Extraction and Characterization of Essential Oils from Nigeria Sweet Orange and Lemon Peels

Student: CHIDERA CHIGOZIE UGOKWE (Project, 2025)
Department of Chemical Engineering
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra State

Abstract

ABSTRACT Due to the abundance of orange and lemon peels dumped as waste in Nigeria, after their juices have been consumed by the populace, there is a need to research if these peels can serve other purposes. Hence this work studies the extraction and characterization of essential oil from Nigerian sweet orange and lemon peels, in order to determine their physicochemical properties. The research involved the application of cold press and solvent extraction methods to obtain essential oils from the peels of Nigerian sweet oranges and lemons. The chemical compositions of the extracted oils were analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify key bioactive compounds.The results showed that the essential oils from both citrus peels contained significant amounts of limonene, a compound known for its therapeutic and industrial applications. The study concluded that citrus peels are a viable source of high-quality essential oils, offering a sustainable alternative for industries reliant on natural products.This work not only demonstrates the potential of citrus waste in essential oil production but also provides a foundation for further research into optimizing extraction techniques and expanding the applications of these oils.

Keywords
extraction characterization essential nigeria sweet orange lemon peels
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