The by-product of citrus juice processing is a huge source of bioactive compounds, especially polymethoxyflavones (PMFs) and fibers. In this study, a method for the separation and purification of PMFs from citrus pomace was established based on citrus nanoporous carbon (CNPC) enrichment. Different biomass porous carbons were synthesized, their adsorption/desorption characteristics were evaluated, and the CNPCs from the peel of Citrus tangerina Tanaka were found to be best for the enrichment of PMFs from the crude extracts of citrus pomace. Using this method, six PMF compounds including low-abundant PMFs in citrus fruits such as 5,6,7,4'-tetramethoxyflavone and 5-hydroxy-6,7,8,3',4'-pentamethoxyflavone can be simultaneously obtained, and the purities of these compounds were all higher than 95%, with the highest purity of nobiletin reaching 99.96%. Therefore, CNPCs have a great potential for the separation and purification of PMFs in citrus processing wastes, potentially improving the added value of citrus wastes. We also provide a method reference for disposing of citrus pomace in the future.
Keywords: PMFs; adsorption/desorption; citrus nanoporous carbon; citrus pomace.