Title: Eco-friendly extraction of Mosambi (Citrus limetta) essential oil from waste fruit peels and its potential use as a larvicidal, insecticidal and antimicrobial agent

Authors: Tripti Kumari; Nandana Pal Chowdhury; Ritika Chauhan; Nawin Kumar Tiwary

Addresses: Department of Chemistry, Gargi College, University of Delhi, Siri Fort Road, New Delhi 110049, India ' Department of Chemistry, Gargi College, University of Delhi, Siri Fort Road, New Delhi 110049, India ' Department of Applied Sciences, Bharati Vidyapeeth's College of Engineering, A-4, Paschim Vihar, New Rohtak Road, New Delhi 110063, India ' Department of Environmental Studies, Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, Delhi 110054, India

Abstract: An increase in citrus fruit peel and pulp waste across the world poses severe waste management issues and an approach to reuse these industrial and domestic wastes can resolve many environmental and waste management problems. Here, we report the extraction of essential oils from waste Mosambi (Citrus limetta) fruit rinds and its potential use as a larvicidal, insecticidal and antimicrobial agent. The novelty of the study is the use of a household pressure cooker and the extraction has been facilitated outside of a laboratory, using the rinds of waste Mosambi (Citrus limetta), a raw material that has been seldom used for extraction purposes. We have adopted the steam distillation technique followed by solvent extraction using n-hexane. The reported method of extraction produces zero waste, is energy efficient and gives a good yield. The extracted essential oil was found to have larvicidal and insecticidal properties. It also possesses antibacterial activity against non-pathogenic strains Bacillus subtilis and Rhodococcus equi. Fungal strains, Aspergillus flavus and Alternaria carthami were also inhibited by the oil, indicating its antifungal nature.

Keywords: essential oils; steam distillation; Mosambi (Citrus limetta) peels; limonene; antimicrobial; insecticidal.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2022.122683

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2022 Vol.29 No.3, pp.360 - 375

Received: 23 Mar 2019
Accepted: 08 Jun 2020
Published online: 05 May 2022 *

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