title: Phytochemical analysis and radical scavenging profile of juices of Citrus sinensis, Citrus anrantifolia, and Citrus limonum.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the current investigation was to identify bioactive secondary metabolites including phenols, tannins, flavonoids, terpinedes, and steroids and compare the phytochemical analysis and antioxidant profile of the juice extracted from the fruits of Citrus sinensis, Citrus anrantifolia, and Citrus limonum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Phytochemical screening is important for the isolation of new, novel, and rare secondary metabolites before bulk extraction. Phytochemical analysis of the desired plant fruits of family Rutaceae revealed the presence of phenols, flavonoids, reducing sugars, steroids, terpinedes and tannins. The fruits of C. sinensis and C. anrantifolia exhibited the presence of phenols, flavonoids, reducing sugars, steroids, terpinedes and tannins, while the fruits of C. limonum indicated the presence of phenols, flavonoids, reducing sugars, terpinedes, and tannins. The fruits of selected plants were also subjected to antioxidant potential by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay against ascorbic acid at various concentrations. Among the tested plants, C. sinensis showed promising antiradical effect (84.81%) which was followed by C. Anrantifolia (80.05%) at 100 μg/ml against ascorbic acid (96.36%). The C. limonum showed low antioxidant activity among the three selected plants of family Rutaceae.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current finding is baseline information in the use of the fruits of selected plants as food supplement which may be due to the presence of antioxidant molecules in the family Rutaceae. Further research is needed in this area to isolate the phenolic constituents which possess ideal antiradical potential.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemical Sciences, University of Peshawar, Peshawar KPK 25120, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Abdur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rauf
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemical Sciences, University of Peshawar, Peshawar KPK 25120, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Ghias
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Uddin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemical Sciences, University of Peshawar, Peshawar KPK 25120, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Jawad
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ali
keywords: Antioxidant activity; Citrus anrantifolia; Citrus limonum; Citrus sinensis; Phytochemical screening; Rutaceae