Obtaining essential oils and pectin from Valencia orange.

Neither pectin nor the essential oils necessary to cover the demand generated mainly by the food and pharmaceutical sectors are produced in Colombia. For this reason, valencia orange peels from the producing region in the department of Cesar were used to obtain them and observe their application in the production of gels. Initially, essential oil was extracted by steam dragging and then pectin was extracted by acid hydrolysis in order to take maximum advantage of the by-product of the orange juice industry, which can later be used to obtain fertilizer or concentrated animal feed. This work aims to contribute to the agroindustrial development of the Colombian industry and especially of the Department of Cesar to increase the profitability of the processes, reduce the importation of these products and reduce the environmental impacts caused by the non-use of these residues.