title: Juice components and antioxidant capacity of four Tunisian Citrus varieties.
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%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Citrus species used in this study were considered valuable varieties from the point of view of antioxidant capacity and nutrition.
authors.affiliation: Unité des Plantes Aromatiques et Médicinales, Centre de Biotechnologie au Technopôle de Borj-Cédria (CBBC), Hammam-lif, Tunisia. moufidatounsi@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Moufida Saidani
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Tounsi
authors.forename: Wissem Aidi
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Wannes
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ouerghemmi
authors.forename: Sabrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jegham
authors.forename: Yosra
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ben Njima
authors.forename: Ghaith
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hamdaoui
authors.forename: Hassene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zemni
authors.forename: Brahim
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marzouk
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D001628:Beverages; D002957:Citrus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis*; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis; D019301:Oleic Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000737:chemistry; D059808:Polyphenols; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005419:Flavonoids; D010636:Phenols; D028321:Plant Preparations; D059808:Polyphenols; D019207:beta Carotene; D019301:Oleic Acid; D001205:Ascorbic Acid