Volatile Compounds of Lemon and Grapefruit IntegroPectin

An HS-SPME GC-MS analysis of the volatile compounds adsorbed at the outer surface of lemon and grapefruit pectins obtained via the hydrodynamic cavitation of industrial waste streams of lemon and grapefruit peels in water suggests important new findings en route to understanding the powerful and broad biological activity of these new pectic materials. In agreement with the ultralow degree of esterification of these pectins, the high amount of highly bioactive α-terpineol and terpinen-4-ol points to limonene (and linalool) decomposition catalyzed by residual citric acid in the citrus waste peel residue of the juice industrial production.     

Qualitative Analysis of Citrus Fruit Extracts by GC/MS: An Undergraduate Experiment

Rinds from a variety of citrus fruits (grapefruit, lemon, lime, navel and Valencia orange, tangerine, and tangelo) were extracted and analyzed using GC/MS. In this experiment, sophomore organic chemistry students explore extraction techniques and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection as well as the theory associated with these methods. Furthermore, the experiment provides students with an opportunity to learn about essential oils and terpenes. Background information on terpenes, the extraction protocol, and GC/MS conditions used for analysis is provided. A summary is given of the most frequently observed terpenes and terpenoids identified for each citrus fruit mentioned above.     

Bioassay directed identification of natural aryl hydrocarbon-receptor agonists in marmalade

Citrus fruit and citrus fruit products, like grapefruit, lemon and marmalade were shown to contain aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists, as detected with the DR CALUX bioassay. This is of interest regarding the role of the Ah-receptor pathway in the adverse effects of dioxins, PCBs and other aromatic hydrocarbons. So far it is unclear which compounds in citrus fruit are responsible for the AhR-mediated activity and whether regular exposure to these compounds can cause effects comparable to, e.g. dioxins. The present study aimed at developing a method for identifying unknown Ah-receptor agonists in citrus products based on bioassay directed analysis, using marmalade as a first target. Following extraction with hexane and purification on an aluminium oxide-column, the extract was fractionated by HPLC using a C-18 semi-preparative column. Fractions were extracted, solvent-exchanged into dimethylsulfoxide and subsequently tested with DR CALUX. Extracts were shown to contain primarily coumarins, furocoumarins (FCs) and polymethoxyflavones (PMFs). Identification of fractions most active in the bioassay via LC/MS revealed that bergapten (an FC) is the most important Ah-receptor agonist in marmalade. The approach and method developed resulted in the successful identification of the bioactive component. However, potential pitfalls of the procedure will be discussed.     

GC-MS quantitation of isocitric acid in the presence of a large excess of citric acid

A GC-MS method has been developed for the analysis of the sugar and carboxylic acid content of citrus fruits, including the quantitation of isocitric acid in the presence of a large excess of citric acid. Optimum conditions have been determined for the analysis (from one solution, by one injection, on a 30 m DB-5 column) of the TMS oxime and/or TMS derivatives of sugars and acids obtained from various lemon, grapefruit, and orange samples. Quantitation was based on the monitoring of the total ion current and of selective fragments. The utility of the method has been demonstrated by the determination of isocitric acid in the presence of 10- to 200-fold excess of citric acid.     

