Quality, Textural, Bioactive, Molecular and Chromatographic Characterization of Citrus Pseudolimon from Different Geographical Locations in India

Citrus pseudolimon is grown in Asia and has received little attention in terms of industrial uses and research. In this study, the effect of growing location on the physicochemical, functional, and bioactive characteristics of C. pseudolimon collected from different areas of India were studied. The results regarding physicochemical parameters indicated that maximum yield and acidity were observed in the sample collected from the highest latitude and longitude along with the bright color of the fruit. The retention of bioactive compounds follows the same trend. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy also indicates the highest retention of phytocompounds in C. pseudolimon fruit growing in cold regions. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyzed about 19 volatile compounds in the C. pseudolimon juice irrespective of the location of the sample. Results demonstrated that low growing temperature results in high retention of bioactive compounds. This study suggests that C. pseudolimon fruit has the potential to be utilized for industrial applications as a functional food ingredient for the development of innovative food products.