Fruit processing industries produce by-products that are good sources of natural antioxidants. These residuals are non-toxic and available in large quantities. A central composite design (CCD) and response surface methodology (RSM) were used to optimize experimental conditions. The processing variables were solvent type, solvent to solid ratio, ethanol concentration, temperature, and time. The responses were total phenolic content (TPC), scavenging activity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, and yield. The optimal conditions were 70% ethanol-water mixture as a food grade solvent, temperature of 35 degrees C and extraction time 60 min for obtaining extracts with maximum of total phenolic content. Predicted values for total phenolic content in pear, apricot, and peach were 24.7, 19.3, and 10.4 mg gallic acid equivalents per 100 g fruit residual, respectively.
