Studies on Natural Antioxidants in Citrus Species. I. Determination of Antioxidative Activities of Citrus Fruits.

Abstract

The antioxidative activities of twenty types of citrus fruits were investigated with a screening method which is based on rat liver microsomal lipid peroxidation induced by dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP). The activities of the exocarp were greater than those of the sarcocarp and the activities from immature fruits (collected in July-August) were greater than those from mature fruits. The strongest antioxidative activity was found in ponkan (Citrus reticulata Blanco) collected in July.