solvents.
“If you imagine your salad dressing, everything in the water or vinegar is the polar fraction; everything in the oil apart from the water is the non-polar fraction. The solvents we use are not exactly like water and oil, but they have a similar polarity,” explains study author Yu Wang.
Production of pollutants inhibited
The studies showed that an extract from the non-polar fraction of the orange peel can effectively inhibit the production of pollutants, the team reports.
The researchers were also able to identify a compound in the extract of the polar orange peel fraction, known as feruloylputrescine. This inhibited the enzyme responsible for the production of trimethylamine.
“This is a new finding that highlights the previously unrecognized health potential of feruloylputrescine in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease,” Wang explains in a recent press release.
Orange peels often end up unused in the trash
Oranges and orange juice have been linked to positive effects on heart health in previous studies. For example, a research paper published in the English-language journal Phytotherapy Research shows how orange juice protects the cardiovascular system.
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However, the new study results are particularly interesting because millions of tons of orange peel are produced every year in the production of orange juice worldwide, a large proportion of which ends up unused in the trash.
In addition, the Food and Drug Administration in the United States has already classified natural orange peel extracts as safe for human consumption, so there is nothing to prevent them from being used more effectively, Wang emphasizes.
Dietary supplement made from orange peels
The results of the new study suggest that orange peels can be converted into valuable health-promoting products, such as food ingredients or dietary supplements, the doctor continued.
“Our research paves the way for the development of functional foods enriched with these bioactive compounds and offering new therapeutic strategies for heart health,” the expert concludes. (as)