Citrus fruits contain carbohydrate, fiber, vitamin C, potassium, folate, calcium, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and a variety of phytochemicals.
Fruit composition is influenced by a large number of natural factors, namely the variety of fruit, the geographical location, the climatic zone, the soil, the degree of maturity as well as other factors.
The composition of juice products may be influenced by technology used in processing and packaging. Fruit juices contain organic acids, minerals and trace elements, vitamins, polyphenolic and other biologically active compounds.
The most important group of secondary metabolites in the fruit of lemon includes flavonoids and other compounds, such as phenolic acids, coumarins, carboxylic acids, amino acids, and vitamins. The main compounds of essential oil are monoterpenoids, especially D-limonene.
In the whole fruit, other flavonoids are additionally detected: flavonols—limocitrin and spinacetin, and flavones—orientin and vitexin. Some flavonoids, such as neohesperidin, naringin and hesperidin, are characteristic for lemon fruit.
Citrus fruits are a particularly good source of vitamin C, with one medium orange or grapefruit providing approximately 70 mg and 56 mg, respectively. A 225 ml glass of orange juice contains approximately 125 mg of vitamin C.
Citric Acid is a weak acid with a chemical formula C6H8O7 This acid is usually found in citrus fruits like lemons, oranges etc. It is considered as a tribasic acid. Lemon juice and lime juice are rich sources of citric acid, containing 1.44 and 1.38 g/oz, respectively. Lemon and lime juice concentrates contain 1.10 and 1.06 g/oz, respectively. The citric acid content of commercially available lemonade and other juice products varies widely, ranging from 0.03 to 0.22 g/oz.
One medium orange and one 225 ml glass of orange juice provide approximately 235 mg and 500 mg of potassium, respectively.
Chemical component of citrus fruit and juice
