An Overview of Bioactive Flavonoids from Citrus Fruits

Abstract

Citrus species are one of the world’s popular fruit crops, cultivated all over the world for their economic and nutritional values. Citrus, like other fruits and vegetables, are an important source of several antioxidant molecules (polyphenols, ascorbic acid, and carotenoids) that can inhibit the harmful effects of free radicals on the human body; due to their functional values and health-promoting properties, Citrus species are considered valuable fruits not only in agri-food industry, but also in pharmaceutical industry. Flavonoids are among the major constituents of polyphenols found in different parts of Citrus fruits (skin, peels, seed, pulp membrane, and juice). Flavonoids have different biological properties (antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial activities). Several studies have also shown the health-related properties of Citrus flavonoids, especially antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammation, anti-aging, and cardiovascular protection activities. In the present review, attempts are made to discuss the current trends of research on flavonoids in different Citrus species.

Improvement of Antioxidant Properties in Fruit from Two Blood and Blond Orange Cultivars by Postharvest Storage at Low Temperature

“…BO is an excellent source of natural antioxidant and bioactive compounds, promoting the interest of consumers and researchers in the recent years [6,7]. Many in vivo studies associate the beneficial health-effects of BO juice consumption in reduction of inflammatory processes related to its remarkable antioxidant power [18].…”

“…Anthocyanin production in BO is very dependent on cold-temperature, making their quality at harvest to fluctuate between geographical locations and seasons. In specific cold regions of China, Spain and Italy, BO develop optimal colour, while countries with tropi- Citrus fruits are excellent sources of nutrients due to their abundance in vitamin C, sugars, dietary fibre, minerals and phytochemicals, including flavonoids [6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. The vital bioactivities of these secondary metabolites have made blood oranges (BO) to be used as traditional medicine in different Asian countries [13,14].…”

Protective and Therapeutic Efficacy of Hesperidin versus Cisplatin against Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma-Induced Renal Damage in Mice

“…Hesperidin is the main flavonoid in the peel of various citrus species, which has been proved to possess numerous biological effects, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and anticarcinogenic effects [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. In the present study, the antitumor efficacy of Hesp was evaluated versus Cis in EAC-bearing mice to explore its role in enhancing the antitumor efficacy of Cis and minimizing its adverse side effects.…”

“…Hesperidin (Hesp) is a natural bioflavonoid that is abundantly found in the peel and membranous parts of various citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons, mandarins, and grapefruit [ 8 ]. Interestingly, Hesp has gained great attention in the treatment of various oxidative stress-mediated disorders such as cardiovascular and hepatorenal diseases, neurological disorders, diabetes, aging, and cancer [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. In addition, Hesp has potent antiatherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiallergic and antimicrobial properties [ 11 ].…”

Comparative Analysis of the Chalcone-Flavanone Isomerase Genes in Six Citrus Species and Their Expression Analysis in Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis)

“…Vitamin C, as an important part of human nutrition, mainly comes from Citrus fruits ( Xu et al, 2013 ). Moreover, phytochemical studies report that the Citrus plant has constituents including flavonoids, limonoids, and carotenoids ( Zibaee et al, 2020 ; Addi et al, 2022 ). Citrus extracts were widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and other diseases and have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and nerve-protective effects ( Szczepaniak et al, 2020 ; Zibaee et al, 2020 ; Rao et al, 2021 ).…”