Abstract

A REVIEW: CITRUS PLANTS-A GIFT OF NATURE

Mrs. Sharad Sharma* Dr. Sonu Sharma, Mr. Sandeep Singh, Mr. Shailesh Pathak

ABSTRACT

The fruits like orange, mandarin, lime, lemon, sour orange and grape fruit having a great source of nutrients for human beings. These all are citrus plants belonging to family Rutaceae. Flavanones and many polymethoxylated flavones are present in very rich amount in citrus plants. These are important because they having physiological and ecological role with commercial interest because of having applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Secondary metabolites including flavonoids, alkaloids, limonoids, coumarins, carotenoids, phenolic acids and essential oils etc are very important for human health due to their active properties. They show lots of beneficial effects like anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti obesity, analgesic as well as cardiovascular protective effects, neuroprotective effects.

Keywords: Citrus fruits, Secondary metabolites, Flavonoids, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory Antibacterial, antifungal etc.