Juice components and antioxidant capacity of four Tunisian Citrus varieties |
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Authors: | Moufida Saidani Tounsi Wissem Aidi Wannes Ines Ouerghemmi Sabrine Jegham Yosra Ben Njima Ghaith Hamdaoui Hassene Zemni Brahim Marzouk |
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Affiliation: | 1. Unité des Plantes Aromatiques et Médicinales, Centre de Biotechnologie au Technop?le de Borj‐Cédria (CBBC), BP 90, 2050 Hammam‐lif, Tunisia;2. Laboratoire de Physiologie Moléculaire de Vigne, Centre de Biotechnologie au Technop?le de Borj‐Cédria (CBBC), BP 90, 2050 Hammam‐lif, Tunisia |
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Abstract: | BACKGROUND: Juices from four Citrus species of Tunisia were investigated mainly for quality parameters and antioxidant capacity. RESULTS: Citrus reticulata (mandarin) juice had the highest content of total flavonoids (85.33 mg CE L?1). The latter also occurred in high quantity (82.01 mg CE L?1) in Citrus lemon (lemon) juice which was also marked by its richness in total aroma (70.16 µg mL?1) and in total fatty acids (48.10 µg mL?1). Mandarin and lemon juices had the highest antioxidant activity, as determined b the β‐carotene bleaching assay (26.67% and 22.67%, respectively). Citrus aurantium (bitter orange) juice was characterised by the highest content of total polyphenols (784.67 mg GAE L?1) and by the greatest inhibition of DPPH (96.10%). Citrus sinensis (blood orange) juice was only marked by the high quantity of ascorbic acid (36.90 mg mL?1). GC/MS analysis of juice aroma showed the predominance of limonene (48.85–69.59%) in mandarin and in bitter and blood oranges, but of camphene (89.05%) in lemon. GC analysis of juice fatty acids revealed their richness in oleic acid (23.13–39.52%). HPLC analysis of juice phenolics indicated the predominance of phenolic acids (73.13–86.40%). CONCLUSION: The Citrus species used in this study were considered valuable varieties from the point of view of antioxidant capacity and nutrition. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry |
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Keywords: | Citrus juices aroma fatty acids phenolics ascorbic acid antioxidant capacity |
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