Recovery of Seeds from Processing Waste of Natsudaidai (Citrus natsudaidai Hayata)

In the course of the development of an industrial recovering system of limonoids from citrus processing waste, an efficient method to recover seeds from the citrus processing waste (peel residue) was developed. The residue was first passed on a vibrating sieve (φ14.5×14.5 mm) to remove peel fragments and other contaminants, and then the remaining material was degraded either chemically or enzymatically. The degraded fraction was sieved with mesh screen (φ4.5×50mm) and 85-90% of the seeds was recovered in optimal condition. The limonoid content in the seeds was not affected when the first fraction was treated with acid or enzyme. However, the content decreased when it was treated with alkali.