Comparative analysis of citrus fruits for nutraceutical properties

Abstract Fruits and vegetables (F and V) are valuable for their micronutrients, but many F and V in diverse growth areas have not been scientifically validated for these components. The nutraceutical characteristics of the pulp of eight citrus fruits grown in Pakistan were, therefore, investigated. Expectedly, the fruits differed in moisture (86.9-88.9%), ash (0.37-0.53%), pH (2.9-5.8), total soluble solids (8.1-13.7 °Brix), titratable acidity (7.9-13.1%), total sugars (5.1-8.8%), reducing sugars (2.8-4.3%), and non-reducing sugars (0.3-0.5%) contents. Potassium, sodium and magnesium were the major minerals, while iron, zinc and manganese were present in minor fractions in the pulps. Phytochemical analysis (total phenolic content, 132-243 µg/g GAE; total flavonoids content, 4.2-12.1 µg/g QE; vitamin C, 36.3-62.3 mg/100 g) revealed antioxidant potential that was confirmed by a high 1, 1-diphenyl 1-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, showing a highly positive correlation (r2 > 0.921, 0.917, 0.807 p > 0.05) with the measured antioxidant components (Total Phenolics, Total Flavonoids and vitamin C). Principal component analysis shows a significant relationship between the citrus varieties and their quality parameters to guide their industrial potential as sources of nutraceuticals.