Potential perchlorate exposure from Citrus sp. irrigated with contaminated water

Citrus produced in the southwestern United States is often irrigated with perchlorate-contaminated water. This irrigation water includes Colorado River water which is contaminated with perchlorate from a manufacturing plant previously located near the Las Vegas Wash, and ground water from wells in Riverside and San Bernardino counties of California which are affected by a perchlorate plume associated with an aerospace facility once located near Redlands, California. Studies were conducted to evaluate the uptake and distribution of perchlorate in citrus irrigated with contaminated water, and estimate potential human exposure to perchlorate from the various citrus types including lemon (Citrus limon), grapefruit (Citrus paradise), and orange (Citrus sinensis) produced in the region. Perchlorate concentrations ranged from less than 2-9 μg/L for Colorado River water and from below detection to approximately 18 μg/L for water samples from wells used to irrigate citrus. Destructive sampling of lemon trees produced with Colorado River water show perchlorate concentrations larger in the leaves (1835 μg/kg dry weight (dw)) followed by the fruit (128 μg/kg dw). Mean perchlorate concentrations in roots, trunk, and branches were all less than 30 μg/kg dw. Fruit pulp analyzed in the survey show perchlorate concentrations ranged from below detection limit to 38 μg/kg fresh weight (fw), and were related to the perchlorate concentration of irrigation water. Mean hypothetical exposures (μg/person/day) of children and adults from lemons (0.005 and 0.009), grapefruit (0.03 and 0.24), and oranges (0.51 and 1.20) were estimated. These data show that potential perchlorate exposures from citrus in the southwestern United States are negligible relative to the reference dose recommended by the National Academy of Sciences.     

Bioflavonoid profile of citrus juices from Greece

High‐performance liquid chromatography with confirmation by UV–visible photodiode array detector–positive electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry [HPLC‐UV–vis‐DAD‐(+ESI)‐MS] with enhanced fragmentation by appropriate adjustment of the cone voltage was used to determine bioflavonoid content of five citrus species (tangerine, sanguine, sour orange, lemon and grapefruit) cultivated in Greece which come from citrus varieties analyzed for the first time. The main groups of bioflavonoids found in the juice of the citrus species according to HPLC retention times, spectral data and literature references were O‐glycosylated flavanones and flavones, C‐glucosylated flavones, O‐glucosylated flavones, O‐C‐glucosylated flavones like saponarin and a phenolic derivative. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in citrus fruit irrigated with fresh water under arid conditions: Concentrations,sources, and risk assessment

In Jordan, as well as in all the world countries, consumption of citrus fruits is an essential part of the daily diet, so it is important to assess the potential risk of the persistent organic pollutants such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in these fruits to the human health and identify their sources in order to eliminate or reduce them. This study reports 16 priority PAHs content in four types of peeled citrus fruits grown in Jordan valley. PAHs were detected in all the studied samples in variable quantities depending on the type of citrus fruits. The results showed that the highest PAH level corresponded to acenaphthene (35.018 µg/kg) in grapefruit. Among the carcinogenic PAHs, benzo[a]anthracene (BaA) and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) were the most representative and found in all the analyzed fruit, soil, and water samples, whereas anthracene (ANT) was not detected at all. The mean ∑16 PAHs for the different fruits were found to be 62.593 µg kg^?1 in grapefruit, 24.840 µg kg^?1 in lemon, 22.901 µg kg^?1 in mandarin, and 5.082 µg kg^?1 in orange. The dominance of naphthalene (NAP) and acenaphthene (ACE) in soil under hot climatic conditions indicates the recent and continuous input of these types in the investigated area. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) for ∑16 PAHs was observed in the order of grapefruit > lemon > mandarin > orange. Based on the results of the principal component analysis (PCA), the primary sources of PAHs in agricultural soils mainly originated from biomass burning and vehicular emissions. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) indicated that consumption of these four citrus fruits may expose human health to potential cancer risk. The findings of this study call the policymakers and public administrations to the formulation of stringent policies and actions to control biomass burning and vehicular emissions.     

Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric characterization of flavanones in citrus and grape juices.

A method for the characterization of flavanones in fruit juices, involving solvent extraction, hydrolysis to the corresponding aglycones, trimethylsilylation and combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, is reported. The application of the method is demonstrated for the analysis of orange, lemon, grapefruit and grape juices.     

Effect of electrosurface properties of pectin substances on their sorption capacity for water and heavy metals

Three industrial pectins, viz., citrus, apple, and beet pectins were examined for the chemical composition, sorption, and electroosmotic transfer. The gelation concentrations, charge, and binding of the pectins to water and heavy metals were determined.     

