Abstract
Turning agricultural and food processing by-products into health-promoting ingredients is pivotal for developing sustainable food systems. This study developed an integrated multi-dimensional evaluation framework to assess whether the common pomelo peel by-product (Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck, CGO) can serve as a functionally equivalent alternative to the rare Citrus grandis ‘Tomentosa’ (CGT) for functional food ingredient development. The framework combined comparative metabolomics and delayed luminescence profiling to characterize chemical and physical properties, alongside multi-parametric in vivo bioactivity and safety assessment in a diet-induced vertebrate model. Analyzes confirmed CGO and CGT as distinct chemotypes and physicotypes, with differential enrichment in bioactive pathways like phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Crucially, both extracts demonstrated statistically equivalent efficacy in alleviating hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation in a high-cholesterol diet-induced zebrafish model, and modulated key genes related to lipid metabolism, antioxidant response, and inflammation. Safety assessment revealed CGO’s significantly wider safety margin. Data integration across dimensions demonstrates that despite compositional differences, the net bioactivity converges on similar beneficial outcomes for liver metabolic health. This work provides a validated strategy for transforming underutilized residues into a multi-target, dietary-relevant ingredient, offering a replicable framework for resource-efficient development of sustainable functional crops and food supply chains.
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Data availability
The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to they are part of an institutional database for ongoing projects but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the University-College Joint Scientific and Technological Innovation Fund of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (GZYDG2024G07); the Jilin Provincial Development and Reform Commission (No. 2023C028-1); the Pilotscale Selection Project of Colleges and Universities in Changchun City (No.24GXYSZZ10); the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the People's Republic of China high-level talent project (No.030102070; No.030102071). The authors would like to thank Mr. Zhongfeng Chen, Ms. Mengyu Jiang and Guanshu Biotechnology Services (Changchun) Co., Ltd for providing the technical guidance.
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Min He, Mengmeng Sun and Dong Li designed the study. Yuliang Liu, Qizhong Lian, Jianan Wang and Mengmeng Sun conducted experimental work and data analysis. Xianghe Meng provided zebrafish resource. Yuliang Liu and Mengmeng Sun drafted the manuscript. Davron Dekhkonov, Hilola Ahunova and Komiljon Tojibaev contributed to revisions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Liu, Y., Sun, M., Lian, Q. et al. Valorizing common pomelo peel by-product via a multi-dimensional framework: a functionally equivalent alternative to a rare botanical for liver health. npj Sci Food (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-026-00813-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-026-00813-8
