The levels of bioactive ingredients in Citrus aurantium L. at different harvest periods and antioxidant effects on H₂O₂‐induced RIN‐m5F cells

Abstract

BACKGROUND Citrus aurantium L. (Aurantii fructus) is a multi‐purpose citrus fruit with high medicinal and nutritional value, but currently there are no data that can be used to investigate the appropriate harvest time to obtain high‐quality citrus bioactive ingredients from it. RESULTS Phytochemicals and the levels of the main bioactive ingredients were investigated by ultra high performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐ESI‐Q‐TOF/MS). The flavanone, polymethoxyflavone, coumarin, synephrine, and limonin content in the citrus fruit was analyzed at different harvest periods, and significant differences, ranging from 0.03 ± 0.01 to 116.26 ± 40.20 g kg−1 (DW), were shown. These compounds were present in higher amounts in June and then decreased gradually, while the biomass accumulation of most of them showed an increasing tendency around harvest time. The H2O2‐induced RIN‐m5F cells model was employed to evaluate their antioxidant capacity. Citrus fruit harvested from June 11 to July 7 possessed an excellent antioxidant capacity by inhibiting the intensity of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) (P < 0.01) and improving superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH) activity (P < 0.01). The chemical composition and antioxidant capacity of citrus leaves, stems, and roots were also evaluated, and these showed great variation compared with other citrus fruits. Multivariate statistical analysis indicated that harvesting time was related closely to the phytochemical contents and antioxidant capacity. CONCLUSION Citrus fruit can be appropriately harvested from June to early July when the levels of bioactive ingredients and antioxidant activity reach higher values. This research provides practical information for producing high‐quality citrus products. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry

Biological Activities of Citrus aurantium Leaf Extract by Optimized Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction

“…Our results, thus, demonstrated that optimized UAE extraction considerably improves C. aurantium leaf waste utilization. Similar results were observed for increases in the antioxidant enzyme activity of UAE-extracted CALE [8].…”

“…However, a large amount of C. aurantium leaves with potential active ingredients are discarded, which may pose an environmental risk [6]. C. aurantium leaf extract (CALE) has substantial antioxidant and antimicrobial properties [7,8]. However, CALE's biological activity often depends on various factors, such as the origin, variety, environmental background (soil texture and degree of fertilization), and maturity stage of C. aurantium; the climate it is cultivated in; and the extraction methods used [8,9].…”

“…Leaf EOs extracted from C. aurantium (from Greece) by using an identical method exhibited differences in antioxidant capacities based on the life stage of the leaves; it was 4.14 times higher in fallen leaf EOs (94.36%) than in young leaf EOs (22.79%) [12]. Tang et al (2021) extracted the leaves of C. aurantium (from China) through ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) with 58% ethanol as a solvent; the resulting extracts had considerably higher antioxidant activity (SOD, CAT, and GSH) than did those reported previously [8]. Moreover, C. aurantium leaf EOs obtained through hydrodistillation demonstrated a high minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for test bacteria (2700-9200 mg/L) and fungi (6900-13,000 mg/L) [11].…”

Analysis of quality evaluation and optimal harvest period of Aurantii Fructus from different sources using UHPLC‐Q‐TOF‐MS/MS

“…Several studies have evaluated the suitable harvest period for Jiang Aurantii Fructus, with Li et al finding that it should be harvested within 1 week before and after the Major Heat, consistent with the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 32 . Wang et al 11 made similar observations, suggesting that Fructus Ponciri Trifoliatae should be collected in early to mid‐June, 33 Citrus fruit can be appropriately harvested from June to early July, 34 and Chongqing Aurantii Fructus should be collected from mid‐July to early August 35 . However, there are currently no studies on the optimal harvest period for Xiang Aurantii Fructus.…”