Enzyme-assisted extraction of citrus essential oil

Citrus peels are underutilized in the processing industry and are commonly considered as waste as their chemical composition varies. However, it is possible to recover some value-added products, one of them being essential oil, which is widely used in the food industry. Due to the current increase in global demand for citrus essential oils, it is necessary to implement processes directed to the maximum recovery of oil from waste peels. Numerous efforts have been made without achieving significant improvements in yields. In this work, enzymatic pretreatments of orange, lemon, and grapefruit peels were applied to achieve increased yields of essential oil extracted by hydro-distillation. In two of the sources it was possible to increase the essential oil yield from two to six times. Moreover, a significant amount of fermentable sugars which can be used in the production of certain other compounds of interest through fermentation was obtained.     

GC/MS Analysis of Polymethoxyflavones in Citrus Oils

The cold pressed peel oils of three species of citrus fruit, viz. sweet orange, tangerine, and grapefruit, have been examined for polymethoxyflavones by GC and GC-MS. Four GC column stationary phases were compared and separation of the six predominant orange oil polymethoxyflavones was obtained isothermally at 310°C in under ten minutes, including the resolution of the polymethoxyflavones from β-sitosterol. The nature of the stationary phase and the analysis temperature exercise dramatic effects on the resolution and elution order of the components, DB-35ms providing the best overall separation. A temperature programmed separation is also presented and the polymethoxyflavone composition of all three oils, as determined by GC-MS, is described. This is the first reported GC-MS study of the PMFs of these citrus species. While tangerine oil is as rich in polymethoxyflavones as orange oil, they are less abundant and occur at lower concentrations in grapefruit oil. Hydroxy-polymethoxyflavones were identified by GC-MS in tangerine oil. One hydroxy-pentamethoxyflavone, M⁺ = 388, identified in tangerine was also present at low levels in both orange and grapefruit oils. These results are compared with previous studies utilizing HPLC and GC.     

Viscosity of Blends of Pectins of Various Origins with Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Copolymers

The rheological properties of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers of various compositions in blends with pectins of various origins (pectins recovered from apple pulp, watermelon peel, and citrus fruits) were studied. The degrees of swelling of blend films in water were measured.     

Application to drug-food interactions of living cells as in vitro model expressing cytochrome P450 activity: enzyme inhibition by lemon juice

Classical inhibitors of human cytochrome P450 3A4 activity, such as ketoconazol and quercetin, are tested to prove the efficiency of a new metabolisation model using living entire cells. Grapefruit juice is a well-known potent inhibitor of cytochrome P450 3A4 activity. With regard to the clinical relevance of grapefruit juice-drug interactions, an investigation of other common juices is undertaken with this in vitro model. The CYP3A4 activity is measured by the formation of the 6beta-hydroxytestosterone, which is quantified by an isocratic high performance liquid chromatography. It is demonstrated for the first time that lemon juice significantly inhibits by 60+/-3% the CYP3A4-mediated oxidation. Grapefruit juice inhibits this activity by 82+/-4%. The mechanism of lemon juice inhibition is competitive, whereas it is mixed for grapefruit juice. These results suggest that our in vitro model combined with our analytical method is applicable for the investigation of the inhibition of CYP3A4 not only by chemical inhibitors but also by natural food products.     

Superior Antibacterial Activity of Integral Lemon Pectin Extracted via Hydrodynamic Cavitation

Pectin extracted via hydrodynamic cavitation in water only from waste lemon peel and further isolated via freeze drying displays significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, a Gram positive pathogen which easily contaminates food. The antibacterial effect of the new IntegroPectin is largely superior to that of commercial citrus pectin, opening the way to advanced applications of a new bioproduct now obtainable in large amounts and at low cost from citrus juice industry's waste.     

