METHOD OF EXTRACTING FLAVONOIDS AND/OR POLYPHENOLS FROM DRIED AND POWDERED CITRUS PEELS, COMPOSITIONS THEREFROM, AND METHODS OF TREATMENT OF DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC INFLAMMATION
Improved processes for extracting polyphenols and/or flavonoids from citrus peels are provided that comprise 1) heating a ground peel to form a pre-treated, ground peel； and 2) extracting the compounds of interest from the pre-treated, ground peel using a basic solution of pH greater than 7 and less than 12. Such processes serve to increase the efficiency of extraction of the polyphenols and/or flavonoids. In preferred embodiments, the flavonoids extracted include hesperidin and narirutin. These extracts are useful in the preparation of anti-inflammatory medicaments for the treatment of chronic inflammatory disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and multiple sclerosis.
