LAUSR

Abstract Citrus by-products are rich in flavanone aglycons which have lower bioactivity than aglycone forms. Based on this, the study evaluated the effects of enzyme biotransformation on antioxidant and vasorelaxant capacity of polyphenolic rich-extracts from citrus waste. Enzymatic treatment produced extracts with high hesperetin concentrations and higher antioxidant capacity than non-treated extracts. At the highest concentration tested (3 mg mL−1), citrus juice by-products exhibited only a partial vasorelaxant effect. After the enzymatic treatment, the extract had a maximal effect of 100% relaxation and enhanced their pEC50. The relaxation promoted by citrus pectin by-products was potentiated in the presence of ODQ, suggesting that vasorelaxant effects of these extracts may occur even when sGC is oxidized because of vascular oxidative stress. Thus, the enzyme-assisted extraction appears to enhance antioxidant and vasorelaxant properties of citrus extracts, which could be used to develop new products with antihypertensive properties.