Analysis of bitter essential oils from orange and grapefruit by high-performance liquid chromatography with microbore columns

The analysis of bitter orange and grapefruit essential oils (non-volatile fraction) was carried out by HPLC in normal- and reversed-phase mode with UV detection. These oils were compared with the sweet orange and mandarin essential oils, analyzed previously. For the identification of chromatographic peaks, fractionation by RP-HPLC was carried out. The purified fractions were analyzed by GC-MS and LC-MS. Some new compounds were found, together with many others already identified in different citrus essential oils.     

Determination of flavonoids in citrus juices by micro-HPLC-ESI/MS

Flavonoids are a large class of naturally occurring aromatic secondary plant metabolites. They constitute one of the most characteristic classes found in nature and more than 4000 flavonoids have been identified and divided into several subclasses. Flavonoids have several effects on human health, mainly related to their antioxidant activity. As a result of the increased interest in the biologically active compounds in food, many research studies have investigated the detection and quantification of antioxidants. Citrus plants are of great interest since they accumulate large amounts of flavonoids and fruit and juices of these species are consumed in large quantities. Despite the extensive research performed on Citrus flavonoids, many compounds still remain unidentified. In this work, flavonoids of five citrus juices: lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, orange, and mandarin were analyzed by microHPLC coupled on-line with an MS detector equipped with an ESI source operating in negative mode. The use of microcolumn HPLC greatly enhanced detection performance. In total, 20 flavonoids of two different subclasses (flavanone and flavone glycosides) were identified with the help of retention data and MS spectral information.     

Cross-linked natural IntegroPectin films from citrus biowaste with intrinsic antimicrobial activity

Cellulose - Pectin recovered via hydrodynamic cavitation (IntegroPectin) from lemon and grapefruit agri-food waste intrinsically containing antimicrobial bioactive substances (flavonoids, phenolic...     

Spectrophotometric determination of vitamin C in citrus fruits using peri-naphthindan-2,3,4-trione

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry - A spectrophotometric method for the determination of vitamin C in lemon, orange, and grapefruit juices is described. It is based on the reaction with...     

Chiral separation of diastereomeric flavanone-7-O-glycosides in citrus by capillary electrophoresis

The 2S- and 2R-diastereomers of major flavanone-7-O-glycosides found in sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), mandarine (Citrus deliciosa), grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), lemon (Citrus limon), and sour or bitter orange juice (Citrus aurantium) were separated for the first time by chiral capillary electrophoresis (CE) employing various buffers with combined chiral selectors. Native cyclodextrins (CDs), neutral and charged CD derivatives were examined as chiral additives to the background electrolyte (BGE). Separation efficiency has not proved satisfactory with one single CD as chiral selector in the buffer, a full and simultaneous separation could often be achieved only by using combined buffer with two different CDs. Chiral separation of major flavanones in sweet orange, mandarine and grapefruit juices raised more difficulties than in lemon and sour orange juices as narirutin will not readily build complexes with most CDs. Diastereomeric flavanones of mature and immature grapefruits were compared and some differences were found: naringin showed different diastereomeric ratio and 2S-prunin appeared only in immature grapefruit. Marmalade was also examined by chiral CE. Its major flavanones corresponded to flavanone pattern of mixed sour and sweet oranges.     

电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法测定柑桔类水果及果皮中多种微量元素

采用HNO_3-HClO_4体系湿法消解样品,利用电感耦合等离子体发射光谱仪同时测定了柑桔类水果及果皮中Al、B、Ba、Ca、Cu、Fe、K、Mg、Mn、Na、Sr、Zn 12种微量元素的含量。分析结果的相对标准偏差0.35%~3.26%,加标回收率85.5%~107.0%,该法简单、快速、可靠、灵敏度高。实验表明,大部分柑桔类水果果皮中微量元素含量高于其果肉中含量。柚子内皮和外皮中微量元素含量有少许差异,柚子外皮中的K、Ca、Mg含量最高,而柚子内皮中Fe、Na的含量较高。该结果为有效利用柑桔类水果果皮的药用功效提供了定量参考依据。