Uses and Properties ofCitrusFlavonoids

Abstract

Flavonoids are a widely distributed group of polyphenolic compounds with health-related properties, which are based in their antioxidant activity. These properties have been found to include anticancer, antiviral, antiinflammatory activities, effects on capillary fragility, and an ability to inhibit human platelet aggregation. The antioxidant capacity of any flavonoid will be determined by a combination of the O-dihydroxy structure in the B-ring, the 2,3-double bond in conjugation with a 4-oxo function and the presence of both hydroxyl groups in positions 3 and 5. Flavanones, flavones, and flavonols are the flavonoids present in Citrus, and although flavones and flavonols have been found in low concentrations in Citrus tissues, in relationship to flavanones, these types of compounds have been show to be powerful antioxidants and free radical scavengers. Some Citrus flavonoids can be used directly as repellents or toxins or be used in plant improvement programs to obtain more resistant crops. In addition, some Citrus flavonoids and their derivates, in the field of food technology, are principally known for their ability to provide a bitter or sweet taste and as bitterness inhibitor. Keywords: Free radicals, antioxidant; anticarcinogenic; antiinflammatory; platelet aggregation; antiallergic; analgesic; antimicrobial; food additives

Analysis of phytochemical profile of Terminalia arjuna bark extract with antioxidative and antimicrobial properties

“…Natural antioxidants mainly come from plants in the form of phenolic compounds, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, tocopherols etc [25] . The antioxidative properties of flavonoids are due to several different mechanisms, such as scavenging of free radicals, chelation of metal ions, such as iron and copper and inhibition of enzymes responsible for free radical generation [26] . This methanolic extract has great free radical scavenging property and also contains liberal amount of flavonoid components.…”

InVitro Antioxidant and Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Withania Somnifera Root

“…Flavonoid contents of the extracts were found to decrease in the following order: Chloroform extract > Petroleum ether extract > Methanol extract > Ethanol extract > n-hexane extract.Flavonoids play an important role in antioxidant system in plants. The antioxidative properties of flavonoids are due to several different mechanisms, such as scavenging of free radicals, chelation of metal ions, such as iron and copper and inhibition of enzymes responsible for free radical generation [24] . Depending on their structure, flavonoids are able to scavenge practically all known ROS.…”

Absorption and pharmacokinetics of grapefruit flavanones in beagles

“…Citrus fruits are rich in flavonoids that have been investigated for their biological activity. The use of citrus flavonoids as anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic and antitumour agents has been reported (Middleton & Kandaswami, 1994;Benavente-García et al 1997;Montanari et al 1998). Recent research shows that the citrus flavonoid naringenin stimulates DNA repair in prostate cancer cells (Gao et al 2006), whereas the flavanone glycoside naringin has proved to be a potent inhibitor of angiogenic peptide vascular endothelial growth factor, which is released in human tumour cells (Schindler & Mentlein, 2006).…”