한라봉 청과 과피로부터 향기성분의 효율적 회수를 위한 증류기반 정유 추출 공정 조건 분석 = Optimized Steam Distillation Approach for Efficient Aroma Compound Extraction from Immature Hallabong Flavedo

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study aims to develop a novel method for extracting natural aroma compounds from the flavedo of immature Hallabong (Citrus unshiu × C. sinensis) × C. reticulata, a citrus hybrid cultivated in Jeju Island, South Korea. Unlike conventional cold-press or enzyme-assisted extraction techniques, the proposed method utilizes a water distillation process following a wax removal step in 40–60°C distilled water. The green peel (flavedo) was separated, crushed in distilled water (1:2 ratio), and subjected to steam distillation. The resulting essential oil was analyzed using GC-MS, which identified 11 major compounds, including DL-Limonene (62.4%), Sabinene (17.7%), and β-Pinene (6.9%). The oil displayed a well-balanced aromatic profile encompassing citrus, herbal, woody, and floral notes. The average oil yield was 1.54%, which significantly surpasses the 0.03–0.19% yield reported in previous cold-press and enzyme-treated methods. Notably, this method excluded enzyme pretreatment, simplifying the process while enhancing fragrance diversity and extraction efficiency. Additionally, the distillation by-product, hydrosol, was collected as a functional co-product. This eco-friendly and effective approach provides a promising alternative for utilizing citrus juice by-products as high-value aroma ingredients in the fragrance and cosmetic industries.