Phytochemical profiles, total phenolics contents, and antioxidant activities of juices from three lemon (Citrus limon) varieties available in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines

Paper Details

Research Paper 11/05/2024
Views (1724)
current_issue_feature_image
publication_file

Phytochemical profiles, total phenolics contents, and antioxidant activities of juices from three lemon (Citrus limon) varieties available in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines

Claire Marie Jimenez Arro, Romeo Macaltao Del Rosario, Angelo Mark Po Walag
Int. J. Biosci. 24(5), 197-202, May 2024.
Copyright Statement: Copyright 2024; The Author(s).
License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Abstract

Lemon (Citrus limon) is a small fruit-bearing tree from the Rutaceae family. This study compared the phytochemical composition, the total phenolics (an antioxidant group of substances), and the antioxidant activity measured as free radical scavenging activity of the juices of three lemon varieties from Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. The phytochemical screening was conducted by applying qualitative tests for carbohydrates, reducing sugars, glycosides, steroids, saponins, phenols and tannins, flavonoids, anthraquinones, alkaloids, and proteins. Then, the Folin-Ciocalteu test assessed the total phenolics content of the samples. Moreover, the percent scavenging effect via the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity determined its antioxidant activity. Finally, the Pearson correlation test examined the statistical correlation between total phenolics content and antioxidant activity. The lemon juice samples contain many bioactive compounds, including reducing sugars, glycosides, steroids, saponins, phenols and tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and proteins. All three juices exhibited high and significantly different total phenolics contents ranging from 460.57 – 686.18 mg/L. The juices also showed high antioxidant activities against free radicals which varied significantly from 89.84 – 92.80 % scavenging effect. The correlation between these two sets of data—total phenolics and free radical scavenging—indicates the very big contribution of the phenolic compounds to the antioxidant activity.

Bansode DS, Chavan MD. 2012. Studies on antimicrobial activity and phytochemical analysis of citrus fruit juices against selected enteric pathogens. International Research Journal of Pharmacy 3, 122-126.

Chung KT, Wong TY, Wei CI, Huang YW, Lin Y. 1998. Tannins and human health: a review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 38, 421-64. DOI: 10.1080/10408699891274273.

Fejzić A, Ćavar S. 2014. Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of some citruses. Bulletin of the Chemists and Technologists of Bosnia and Herzegovina 42, 1-4. https://doi.org/10.33263/BRIAC131.021.

Ghafar MFA, Prasad KN, Weng KK, Ismail A. 2010. Flavonoid, hesperidine, total phenolic contents and antioxidant activities from Citrus species. African Journal of Biotechnology 9, 326-330.

Klimek-Szczykutowicz M, Szopa A, Ekiert H. 2020. Citrus limon (lemon) phenomenon – a review of the chemistry, pharmacological properties, applications in the modern pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industries, and biotechnological studies. Plants (Basel, Switzerland) 9, 119. DOI: 10.3390/plants9010119.

Kurek J. 2019. Introductory chapter: alkaloids – their importance in nature and for human life. IntechOpen. http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.85400

Liu RH. 2004. Potential synergy of phytochemicals in cancer prevention: mechanism of action. The Journal of Nutrition 134, 3479S-3485S. DOI: 10.1093/jn/134.12.3479S.

Pham-Huy LA, He H, Pham-Huy C. 2008. Free radicals, antioxidants in disease and health. International Journal of Biomedical Science 4, 89-96.

Rekha C, Poornima G, Manasa M, Abhipsa V, Pavithra Devi J, Vijay Kumar HT, Prashith Kekuda TR. 2012. Ascorbic acid, total phenol content and antioxidant activity of fresh juices of four ripe and unripe citrus fruits. Chemical Science Transactions 1, 303-310. DOI: 10.7598/cst2012.182

Rizaldy D, Insanu M, Sabila N, Haniffadli A, Zahra AA, Pratiwi SNE, Mudrika SN, Hartati R, Fidrianny I. 2023. Lemon (Citrus limon L.): antioxidative activity and its marker compound. Biointerface Research in Applied Chemistry 13, 21. DOI: 10.33263/BRIAC131.021.

Roleira FMF, Varela CL, Costa SC, Tavares-da-Silva EJ. 2018. Phenolic   derivatives from medicinal herbs and plant extracts: anticancer effects and synthetic approaches to modulate biological activity. In: Rahman A, Ed. Studies in natural products chemistry. Amsterdam: Elsevier, p.115-156. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-444-64057-4.00004-1.

Shi J, Arunasalam K, Yeung D, Kakuda Y, Mittal G, Jiang Y. 2004. Saponins from edible legumes: chemistry, processing, and health benefits. Journal of Medicinal Food 7, 67-78. DOI: 10.1089/109662004322984734.

Soto-Blanco B. 2021. Herbal glycosides in healthcare. In: Mandal SC, Nayak AK, Dhara AK, Ed. Herbal biomolecules in healthcare applications. Massachusetts: Academic Press, 239-282.

Related Articles

Extraction of biologically active substances of fungi isolated from various ecosystems and evaluation of their effect

K. F. Bakhshaliyeva*, G. A. Tomuyeva, A. R. Hasanova, V. Y. Hasanova, A. M. Hasanov, S. E. Nagiyeva, A. G. Eyvazov, G. T. Huseynova, G. A. Qasimova, V. K. Isayeva, Int. J. Biosci. 28(2), 143-150, February 2026.

Integrative role of yeast culture metabolites in aquatic health and productivity

Sajjad Ur Rahman, Dur E Nayab, Rabia Kanwar*, Muhammad Mukarram Bashir, Int. J. Biosci. 28(2), 126-142, February 2026.

Land use efficiency and performance of sweet corn-cowpea intercropping influenced by temporal planting and methods of fertilizer application

Bryan Cristian M. Demolar, Marissa C. Hitalia*, Int. J. Biosci. 28(2), 101-125, February 2026.

Illuminating the deficiency: Public awareness of vitamin- D in Lahore, Pakistan

Muhammad Zeeshan Arif*, Muhammad Arslan Shahid, Zeerak Laila, Ahmad Ali Shabbir, Farrukh Nadeem, M Muazzam Khan, Yousuf Shahjahan, Rajab Ali, Int. J. Biosci. 28(2), 91-100, February 2026.

Characteristics of symbiotic relationships between plants and bacteria and the influence of stress factors on them

Konul F. Bakhshaliyeva, Navai D. İmamquliyev, Mehpara İ. Gasımova, Sevda M. Muradova, Panah Z. Muradov*, Int. J. Biosci. 28(2), 75-90, February 2026.

In the line of fire: Unmasking the institutional challenges in the bureau of fire protection

Mhelen Grace F. Libre, Nancy E. Aranjuez*, Int. J. Biosci. 28(2), 53-74, February 2026.

One health approch: Diversity of domestic larval habitats and human responsibility in mosquito proliferation in Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso)

Zouéra Laouali, Kouamé Wilfred Ulrich Kouadio, Moussa Namountougou*, Int. J. Biosci. 28(2), 38-52, February 2026.

Linkages between land use change, flooding, and water quality in the Pallikaranai Marshland, Chennai, India

Arunpandiyan Murugesan, Roshy Ann Mathews, Aarthi Mariappan, J. Ranjansri, Rajakumar Sundaram, Prashanthi Devi Marimuthu*, Int. J. Biosci. 28(2), 28-37, February 2026.