Fruit peels valorization into cutin-rich extracts

Haslizawati Jaafar; Nur Hanani Zainal Abedin; Rosnita A. Talib; Rozzamri Ashari.

Fruit peels can be valorized as a source of cutin-rich materials with useful functional properties. This study compared cutin-rich extracts (CREs) from tomato, watermelon, honeydew, and papaya peels obtained through alkaline hydrolysis. The extracts were characterized for extraction yield, structure, thermal stability, water sorption, hydrophobicity, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity. CRE properties varied among the fruit sources. FTIR spectra showed functional groups associated with cutin in all samples. Tomato CRE had the lowest water sorption and better thermal stability, whereas watermelon CRE showed similar hydrophobicity and higher antioxidant activity. Watermelon CRE recorded the highest total phenolic content (71.23 ± 0.91 mg GAE/g), DPPH radical scavenging activity (19.41 ± 0.80%), and ABTS radical scavenging activity (88.64 ± 0.17%). The results show that fruit peel source affects CRE properties and supports their potential as sustainable bio-based materials for applications in packaging, coatings, and other material systems.

KEYWORDS: Cutin; Fruit peels; Waste valorisation; Hydrophobicity; Antioxidant activity



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