Quantitation of phenolic compounds in tissues of lime (Citrus aurantifolia) fruit during growth and maturation

The citrus fruits are rich in flavonoid compounds. Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds that exhibit valuable effects such as anti-cancer properties. Thus، this study was aimed to determine the levels of hesperidin، naringin and rutin presented in various lime (Citrus aurantifolia) fruit tissues during fruit growth and maturation. This experiment was laid out as a completely randomized blocks design with four replications. Extraction was carried out using methanol and dimethyl sulfoxide and quantification was done with the help of HPLC technique. The results showed that hesperidin was the predominant flavonoid in lime fruits. The highest amount of hesperidin and naringin was observed 30 days after fruit set (3. 23 and 1. 63 % in dry matter، respectively) and was decreased afterward until fruit maturation time. The hesperidin and naringin were found in maximum quantity in peel. The rutin flavonoid was produced in fruit pulp at 50 days after fruit set. None of the flavonoids was present in lime seeds.